I’m delighted to share with you, a recent trip to Edinburgh to celebrate my big 50!! And of course to pass on some great places that offered fabulous gluten free food whilst we were there!
Due to our visit being to mark my significant milestone, we did push the boat out in terms of accommodation and the places we ate. Luckily, there was a M&S on hand in Edinburgh to pick up gluten free sandwiches for lunch on a couple of days – this certainly helped to curb our expenditure a little – and it still fills me with glee to get a really good readymade gluten free buttie whilst I’m out and about. It’s the little things!!
Catching the train to Edinburgh, allowed us to relax and take in the beautiful scenery along the way, whilst enjoying a glass of fizz and tucking into gluten free nibbles (as you know being coeliac, gf nibbles are vital when you are on your travels!). We saved money by pre-booking our train tickets, which also meant we had a guaranteed seat
Our home for the next 3 nights was the beautiful Waldorf Astoria hotel (former Victorian railway hotel). Upon arrival we checked in, popped our bags in the room and headed to Peacock Alley to grab a late lunch.
With lots of sandwich options, I finally decided on coronation chicken, particularly liking the sound of chopped apricots within the filling. My sandwich came out as two filled gluten free rolls with a salad garnish. In addition, they brought me over a separate bowl of crisps. However, the waiter explained although no gluten containing ingredients a ‘may contain gluten’ warning was on the packet. Really grateful that he had taken the trouble to check things out for me, and leave the crisps separate, I thanked him, but explained as I was coeliac, I wouldn’t eat them due to the risk of cross contamination. The Sandwiches did not disappoint, super tasty and lunch was perfect in Peacock Alley!
In the evening we ate in the Galvin Brasserie De Luxe within the hotel. Our waiter helped me pick out my gluten free dinner with a suggestion from the special board – barbecued chicken and corn with chargrilled lettuce and an additional portion of dauphinoise potatoes (tremendous potato dish!). Delicious dinner perfectly complemented with a smooth glass of red! No pudding tonight, so, really sorry, can’t report back on that experience – however there looked like there would be a couple of things on the menu that would have been safe should I have had ‘the room’.
Oh, my word breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria is AMAZING! Especially for coeliacs. So many gluten free options it was bonkers – in a really good way! What sealed the deal for me was the separate cold gluten free section, with cereals, bread rolls, sweet muffins and even a big gluten free lemon cake!!
I really wanted a piece of this on my first morning but had filled up on everything else. However, the next morning I paced myself, and left a little gap to squeeze a piece in. Gluten free toast was cooked separately to order, and gf indicators clearly marked the suitable hot dishes to help yourself to. Plenty of fresh fruit, jams and even honeycomb honey was on offer…. perfect morning offerings for everyone
My favourite food ever is curry, and for that reason, Dishoom Edinburgh has been on my wish list ever since I read an article about it in the Sunday Telegraph magazine. They don’t take reservations for less than 6 people, and although they get very busy, we dropped on the evening we visited, and landed a table for 2 straight away. (Should you have to wait for a table, there is a handy bar downstairs to grab a drink.) From the moment we walked in I loved it – it has a great vibe and the staff seemed genuinely happy in their work – which is a delight to experience! There’s a dedicated menu for gluten free, and a little * indicates if a dish would need adapting (bread missed off etc). In addition to this they pop little allergen sticks in meals to ensure there is no mix up with your meals. Me and Neil went for the Chicken Ruby. The description on the menu of ‘a good and proper curry with spice and flavour’ grabbed us and we weren’t disappointed. At home I’m a ‘Madras girl’, but it’s nice to occasionally have a subtler curry to truly appreciate the aromatic spices used. Steamed rice and a bowl of healthy greens were the perfect side to have with this delicious curry. Loved Dishoom, great for gluten free food and happy times – hope to return here someday!
So, for our final evening in Edinburgh we booked ourselves into the enchanting Witchery situated just down the hill from the Castle. Neil had discovered this restaurant and felt it would just be up my street – which it was – I felt extremely lucky to get to have a meal in such a special place.
We decided to order fom the table d’hote seasonal menu and the additional dietary menu worked on a number coding basis to advise me which dishes contained gluten.
My starter was a lovely creamy wild garlic soup – and of course there was gluten free bread to dunk in! And for my main I enjoyed delicious lamb, cooked medium, with peas, new potatoes and wild garlic hollandaise- great flavours going on and perfect portion size too. Fortunately for me I’m good with gluten free oats so I was able to round dinner off with a delicious white chocolate and rhubarb flapjack mille-feuille. food and service was excellent, and the magic for the evening came from the whole experience of our visit to the Witchery.
As with so many places now, eating gluten free in Edinburgh was not a problem – from the M&S butties, the fabulous Waldorf Astoria, Dishoom and our extra special meal at the Witchery my dietary needs were sorted. Edinburgh you did good!! And although we only manged to scratch the surface on our first visit, I’m sure we will be back to explore this wonderful city again…. thank you for your hospitality.
P.S Wanted to share a couple of blogs that I like – too good not to check out if you are planning a trip to Edinburgh.
glutenfreeedinburgh.com is a super blog to point you in the right direction for many, many, more great places to eat gluten free in Edinburgh.
The coeliac plate chats about some great places that offer 100% gluten free food in Edinburgh.
Dickens home from home holiday lets have some lovely places to call your own whilst you explore Edinburgh.
*Always check with the with staff at your time of visit to ensure all food is suitable for your dietary needs.
