Gluten Free Travel: North West England - Manchester, The Wirral, Liverpool and Chester

Hey fellow coeliacs and food lovers!

Feel free to follow my Pinterest gluten-free recipes board for tasty ideas and if you have a sweet tooth you can also check out my gluten-free dessert board too.

I'll no doubt be adding to this post along the way, as I discover new places to eat in Manchester and the North West. However, these are a few recommendations I have so far:

Manchester

Dough Pizza Kitchen (City Centre) - This place I cannot recommend highly enough, to fellow coeliacs and anyone with a taste for great Italian food! The staff are warm, welcoming and most importantly very understanding about the coeliacs and their condition. They often host special evenings for coeliacs to try out new items on the menu and have a superb range of pizzas (GF bases made from scratch) and pastas. Great value for money and you always walk away stuffed! I've often found you need to book a table at the weekend, so please check availability by calling +44(0)161 834 9411 to save disappointment!

Dough Pizza Kitchen: 75 - 77 High St, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M4 1FS.  

+44(0)161 834 9411

Carluccio's is one of my new favourite coeliac-friendly restaurants. They have branches all over the UK and they have an extensive gluten-free menu. I can't praise this restaurant enough, I've eaten in branches in Manchester and London and the choice is amazing, plus the staff are really helpful and the food tastes great (I have a mega soft spot for their panna cotta!). 

Carluccio's: Hardman Square, Manchester M3 3EB

+44(0)161 839 0623

If you're like me and you LOVE steak, then you will love CAU (Didsbury). It's an Argentinian steakhouse and boy do these guys know how to cook a steak! I first tried a CAU steak in Amsterdam and it's safe to say I was very happy they decided to open a branch in Manchester. The staff are very knowledgable about gluten-free options - the chunky chips are incredible, the peppercorn sauce is moreish and the steak (the rib-eye is amazing) is both tender and full of flavour. 

CAU: 700 Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2DN. 

+44(0)161 448 1883

Expo Lounge (Didsbury) - This is a relatively new discovery for me and I LOVE it! Their range of gluten-free options are both impressive and tasty! It's also got a quirky/fun vibe to the decor which is also appealing. The staff are lovely, prices are reasonable, but beware it can get very busy at weekends - especially lunchtimes. It's family-friendly and if the weather is nice you can sit outside and watch the people of Didsbury walk by...

Expo Lounge: 766 Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2DR

+44(0)161 448 2141

Namaste Nepal (Didsbury) - This is a friendly family-run business in Didsbury, serving traditional Nepalese food. Whether you're looking for a Friday night treat delivered straight to your door or want to go out for a special occasion with family or friends, their curries always deliver on taste and price. Namaste Nepal has been my number one choice for curry for many years and they're very understanding about all gluten-free items on their menu.

Namaste Nepal: 164-166 Burton Road, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 1LH

+44(0)161 445 9060

Foster's Fish & Chips (Didsbury) - If it's fish & chips you're looking for then look no further than Foster's! They serve the tastiest gluten-free fish & chips every Sunday and the portions are very generous, plus their homemade tartare sauce is soooo tasty! You have a wide selection of fish to choose from (all cooked fresh) and they even have gluten-free vinegar. It's probably a good thing they don't serve GF fish & chips every day as I would be in there most nights... They also have branches in Alderley Edge and Bramhall.

Foster's Fish & Chips: 812 Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 6UH

+44(0)161 445 4430

Greens (Didsbury) - Owned by TV chef Simon Rimmer, Greens is a vegetarian restaurant in Didsbury. Despite having lived in Didsbury for a number of years I only ate at Greens for the first time in 2014. Although there is an impressive selection of vegetarian dishes (all of which sound amazing) there were only a couple of GF options available for each course, which limited what I could have. However, the main I had was really tasty and I'd like to give this place another go soon. Just wish they'd add more GF options that's all... 

Greens: 41-43 Lapwing Lane, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2NT

+44(0)161 434 4259

8th Day - Every payday I wander over from work and treat myself to a gluten-free dhal with rice to go, it's delicious and very filling! Upstairs is a vegetarian and vegan shop and downstairs is their restaurant. They have gluten-free options on the menu in the restaurant and plenty of gluten-free staples in the shop - from stocks to pies, from cakes to miso soups, they have a decent selection to choose from. The staff are friendly and helpful. The prices are a little on the high side, but then again you pay for what you get - the quality of the produce in the shop and restaurant are superb.

8th Day: 111 Oxford Road (University-district), Manchester, M1 7DU

+44(0)161 273 4878 (Shop)

+44(0)161 273 1850 (Cafe)

La Vina - If it's tapas you're after then you'll love this place! Friendly staff, great atmosphere and the menu is clearly labeled gluten free (GF). If you ask they have a specific gluten free menu which lists everything you can have, which is really handy. The alcohol can be a little expensive, but if you buy a bottle for the table you can save some pennies. Please note on their website it says they 'do not operate in a dedicated gluten-free kitchen area'. However I have eaten there quite a bit and had no reaction.  

La Vina: 105/107 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2BQ (These guys also have branches in Hale and Liverpool)  +44(0)161 835 3144  

Wagamama - The great thing about this place is they have restaurants all over the world and their selection of gluten free food is great. They serve pan-Asian food and according to their website are 'modeled on the ramen bars' of Japan. You learn something new everyday! The staff are helpful and prices very reasonable. I particularly like munching on a bowl of edamames whilst I wait for my meal, nom nom. Wagamama also caters for a wide range of intolerances and dietary requirements, for more info visit  www.wagamama.com/food/dietary 

Wagamama: (Inside Manchester Printworks), 1 The Printworks, Corporation Street, Manchester, M4 2BS. +44(0)161 839 5916   or
1 Spinningfields Square, Hardman Street, off Deansgate,
M3 3AP +44(0)161 833 9883 

Chester

Marmalade - Whenever I'm in Chester I always stop at Marmalade for some cake and tea, occasionally a sandwich too. The food is fantastic and the service is great! Dawn (owner) is very clued up on cross-contamination and is very accomodating for coeliacs. Follow them on Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/marmaladechester

Marmalade: 67 Northgate Street, Chester, CH1 2HQ
+44(0)1244 314565
Email: dawn.newcombe@marmalade-chester.co.uk

The Wirral

Risa Spice - I've been to Risa Spice quite a number of times and the food is always great. The staff are friendly and very understanding about the gluten-free options on the menu. It can get very noisy on a busy night, but that's to be expected, however it just goes to show how popular it is. You can bring your own booze (which keeps costs down!) and even though I only have a main course with rice I'm still stuffed at the end of the night. 

Risa Spice: 49 New Chester Road, New Ferry, Wirral, CH62 1AA

+44(0)151 345 8967

If you're on facebook there are few pages worth 'liking' for the Manchester region - CoeliacUK Coeliac Manchester and Coeliac in Manchester

Carluccios have branches in Manchester too and offer a wide selection of gluten free food.

One of the main perks of joining Coeliac UK is their restaurant/venue guide pages - please visit their website for more info. 

Will keep you posted if I find anymore!

Jeni :o)