Earlier this year Mark & I, had a week away in Edinburgh. We explored a whole host of different restaurants that were suitable for those following a Gluten Free Diet (me!) as well as those following a Dairy Free Diet (Mark!).
We had some amazing meals out, & I would highly recommend Edinburgh for anyone on a gluten free diet, I didn’t struggle anywhere. Whilst we were in Edinburgh, we started to form a list of places we had heard were great for those on a gluten free diet and chose a few to visit. We decided that for our final meal before our train journey home we would go out for lunch to a place called Urban Angel.
We popped in to Urban Angel a few days before we went for lunch to check it out (I always like to do this if I’m close by). It was heaving with people & the staff were incredibly helpful. One lady explained that nearly everything is or can be adapted to be gluten free, as well as dairy free. She also told me where they get their gluten free bread from. They get it from Archipelago Bakery run by the lovely Caroline Walsh. It is a local bakery that you might like to visit in Edinburgh too, they have plenty of gluten free options.
So of course after seeing Urban Angel so busy a few days previous, on our final day in Edinburgh, we made sure we had booked a table to ensure we got to enjoy our lunch! (This is something I would highly recommend, it was only a Tuesday lunch time when we visited!)
Urban Angel have a brunch menu (which runs all day!), a lunch menu, cakes (always delicious gluten free options) & a specials menu each day. They also do amazing juices & smoothies.
Breakfast Smoothie
As brunch enthusiasts, we both chose off the bunch menu. First off I got a Breakfast Smoothie which was almond milk, blueberries, banana, honey + almond butter. It was delicious, & a perfect accompaniment to my food.
I couldn’t wait to try the gluten free bread. So I ordered Scrambled Eggs, Avocado & Smoked Haddock on toast. I guarantee this bread will blow your mind. It was so flavoursome, I can’t actually think of any bread I have had that beats this. If I lived in Edinburgh I would be down Archipelago Bakery all the time buying it for myself! The scrambled eggs were actually amazing too, who would have thought something so simple can be made so amazing. I felt like I was eating the best eggs around. The avocado sliced on top was a really nice touch, I really liked how it was presented. Oh, & avocado is one of man’s greatest creations! Finally, the smoked haddock… insane! I have never had smoked haddock within my brunch before. I often have it in a fish pie but rarely any other time. It had a delightful strong flavour & flaked to perfection.
Mark went for poached eggs, smoked salmon & avocado on toast… another brilliant choice. Those poached eggs had lovely runny yolks when broken in to! The smoked salmon was amazing too, and plenty of it! Needless to say he devoured the whole plate!
From looking around Urban Angel I could see some amazing food being eaten by other people too. The presentation of every plate was perfect. Urban Angel manage to take simple classic dishes to another level. I have no doubt that everyone who visits will want to visit again!
I cannot wait to next visit Edinburgh, I will definitely be heading straight for Urban Angel again! I would highly recommend it to everyone & anyone. It is a great experience, perfect location, helpful staff & delicious gluten free food – what more could you want?!
Let me know if you do visit or if you have any other recommendations of places I should visit for tasty gluten free food! Just leave a comment below, or on Facebook/Twitter. Urban Angel is located 121 Hanover Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1DJ.
We visited Edinburgh for the second time in April 2015 and I found it to be even better than I ever remembered. It is a great place for gluten free & dairy free choices; I would highly recommend it! So here are some of my favourite Gluten Free Edinburgh destinations. (In no particular order!) Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post for a Gluten Free Edinburgh video guide!
Loudons is a lovely, open and spacious cafe. It serves amazing breakfasts, brunches, lunches & cakes. There is a huge range of gluten free, dairy free, vegan & nut free cakes which are all baked in their onsite bakery. They also bake all their own gluten free bread downstairs in the bakery – which is amazing! You can even buy a loaf of bread to takeaway. I would highly recommend the Gluten Free & Vegan Banana Coconut Pancakes; plus the Smoked Salmon & Scrambled Eggs (on home baked gluten free toast) was the best I’ve ever had! The staff are incredibly welcoming & knowledgable on allergens so you can definitely rest easy at Loudons!
Urban Angel is a beautiful cafe, tucked away at the lower end of Hanover Street. It is only a few minutes walk from the lovely shopping of George Street & is well worth a trip. Everything on their menu can be made gluten free and the staff are very well informed on all allergens. All the bread including the outstanding gluten free bread is baked by expert baker Caroline at the local Archipelago Artisan Bakery. She also bakes a wide range of cakes for Urban Angel, many of which are gluten free! Urban Angel have a specials menu daily as well as serving a wide selection of brunch & lunch options. I highly recommend trying their smoked haddock, alongside some scrambled eggs, avocado & gluten free toast. The cafe gets very busy so it might be worth getting down early or even booking!
3. Elephants and Bagels, 32 Marshall Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9BJ.
Elephant and Bagels, Edinburgh
Elephants and Bagels is situated not far from the University of Edinburgh. It is always busy with students & locals. It is the sister of Elephant House (the famous “Birthplace of Harry Potter”), but a little less well known. Elephants and Bagels is exactly that… a bagel cafe that loves elephants! The walls are covered in pictures of elephants that customers have drawn whilst indulging in a bagel. Gluten Free Bagels are served here and the choice of fillings is extensive. It is the perfect relaxing breakfast or lunch spot & is perfect for any one on a gluten free diet.
4. MUMS, 4a Forrest Road, Edinburgh, EH1 2QN.
Mum’s, Edinburgh
Mum’s is a charming little restaurant that I have visited on both occasions I have visited Edinburgh. Mum’s is all about Great Comfort Food. They believe ‘gourmet’ should be for everyone, but it doesn’t have to be all ‘poncey’. Gourmet can infact revolve around comfort food! Mum’s is best known for its amazing sausages & mash dish. They do no less than 15 different varieties of mash & have a great selection of different sausages, all of which are 100% gluten free. I really love the whole concept of Great Comfort Food & Mum’s has put this term into practice perfectly. This is a place for everyone, & I highly recommend giving it a try. It’s not a huge restaurant and it does get busy in the evenings so it might be an idea to book.
5. Elephant House, 21 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EN.
Elephant House, Edinburgh
Elephant House is quite a tourist hot spot in Edinburgh due to it’s associations with JK Rowling & Harry Potter. It’s a nice cafe to have a look in and many folk get a little photo outside. The menu in terms of savoury food doesn’t offer a whole lot for those on a gluten free diet, beyond a baked potato, which is somewhat disappointing. However, what it lacks in terms of gluten free, savoury lunch food it makes up for in it’s gluten free cake selection! I spoke to a member of the team whilst in Edinburgh & she told me that the baker is on a gluten free diet & so she dedicates most of her baking time to creating gluten free cakes. A fresh batch of cakes comes in each afternoon around 4pm so we headed down to grab some. The gluten free peanut butter blondie & rocky road I can highly recommend. If you in the area, go & grab some cake!
6. Union of Genius, 8 Forrest Road, Edinburgh EH1 2QN.
Union of Genius, Edinburgh
Union of Genius is known best for its amazing selection of soups. It was Scotland’s first soup cafe & is likely one of the very best across the country. They serve a range of freshly made soups, which change with the seasons and on a daily basis. The soups are all gluten free & many are dairy free as well as there being some vegan options too. All the soups come served in single casserole dishes with a large hunk of bread. You will be pleased to know that you can choose from gluten free sliced bread or a gluten free roll to go with your soup (or GF Oatcakes/Ricecakes if you prefer!). They also offer a range of different cakes, and their are always some gluten free options… 100% amazeballs!
7. Hula Juice Bar, 103-105 West Bow, Edinburgh EH1 2JP.
Hula Juice Bar, Edinburgh
Hula Juice Bar is based just on the edge of the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh. It’s a perfect place to come for breakfast, lunch, a slice of cake or a delicious smoothie. Nearly the entire menu can be made gluten free by switching to gluten free bread which is always readily available. Gluten Free & Dairy Free Cakes are always available too. We tried an amazing gluten free & dairy free coconut & blueberry slice when we visited which was really tasty. My favourite thing about the Hula Juice Bar has to be their selection of smoothies, juices & shakes. They are all made from completely fresh ingredients, nothing false. If I had to recommend you one to try I would go for the Betty Ford (Peach, Strawberry, Banana, Apple)!
8. Mamma’s Pizza, 30 The Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2JU.
Mammas Pizza, Edinburgh
Mamma’s was a favourite for us from our first visit to Edinburgh. Situated right in the middle of the Grassmarket it is easily accessible from the castle area. Mamma’s serves up amazing pizzas on homemade gluten free bases. The bases are really delicious & the extensive variety of topping means you really can create your own pizza. From traditional Scottish toppings to exotic toppings such as Cactus or just delicious toppings like Avocado & Pepperoni, there is something to tantalise everyone’s tastebuds! If you’d prefer something else, there are other non pizza gluten free options too, as well as starters & desserts suitable for the gluten free diet.
9. Tupiniquim, The Green Police Box, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, EH1 9AU.
Tupiniquim, Edinburgh
Tupiniquim is probably my favourite find of the entire Edinburgh trip! An understated green police box at the very top of the meadows is Tupinquim’s home. It is easy to find, situated in the heart of the city & not far from the University of Edinburgh. Tupiniquim is a Brazilian Crepe House where all crepes/pancakes are 100% gluten free. The selection of fillings is vast and varied, from savoury to sweet & plenty of daily specials too. Tupiniquim also create vegan & dairy free pancakes using an almond milk mixture, which comes out equally as well & tastes really delicious. The couple who run it are very knowledgable on allergens and take a huge amount of pride from running their gluten free pancake stall. It was a pleasure to wait for my Gluten Free & Vegan ‘Monkey Delight’ Pancake (Banana, Agave, Cinnamon & Pecans) in their presence. They bring a touch of Brazilian Street Food to Edinburgh and I’m so grateful that they do! If there is one thing you don’t want to miss out on during your time in Edinburgh, it’s a gluten free pancake from Tupiniquim.
10. Real Foods, 37 Broughton Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3JU.
Real Foods, Edinburgh
Real Foods is the Whole Foods of Edinburgh. It’s like your local health food shop but so much better. It offers a wide range of different free from products, many of which you might regularly see in your local supermarket and a few different ones too. So if you forget anything whilst in Edinburgh or need a free from snack this is the place to come. For us, this was a great find as we were staying in an apartment. We were able to buy our favourite gluten free breakfast cereals at Real Foods as well as fresh gluten free breads from brands such as Just. They also stocked a wide range of dairy free cheeses, milks & even vegan samosas (Mark enjoyed a few of these!). So if you are in need of some free from snacks whilst in Edinburgh, I would highly recommend Real Foods. It’s the perfect place to grab some picnic food for a trip to Edinburgh Zoo… a great day out with limited gluten free options.
11. La Favorita, Various Locations Across the City!
La Favorita, Edinburgh
La Favorita is my number one top pick if you are staying in an apartment whilst you are in Edinburgh (or if you live close by). La Favorita is an amazing Pizza Takeaway and Delivery Service that creates beyond amazing Gluten Free Pizzas. The Gluten Free Pizza Bases are all freshly made and are absolute perfection in terms of thickness, texture and flavour. What is even better about La Favorita is that they also offer Dairy Free / Vegan Cheese on all of their Pizzas. They use one of our favourite dairy free cheeses as well, Mozzarisella! Seriously I would definitely suggest a night in during your trip to Edinburgh just to indulge in a gluten free and / or dairy free pizza from heaven! La Favorita deliver as well, which is a massive bonus if you don’t have a car, you can also order online. I can definitely tell why La Favorita is thought of so highly amongst pizza lovers. I have never eaten a pizza quite as good as the one I had from La Favorita!
Other gluten free and free from destinations in Edinburgh…
Vittoria on the Bridge -An Italian Restaurant that is part of The Vittoria Group which also runs La Favorita! If you want to eat out at a restaurant rather than getting a takeaway you might like to visit Vittoria on the Bridge. It serves gluten free pizzas similarly to La Favorita as well as a wide range of gluten free pasta dishes. The menu is well equipped for all allergies, with plenty of choices available for everyone.
Café Andaluz – A Spanish Restaurant that has an ever changing selection of delicious tapas. There are plenty of Gluten Free options on the menu here & it is situated in a great location on George Street.
Chip Inn – Unfortunately a place I was unable to get to due to not having a car. But I heard plenty of top reviews regarding The Chip Inn. It is the only fish and chip shop in the Edinburgh area that I have found that serves gluten free fish and chips on a regular basis. So if you are able to travel a little further out of the city centre the Chip Inn might be somewhere you would like to try!
Howies – There are a couple of Howies easily accessible in the centre of Edinburgh. Howies has a great selection of gluten free options on the menu & prides itself on its fresh, local, Scottish food. It’s the perfect destination for a lovely lunch or dinner out in the heart of the city.
Roseleaf Bar / Cafe – Again, this is another great destination for allergen friendly food that is a little bit further outside of Edinburgh City Centre. Their menu is wholesome and delicious and runs from 10am every morning till 10pm at night. The menu is jammed pack full of hearty Scottish dishes, plenty of which are gluten free & dairy free. If you fancy a proper cosy meal out of the city in the Port ‘o Leith then the Roseleaf might just be the place for you!
Of course you have all your standard chain restaurants that offer gluten free and allergen friendly menus. The likes of TGI Fridays, Pizza Express, Las Iguanas, Nandos, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Chiquitos, La Tasca & Zizzis are available throughout the city centre of Edinburgh if you would prefer.
Why read about where to eat out gluten free in Edinburgh when you can watch! Check out some of my top tips for Edinburgh below!
Edinburgh is definitely one of my favourite cities and I can’t wait till our next trip. I hope that you all get the chance to visit as well. It’s an amazing city for all ages & at all times of year. Christmas in Edinburgh is beautiful & I’ve heard Edinburgh Fringe Festival is one of the very best. Everyday is a great day in Edinburgh so make the most of it and enjoy plenty of gluten free food whilst your at it!
Loudons Edinburgh is an exciting & delicious cafe situated in the heart of the city. It has an amazing, vibrant atmosphere; and of course, has a menu stacked full of gluten free & dairy free mouthwatering options.
This is the first of a collection of posts documenting gluten free in Edinburgh, make sure to check back & follow me on Twitter / Facebook to keep up to date
I had been given numerous recommendations from fellow gluten free foodies to visit Loudons whilst I was in Edinburgh. Seeing as it was the Easter weekend, & most people were enjoying time off work I was worried we wouldn’t easily get a seat. Fortunately, Loudons is really open and spacious & there is plenty of room for everyone! It is definitely a suitable destination for everyone whether you have kids, want a relaxing place to do some work, a chill out place with friends or a great gluten free foodie experience during Edinburgh Fringe.
Upon arrival at Loudons, I asked our lovely server whether they had many gluten free options. She told me ‘I had come to the right place’! She went on to explain that everything on the menu can basically be made gluten free – plenty is naturally gluten free too. I even went downstairs to discover they have their own onsite bakery where they make all their own gluten free bread and cakes.
On our first visit to Loudons we were overwhelmed by all the choices. However, the environment in Loudons makes you feel so relaxed & happy, that it was nice to take our time perusing the menu. The menu is extensive with a lengthy brunch and lunch menu. Brunch is all about Eggs, Pancakes, French Toast, Quinoa or a Full English (All available Gluten Free). Whilst the lunch menu contains Gluten Free Gnocchi, Gluten Free Quiches & Gluten Free Pizza amongst a range of other delicious delights! Click here for the Loudons’ Menus.
Gluten Free & Vegan Banana & Coconut Pancakes
After much deliberation we chose the Gluten Free & Vegan Banana, Coconut Pancakes as well as the Smoked Salmon & Poached Eggs on freshly baked Gluten Free Toast. It was so hard to decide, so we thought one sweet and one savoury dish to share would be perfect! When the food arrived I was blown away. The presentation made the food look so appetising & the smells coming off our plates were incredible.
The Banana & Coconut Pancakes came warm with a chopped up banana, slices of fresh strawberry & lots of maple syrup. I have never had gluten free pancakes out before and these were beyond insane. They were really fluffy and flavoursome. I loved the strawberries on top and of course the maple syrup just rounded the dish off to heaven. I can’t believe the pancakes were both gluten free and vegan… anyone who tries these pancakes will not of had any better anywhere else!
The Smoked Salmon and Poached Eggs on fresh Gluten Free Toast was equally to die for. The bread was soft and full of delicious seeds. The crust on the bread was like nothing I have ever had from a gluten free loaf before. I just wanted more of the bread! As always smoked salmon & poached eggs is a winning combination. The eggs were cooked to absolute perfection. We finished our lunch feeling mighty satisfied, yet slightly sad that it was over!
Before we left we decided to go to the front counter and gawp at all the delicious cakes. Of course we didn’t just gawp at them, we grabbed a couple to take back to the apartment to eat later on. I went for a gluten free lemon & raspberry cake, whilst Mark went for a vegan fudgey chocolate cake. Loudons had so many cakes I wanted to try out. The Gluten Free Lime & Coconut Squares and Gluten Free Scones looked beyond delicious. There were at least 7 different gluten free cakes amongst their wide selection on our visit. Best of all, they are all made in the bakery literally just below the cafe!
Gluten Free Lemon & Raspberry Cake
Not even 2 days had passed since our last trip to Loudons & even with so many delicious gluten free options in Edinburgh, we found ourselves craving more from Loudons; so we returned again for lunch! Mark & I both decided that on this trip we would both have something different to last time on the menu. This time I opted for one of my all time favourite dishes… Smoked Salmon & Scrambled Eggs with their delicious gluten free toast. Mark decided to try the french toast with maple syrup and bananas on their regular freshly baked bread. (You can always have this dish gluten free if you like, Mark just wanted to try what their gluten bread tasted like too!)
Now I feel like I might be starting to give Loudons a big head with this review, but they thoroughly deserve it. My smoked salmon and scrambled eggs was by far the nicest I have ever had & I have travelled to a lot of amazing restaurants & had this dish before. I loved the idea of mixing the eggs and salmon together. There was definitely no lack of smoked salmon by having it this way & it was seasoned perfectly. The bread was again amazing and was an absolute pleasure to eat!
French Toast with Banana & Maple Syrup – this CAN be made Gluten Free too!
I apologise for posting the above picture as this bread definitely contains gluten but I just couldn’t resist as Mark enjoyed it so much! The best French Toast he has ever had… & to think that they can use their freshly baked gluten free bread to make this dish gluten free makes me want to get the train up to Edinburgh immediately!
Knowing this was our final trip to Loudons this Edinburgh adventure definitely made me a little down. We both decided this is one of the best cafes we have ever been to, possibly the best. The staff are some of the friendliest I have met, they are incredibly knowledgable and very efficient too. Nothing is too much for the staff of Loudons, we felt very welcome!
Freshly Baked Gluten Free Bread to take home
I am very pleased to say I managed to bring a little bit of Loudons Edinburgh home with me in the form of a loaf of their Gluten Free Bread. As I mentioned, it is freshly baked downstairs and you can buy it to take home with you. Most of the loaf is gone now, I have been enjoying it with every single meal!
So if you are based in Edinburgh or are thinking of visiting in the future I would put Loudons at the top of your agenda for a place to go. Whether you fancy breakfast, brunch, lunch or just a slice of cake, it is the perfect destination. The menu delivers on every level for those with intolerances and for those without. They are incredibly understanding of coeliac needs so any coeliacs can rest easy when they visit.
Let me know if you get a chance to visit Loudons Edinburgh & what you think!
