Before embarking on a city break to Belfast I wasn’t sure what to expect from the gluten free food scene there. I did a little research beforehand and couldn’t find much written online about it, but now having been I am pleased to report back that Belfast is a great city for a Coeliac to take a city break to.
There are loads of gluten free friendly cafes and restaurants for Coeliacs to take their pick from and from my experience, the waiting staff all over the city were always friendly and accommodating if I had to explain my gluten allergy to them (if there weren’t visible gluten free menu choices – but in a lot of places there were).
Although not high on the list of most people’s top places to visit, Belfast proved to be a great decision for a short break and not only for the gluten free food. The shopping in the city is great, the Titanic museum was really interesting and a great way to spend an afternoon, there are some grand buildings to appreciate (like City Hall) and if you fancy taking a day trip from the city the magnificent Giant’s Causeway is just over an hour’s drive away.
So when you’re in the city and in need of some good gluten free grub, where should you go? I’ve listed my top gluten free friendly 5 restaurants & cafes:
Top 5 Gluten Free Restaurants & Cafes in Belfast
1. Graze, 404-406 Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast. The gluten free food I sampled here was absolutely delicious; all 3 courses! They have a focus on serving freshly cooked food made with local produce and I particularly recommend this restaurant to those who enjoy fish as there were a lot of different gluten free fish dishes on offer. This restaurant is popular and can get quite busy so I would recommend booking so you aren’t disappointed!
2. Home, 22 Wellington place, Belfast BT1 6GE. Located in the centre of Belfast, close to City Hall, this restaurant is a solid choice for a coeliac looking for a hearty meal. Once I informed the waiter of my gluten allergy he cheerily brought over the gluten free menu, which I was pleased to see listed lots of gluten free choices. I had the burger which was really good and served with a gluten free bun and chips, yum!
3. Harlem Cafe, 34 Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7FF. This is a good choice for a gluten free breakfast Belfast, which is what I had, although they also have gluten free lunch and dinner choices (including gluten free fish and chips), which I’m sure would be really good too. The gluten free breakfast that I chose was really tasty (eggs, bacon, tomato and gluten free toast), large and definitely enough to set you up for the day! There are other gluten free breakfast choices available too.
4. General Merchants Cafe, 481 Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 3LL. This cafe/restaurant is located a little out of town but the gorgeous orange and polenta pistachio cake that they served made the walk worth it! A lot of the cakes and tray bakes here were gluten free and looked amazing. A great place to enjoy a coffee and a slice of gluten free yumminess!
5. Fratelli Belfast, 60 Great Victoria Street | Unit 1, Belfast BT2 7BB. A cool Italian restaurant that has a separate gluten free menu listing; gluten free pizza Belfast style, gluten free pasta and gluten free salads (amongst other things). I can highly recommend the ‘Gamberoni Genovesi pizza’, which was tiger prawns, salsa verde and pesto topping a delicious, gluten free pizza base. The cocktails they served here are also worth a mention they were amazing!
Belfast is less than an hour’s plane journey from London and you can often get really cheap deals with budget airlines. If you are looking for a gluten free restaurant, Belfast has many to offer. I fully recommend the city for a gluten free city break, it’s time to book your trip!
Related Tag: Gluten Free Restaurants
