Updated in April 2024, first published in May 2022
Why Cardiff?
Cardiff is the capital and largest city of Wales. I didn’t know much about the Welsh capital until I left all my family and friends behind and moved here to study my degree more than five years ago. Two years ago, the doctor’s diagnosis of coeliac disease came through and I needed to go on a gluten free diet. That was only a few months before COVID-19 was given the now known name. So my hometown restaurant adventures haven’t been as full of possibilities as I would have wished. But here are some of my observations and recommendations listed for when you are exploring Cardiff on a gluten-free diet.
Jump to: Gluten free cake and coffee
Jump to: Gluten free food available all day
Jump to: Gluten free lunch and dinner
Sightseeing in Cardiff
But first, I would like to talk about some sights to definitely see in Cardiff, maybe from a more local point of view, if I may.
- Cardiff Castle – the medieval castle and Victorian Gothic revival mansion, conveniently located at the heart of the city, is easy to access and not to be missed while you’re there. There’s almost always something interesting going on. I have visited it quite a few times on different occasions but still not for an open-air concert. All the below pictures are from 2015 when I first came here.
- Cardiff Bay – the unofficial heart of the city, the home for the annual street food festival and the Wales Millennium Centre, where culture lives. There’s quite a few gluten free restaurant options available there as well if you get hungry exploring the area. And I highly recommend taking the water taxi either to Bute Park or from Bute Park for a few pounds if you’re visiting either one of them.
- Bute Park – another place where there’s plenty to see it being the green heart of the city. Its beautiful arboretum is unrivalled in the UK for the number of significant trees, containing over 3,000 individually catalogued trees, some of which are rare and ornamental. Here’s one of the most famous habitants of Bute Park, pictured below.
- And then there’s Roath Park – the park that’s very popular among locals being one of the first public parks in Cardiff. It retains a classic Victorian atmosphere housing many facilities. There are many other beautiful places to see a bus ride, train ride or a car drive away but that’s a topic for another blog post.
Gluten free cake and coffee in Cardiff
In addition the below, when in Wales, you should definitely try the gluten-free Welsh Cakes from Fabulous Welshcakes. They are indeed fabulous.
- Against The Grain is a newly opened Cardiff’s (first ever) fully gluten-free coffee shop. It takes an hour for me to get there by two buses but of course I had to try it our and support this fantastic endeavour. And their coffee is amazing by the way.
- Coffee #1 is a chain of coffee shops originating from Cardiff. They always have a few gluten free cake options available in every shop and it is my favourite as I am always welcomed with great service and a fantastic atmosphere.
- Bigmoose is a charity and non-profit coffee shop where they are literally working to help with: mental health, homelessness and prevention of suicide. They have gluten free options (incl. bread and cake) available. I have visited them twice now and they’re just amazing and inclusive people.
- The Restaurant at Cardiff Garden Centre, located on the outskirts of Cardiff, is in my opinion another gem with great service and quite a few gluten free options on the menu, the jacket potato pictured below being a lot nicer than the one tried at a Tesco café. I have also had gluten free cake and coffee there. The garden centre is worth a visit if you are in the area and looking for unique gifts.
Gluten free all day every day
Bill’s Restaurants
I have been to a Bill’s in Cheltenham, so my picture is from there but I am assuming the service and atmosphere are similar in any of the other ones. They have a decent amount of gluten free options on the menu in general so I definitely recommend it. And there’s a Bill’s in Cardiff city centre as well as in Cardiff Bay.
Juno Lounge (and all the other Lounges)
Juno Lounge takes very good care of coeliacs except their pricing policy is something I have had to contact them about. After I discovered they charge £1 extra for some items on the gluten free menu compared to the gluten containing menu, I wanted to start a riot because you don’t see that kind of pricing policy for example in Spain.
I received a very lovely explanation to my query, and I quote: “In very simple terms, where we have gluten free bread in a recipe, we charge an additional £1. This additional charge is only applied to bread related dishes and relates to the cost of the gluten free bread which costs us significantly more than any other bread equivalent. Over the years, we have incorporated various gluten free ingredients into our menu which would normally have been gluten containing. This has helped us to manage our gluten free menu as safely as possible in our busy kitchens. Good examples of this would be a gluten free Cumberland sausage or a gluten free panko breadcrumb which we use across our buttermilk chicken dishes. In this scenario, any increased cost in ingredients is absorbed into overall pricing of our menus with no additional charge applied to the gluten free menu.“
I wouldn’t still say I’m okay with it but I’m also not boycotting them. Hopefully one day we will have equal rights in an unequal world.
Gluten free lunch and dinner
Bar 44
Had the pleasure of visiting this tapas bar twice in a week recently because the first time really impressed. They have plenty of gluten free options on the menu and all seem to be very informed about the importance as well. The food was amazing and service very good but now I can’t stop thinking about their pickled anchovies (Boquerones) which were just delicious.
Cosy Club
Just like all Cosy Club‘s in the UK, the ones in Cardiff also offers quite a few gluten free options on a separate menu. Currently they have two restaurants in Cardiff – one in city centre and another in Cardiff Bay. I have been there multiple times and always left very happy.
Curado Bar
Curado Bar nearby the Principality Stadium, is different because they source their produce directly from Spain – you can eat there and buy products for home too. They have quite a lot of gluten free options available (can be found on their Facebook page) and are very accommodating as well.
Ego Penarth
Penarth is slightly further away from Cardiff but good to visit as a tourist destination and the Mediterranean restaurant called Ego at The Schooner Inn in Penarth is worth a mention. They have an extensive separate gluten free menu and you can even get a set price two or three course meal and not worry about receiving smaller portions with a higher price tag. They were super careful with my dietary requirements and even the service cheque had a note saying “allergy at table” on it. Find the full menu here: egorestaurants.co.uk/penarth-menu/gluten-free
Fat Hippo
They say they do Cardiff’s best Burgers but I can’t really agree with that at this point. The restaurant menu didn’t indicate gluten-free options but the server was nice and accommodating. I went there for a quick lunch and ordered a Fast Hippo, which wasn’t fast at all, as it took around 20-30 minutes to make. And it was nothing special. So I won’t be going back unless I don’t have any other options left.
Fintans Fish & Chip Co
Cheating with this one as I haven’t been to Fintans yet but I have heard so many good things from fellow coeliacs. So if you fancy some gluten free fish & chips, Fintans is the place to go. With three restaurants currently in Cardiff, there must be one that’s not too far from you.
Five Guys
Their menu is not very allergen friendly but when you ask for a bunless (in a bowl or lettuce) burger for example, you’ll get the same tasty experience. I have added Five Guys here because all their ingredients are fresh, they have no freezers on their premises. The gluten containing buns are grilled on a separate grill. The meat, potatoes and all other ingredients are prepared fresh every day. According to their allergen matrix, some toppings and sauces are not suitable though plus none of the milkshakes so always best to let the supervising team member know before ordering.
Honest Burgers
One of the most delicious gluten free burgers are in Honest Burgers. I have been very happy with the service the provide in our Cardiff restaurant and the very well thought through interior of the restaurant. What I am too happy about, is the mini size of my burger (that costs now a little extra), compared to my partner’s gluten containing one so I sometimes order two side dishes when I’m feeling very peckish.
Las Iguanas
Las Iguanas has always been great in offering gluten free food. They have currently two restaurants in Cardiff, one in the city centre and another in Cardiff Bay. Highly recommended.
Pasture
Pasture Cardiff is a lively and energetic restaurant, with late night entertainment every weekend. Their beef comes from farms in Wales & the South West, having been raised on pasture. Although you need to book well ahead for a weekend evening table, the wait (sometimes a few months) is worth it. Upon entering they ask if you avoid gluten due to an allergy (to which I have learned to say yes over the years as it gives me the peace of mind that they will take cross-contamination seriously). A manager takes your order and explains what’s available on the menu and which gluten containing ingredients can be substituted. And that the chips/fries are cooked separately. See a blurry image of a section of the altered menu below:
We went there after we were given a gift card for our wedding last year and we were both amazed by the great service as well as excellent food. See below.
Pho Restaurant
Pho Cardiff is part of the healthy Vietnamese restaurants chain. Popular among locals due to the tasty food they offer and possibly due to its prime location in the city. Almost all of their menu is gluten free, and they are very switched-on about it. I have been there many times and it’s been delicious every time.
Pizza Hut
With Pizza Hut, I have always felt safe and the pizza is decent too. And if you like a good deal, then look for a saver option on the menu because otherwise it feels like a rip off if you compare your portion vs the money you paid with your gluten eating friend’s one.
Stable
There’s gluten free options available at Stable in Cardiff city centre. I liked it but I didn’t love it. Still worth a try if you’re in the area and like the vibe.
Viva Brazil
If you’re looking to try a unique Brazilian dining experience with a selection of authentic Brazilian BBQ meats, look no further as they are switched on about gluten in Viva Brazil (Cardiff). I’ve got to be honest, the initial contact was unpleasant and I was about to walk out when I queried about labelling for the sides at the salad island from the lady who seated us to the table and she though I wanted free food. But after the servers were notified of my dietary requirements, they were amazing and even prepared a separate batch of fries. I should have checked the menu on their website before my visit in more detail as they have actually listed the allergens for side dishes on there. Some of the labels were missing at the salad bar, so I just went for the safe options. There’s only the sausage that contains wheat flour from the meat selection but we were too full to try them all anyway.
Wings of Glory
Not far from the Principality Stadium and the Taff Trail, there’s a small but mighty Latin American restaurant called Wings of Glory. The place has a very homely feel to it and we came by it accidentally while visiting Ikea and spotting their The Queen Pepiada food truck in the parking lot stating the food is 100% gluten free. Had a short conversation with them and decided to try out their stationary restaurant in the Riverside area. Long story short, they have all allergens listen on their menu and pledged they can make anything gluten free. So I challenged them and pictured here are my delicious corn quesadillas, very filling even on an empty stomach.
Ice cream
When visiting Cardiff Bay, I recommend visiting Cadwaladers as they understand cross-contamination well and offer gluten-free scones too.
Gluten free in supermarkets
There are plenty of options in dedicated gluten free section in all major supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons and M&S. But by far the best selection can be found in Asda. Unfortunately, you should avoid Aldi and Lidl in Wales because currently they only have gluten free options available in the middle section (if you’re lucky).
Conclusion
To sum it up, you could say Cardiff is quite a good place for discovering as a coeliac. Some would say better than certain parts of England. The above places are the ones I have experienced myself or heard good things about so far. Also, I will keep adding to it as I keep discovering. Stay tuned and stay safe.
Had a great experience? Or maybe a bad one? Let me know if you have been to any of the Cardiff restaurants by emailing me at info@thenonglutenone.com.
PS, all the links in this article are added for information purposes only, and may have been removed/altered from the time they were added. As it’s only me working on the website as a hobby, I don’t check every single link as often as I would like to. So please be careful when clicking on any of the links. If you notice any broken ones, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me via info@thenonglutenone.com. Thank you.
