Gluten Free Travel: Lake Como (Menaggio and Bellagio) and Milan, Italy

Menaggio, Lake Como

On the outside Italy may appear to be the most glutenous capital of the world, famous for its pizza, pasta, breads, biscotti, tiramisu... the list is pretty extensive. However, I am happy to report that eating out, eating in and being a coeliac wasn't a issue, at least in Lake Como and Milan that's for sure. We were fortunate enough to have our own villa, which made planning for meals a bit easier and on days out I made my own gluten free pesto pasta, just in case. We stayed in Menaggio, on Lake Como, which was beautiful. This was my first time in Italy and I've fallen in love with the sights, smells, language, culture, people and of course the food - definitely a place I want to go back to and explore new regions of this beautiful Country.  

The Italian Celiac Association

The Italians are very clued up about coeliac (celiac) disease, they test all children by the age of 6 and just over 1% of children in Italy are coeliacs. There are 20,000 new diagnoses every year and they see an annual increase of 20%. As a result of this increased awareness and understanding about coeliac disease, as soon as a person shows any signs or symptoms, the average time taken between being tested and receiving a diagnosis in Italy is 2-3 weeks, when in the UK and in the US the average diagnosis time is 10 years! This is why it's incredibly important to raise awareness of coeliac disease and the symptoms; I was told I had IBS when it was coeliac disease, I can even trace some of my symptoms back almost 10 years too. Italian's who have been diagnosed receive a monthly payment from the government for gluten free food, as well as additional vacation time to shop for and prepare gluten free meals. Wow! Maybe I'll be moving to Italy..... 

Gellato

Ice cream or 'gellato' is divine in Italy. It's mostly organic, reasonably priced (in Menaggio and Bellagio), they have a fantastic range of flavours and are very refreshing in the heat of July!   

The majority of staff in the places were we ate spoke very good English, however some of the restaurants were limited by language barriers, which is were my phone came in handy with this genius app: Gluten free restaurant cards. You can either download the iPhone app or print them off. It explains what you can and can't eat in most languages. 

Menaggio

Menaggio

Menaggio is a stunning place to stay - this picture was taken from our villa. Close to where we stayed was a  family-run restaurant called Pizzeria CO.RI (Via Per la Grona 57, Menaggio). The food was very tasty (I had steak and chips with grilled veggies) and the staff were lovely, for dessert I had sorbet with liquor - very nice! We watched an impressive thunderstorm whilst our food settled and the view across the lake was spectacular. Red Bay restaurant is also a nice place to chill, they also have mini-golf next door. I didn't try the food here but they do make a lovely long island ice tea!

Eating In - Menaggio

The supermarket Pellicano had a great selection of gluten free foods, ranging from pasta to breads, desserts to pizza bases and all food products were clearly labelled if they were "senza glutine" (gluten free). Their cherries were moreish too!

Bellagio

Bellagio is stunning. It's only a ferry ride away from Menaggio and I cannot recommend a trip there highly enough. We visited Villa Melzi whilst we were there and both the gardens and views are beautiful (see picture). In Bellagio we stumbled across a great restaurant called Far Out! where I had gluten free four cheese pasta with saffron, which was very tasty! The other place which apparently does very good gluten free options (although I haven't tried it) is Hotel du Lac which is right on the waterfront near the ferry. One thing I will say for Far Out! is always ask the staff whether they have any gluten free pasta in, they're more than happy to oblige but they did need to check in with the kitchen when I asked. 

       

Milan

We only had one day in Milan, which felt too short in some ways, but we made the most of it anyway. We got the ferry from Menaggio to Varenna and then got a train to Milan (took 40 minutes). A word of caution - make sure you buy your tickets in advance from a news agent and get them validated in this machine (see pic on right). We visited the Santa Maria del Grazie which was stunning, although I'm sad we missed The Last Supper - you need to book at least 6 weeks in advance to see this! We also visited the incredible church Duomo and La Scala - definitely a must see in Milan.

After wandering around for a while we decided to go for a bite to eat and I'd heard fantastic reviews about a place called Bebop. As soon as we entered the lady said 'gluten free'?. 

She must have known we'd travelled specifically to find the place, which we had. They also cater for people who are dairy free, vegans and even my rather fussy parents (Mum doesn't like tomatoes and Dad doesn't like cheese) which is impressive given that it was mostly a pizza restaurant! It was safe to say I was spoilt for choice by their menu, the staff were very friendly and accommodating and on the whole made the experience very special for me. They even did gluten free breadsticks! Main course was a tomato, mozzarella, palma ham and gorgonzola pizza (yum!) and dessert was spicy melon ice cream with handmade biscuits. You can get tram 9 to Bebop (please double check this is up to date).

Bebop, Viale Col di Lana, 4

20136, Milan

On the whole I was impressed by how accommodating Italy was for coeliacs and how friendly people were when you ask for a gluten free meal. Admittedly I've only been to a small proportion of Italy, but it has given me the confidence and inspiration to explore it further in future. Lake Como is an incredibly beautiful part of the world and it's definitely somewhere I'd love to visit again some day...

I do hope this post is helpful for coeliacs visiting Lake Como (Lago di Como) and Milan. If you have any questions just get in touch! 

Gluten Free Travel: London

After being diagnosed I was a little nervous about eating out when on holiday, as the worry of being glutened was beyond my control. London was my first trip away and so I meticulously scoured the internet for tips and advice on where to eat. Doing your research prior to going on holiday is crucial, especially if you don’t want to starve and spend hours searching for a place to eat on the go. Not fun!  Here are a few places I have tried and tested, plus a couple of extras to try next time.

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.

Leon – If these guys opened branches in Manchester I’d be eating there all the time! The food is amazing. Tasty, great value, friendly staff and a wicked vibe in all the restaurants. They have about 11 branches throughout London (check website for locations) and the food fills you up for hours – great when you’re on the move and sightseeing! Can be quite busy at lunch time in the smaller Leon branches, but you can choose whether to eat in or take away. Oh, nearly forgot the most important and tastiest part of Leon – their GF brownies! Heavenly. Leon caters for many dietary requirements and preferences: GL - Low  Glycemic load of less than 10/Low Sat Fat - Less than 1.5% per 100g/WF – Wheat Free/GF – Gluten Free/DF – Dairy Free/V – Vegetarian.

Pod Food – Pod Food has about 9 branches all over London (check website for locations). I found Pod great for breakfasts, snacks on the go and salads, for a much needed health kick. The staff are friendly and prices are very reasonable for London. The food ranges from super food healthy salads, hot lunches, wraps to GF cakes.  Pod caters for many dietary requirements and preferences: SF – Super food/LF – Low Fat/V – Vegetarian/ WF – Wheat Free/DF – Dairy Free/GF – Gluten Free.

Honest Burgers make some of the best burgers I've ever eaten in my life, even before I became a coeliac. They provide gluten-free buns for the burgers (which are always cooked medium) the rosemary salted chips are so bloody tasty and the onion rings are huge and more importantly gluten-free! I cannot express how good these burgers are, just go and be prepared to be be wheeled out with a stomach full of tasty food. I love this place and I wish they opened at least one branch in Manchester... The good news is you're always close to an Honest Burgers branch in London - here's a list of locations.

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!). 

Niche Food & Drink is based near Sadler's Wells in London and is an entirely gluten-free restaurant. We made a special trip across London to eat at Niche and although the food was tasty, the service was not what I would expect from a small, independent place. As soon as we walked in we were asked if we had a reservation (we didn't) and then the gentlemen proceeded to tell us that we could have a table but he needed it back at 1.45pm - not what you want to be told when you've made a special trip and there were at least 6 free tables at that point. Now, I would try this place again as the food was good and there were lots of gluten-free options but I strongly recommend you book in advance, mostly because it seems to be what they would prefer you to do. However, if it's a cheap and cheerful lunch you're after then you might be best going to Leon or Pod Food as it was a little on the £££ side for a lunch, but it was a nice treat.

Wagamama – As you can tell from my post Eating Out: Manchester I love Wagamamas! The food is excellent, great value for money and coeliac-friendly staff. Please check the website for locations and booking information.

 

Other Resources:

Coeliac London – A great site on Facebook for advice on where to eat.  

Cakes!

Great gluten free blog.

Another great gluten free blog.

Gluten Free Travel: Brighton

I always had a feeling Brighton would be suitable for coeliacs and I wasn't disappointed... 

For our first night in Brighton we ate at Food For Friends, a vegetarian and vegan restaurant with plenty of gluten-free (GF) options on the menu. We settled for the three course menu and they delivered one incredibly tasty meal after another, to be honest we were a little spoilt by how good the food and service was! For starters we both had Shiitake, chanterelle and smoked ricotta paté with red onion marmalade on a homemade toasted (GF) brioche. 

For the main meal I had a coconut curry with fried aubergine, courgettes and garden peas served with split pea and sesame dumplings, spiced rice and a crunchy fresh papaya, mango and cashew salad - the flavours were amazing! 

They had run out of ice cream for dessert on the set three course menu so the chef kindly offered to make me a dessert from scratch, so.... I chose the lemongrass infused crème brûlée with summer berry salad and a homemade lemon thyme sablé. 

Although the food sounds 'posh' don't be put off - the food was incredible, the atmosphere was lovely and the staff were very accommodating and friendly. This is definitely one of those places were I wish I had a lot more money so I could have eaten there all the time! 

The next day for lunch we decided to try Iydea on Kensington Gardens and I'm so glad we did! Again a vegetarian restaurant, but the generous portions mean you're full for hours and the prices were very reasonable. I fancied trying a dessert but was always too full to stomach one! It cost about £8 each for a substantial lunch, including a freshly squeezed juice. 

I had sweet potato, chickpea and mushroom massaman, with pesto new potatoes, rice and hummus and my boyfriend had the same massaman curry, green beans with almond and dill, broccoli, roast peppers and rocket salad with a coriander and garlic dressing and tahini roasted seeds on top. 

First you choose one main dish, then two hot veg or salads, then pick any two toppings.

The food was so good we went back the next day for more! The one thing I will say is space is quite limited so if you want to eat inside you may have to wait for a table, but if you're not so fussed then you can always get your food to go instead. 

On our second night in Brighton we decided to order in to our hotel from Pizzaface. They were so tasty! The choice of ingredients and selection of pizzas they offer, all on gluten-free bases, was staggering. To be honest we were a little spoilt for choice! So we could try more than one pizza we ordered both on a gluten-free base. First of all we tried the Jakub pizza - chorizo, pork and wild boar salami, caramelised onion, dollops of mascarpone and a sprinkling of dried chilli flakes and oregano. 

AND we tried the Cuca pizza - mozzarella, smoked mozzarella, shiitake and oyster mushrooms, caramelised onions, rosemary and finished with Napoli salami. Oh and a bottle of wine! 

These pizzas were something special and I kind if wish they had a branch in Manchester... 

I hope this brief intro to gluten-free Brighton helps if you're planning on going. As I was only there for a couple of days I sadly didn't get to try all of Brighton's tasty GF options, so here's a list below of some other options:  

Infinity Foods Café -  (Breakfast or Lunch)
50 Gardner Street, North Laines, BN1 1UN (01273 670743)

Donatello -  (evening meal - Italian)

1-3 Brighton Place, The Lanes, Brighton, BN1 1HJ (01273 775477)

Pinocchio -  (evening meal - Italian)

22 New Road, Brighton, BN1 1UF (01273 677676)

Al Duomo -  (Italian)

7 Pavillion Buildings, Brighton, BN1 1EE (01273 326741)

Famous Moe’s Pizza – 20 Southover Street, Brighton,  BN2 9UD (01273 676867)

Indian Summer (curry) - 

69 East Street, Brighton, BN1 1HQ (01273 711001)

Love Fit Café -  (Breakfast or Lunch)

14 Brighton Square, Brighton, BN1 1HD (01273 777941)

The Chilli Pickle (curry) - 

17 Jubilee Street, Brighton, BN1 1GE (01273 900383)

Moorish - 84 Dyke Road, Brighton, BN1 3JD (01273 777765)

Angel Food Bakery - 20 Meeting House Lane, Brighton, BN1 1HB (01273 208404)

Gluten Free Travel

Gluten Free Travel

No matter where you are in the world the same principles apply whether you're eating in or eating out: pre-holiday preparation and research is key to not suffering and starving when you go abroad. I stumbled across a great site which has free coeliac travel cards. They explain what coeliac disease is and what you can and can't eat in 51 different languages, so if you get a little lost in translation on holiday then hopefully these cards will come in handy. I tried them out when I went to Italy this year and they were very useful, as my Italian is quite limited! 

I've recently stumbled across this website Glutenfreeroads.com and I can't recommend it highly enough - it's a great resource for coeliacs who normally struggle to eat out, especially when travelling! It provides listings on a map of where you can eat out, where you can stay that caters for coeliacs and where to shop in most locations around the world :) Check it out fellow coeliacs! Oh and they also have some hints and tips on travelling gluten-free too. 

In-Flight Food

"I am serious...and don't call me Shirley!"

Another hurdle for many coeliacs, particularly on short flights is in-flight food, on long-haul flights you can request a gluten free meal in advance, just contact your airline or select when booking flights. This year I went to Italy in July, we flew to Amsterdam and changed to fly to Milan. Our flight was at 6am, I woke up at 3am had some breakfast, got to the airport about 4am and was unable to find anything suitable in the airport to eat before and during the flight, which meant when I finally arrived in Milan I was extremely hungry and finding something to eat straight away was difficult. By the time we arrived at the villa on Lake Como at 6pm (via Switzerland - long story!) I hadn't eaten a proper meal since 3am! I was feeling faint, dehydrated, tired and almost delusional from the heat and travel. 

Airlines need and should cater for people with dietary requirements, as there are a growing number of people with food intolerances and allergies who are regular and frequent flyers and are paying the exact same price as everyone else on the plane who do get to eat. It's unfair, discriminatory and wrong. A word of advice, always travel prepared with plenty of gluten free snack bars and munchies in your hand luggage, as taking a ready made pasta meal in a Tupperware box on board is not likely to get through security or a sensible recommendation.

Happy Coeliac!

Airlines, restaurants, shops, venues etc are extremely foolish not to cater for coeliacs and people with other dietary requirements as "between 1999 and 2004, the market for organic and 'free from’ retail products grew by 115% to reach £3 billion, a rate five times faster than that of the eating out market". It is estimated that people who have special dietary requirements spend approximately £5 billion on eating out per year and with increasing awareness of dietary issues, companies willing to accommodate for specific dietary needs will be at a distinct advantage. Mintel report, January 2005 (Impact of Diets on Eating Out). 

Travel Recommendations

My list of gluten free restaurants I have explored on my travels are expanding and this is one of the main reasons for starting this blog, alongside wanting to help other coeliacs who struggle for places to eat in the UK and abroad. So far I've posted guides on eating out when in:

Amsterdam

London

Manchester 

I've nearly finished my Lake Como and Milan gluten free guide, will let you all know when it's done. Next year I'm exploring Edinburgh as a coeliac, I went before being diagnosed so this time will be quite different - no traditional shortbread for me!

Gluten Free Travel: Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a great place to visit and there are many coeliac-friendly places to eat and snack. I've been fortunate enough to have visited Amsterdam 5 times, can't get enough of the place! There's so much to do and see in Amsterdam - plenty of culture, beautiful architecture, crazy museums, coffeeshops and vibrant people. This blog is not only to give advice on where to eat gluten free, but also recommendations of places to visit too. Hope you enjoy!

La Place

A great place to eat for coeliacs and non-coeliacs is La Place (inside V&D department store). They have a wide variety of fresh foods and produce, from salads to fish dishes, stir fry to soups, (bring your own GF rolls) cooked how you like it, right in front of you. The prices are very reasonable and they have a great place to sit upstairs to spy on the tourists doing their shopping! Coeliacs be warned, the cake section is very cruel and should be avoided at all costs! They do serve the best pastries and cakes I've tasted in Amsterdam (before being diagnosed that is!). However, they also do the best fruit salads and I'm sure if you asked nicely they wouldn't mind cooking with your GF pasta. 

Food

La Place is not far from Muntplein and the Bloemenmarkt (flower market). La Place is based on Kalverstraat 203, 1012 XC Amsterdam and the Kalverstraat is one of the main shopping streets in Amsterdam and a great place to pick up some bargains!

Bloemenmarkt

Once you've eaten lunch at La Place, check out the Bloemenmarkt (flower market) - the only floating flower market in the world, based on the Singel canal. It certainly is a party for all the senses and hayfever sufferers be prepared! About half way down the flower market there is a beautiful little Japanese shop, which I always go in and stock up on dolly shoes and other nic nacs. I could spend a fortune in that shop.     

Cau

Cau is an Argentinian restaurant on the Damstraat (just off Dam Square). I ate there with my brother last year and the steak was amazing! They offer 4 types of cut - Cuadril Rump, Lomo Fillet, Chorizo Sirloin and Ancho Ribeye, cooked exactly how you like it. I had mine with chips and a peppercorn sauce, nom nom! If you're a vegetarian, don't despair they do an amazing vegetarian  platter with grilled veggies. The food was a little pricey, however it was a treat and we both loved it! Friendly, and helpful staff with a great interior.

Inside Cau

Just to give you a little history lesson; the Argentines have bred and reared Aberdeen Angus cattle organically, since the late 1800s and as a result of their environment the meat is naturally low in saturated fat and high in vitamins and iron. Cau uses the best cuts and you can really tell the difference. The address for Cau is Damstraat 5, 1012 JL, Amsterdam. 

Eberhardt

On a shopping note, one of my favourite shops is on the Damstraat at number 7, called Eberhardt. It's crazy and wonderful at the same time. Downstairs is filled with fairies and all things mystic and upstairs is my fav - a Japanese shop, filled with beautiful ornaments, teapots, incense and the most stunning dresses you have ever seen. I've bought two from there and they are lush!

If you have the opportunity to cook for yourself whilst you're away then this is probably the most economic way of eating gluten free in Amsterdam. I went last month and stayed with my friend Pip and eating gluten free was a lot easier. We got most of our food from the Albert Heijn and the amount of gluten free food was impressive. They don't have a specific gluten free section, however they are very good at labeling their food. 

I'm currently addicted to their tropical juice and ended up bringing a couple of bottles back in my luggage! Breakfast was a passionfruit yoghurt with apricots, lunch was mostly sandwiches which we prepared in the morning for going out and about and there was lots of choice for evening meals at the Albert Heijn. My favourite was chicken wrapped in palma ham, stuffed with Bousin with chips on the side, nom nom!    

Ah, the old trusted favourite - Wagamama. These guys come in so handy, as they have restaurants everywhere! Fantastic gluten free range and helpful staff. The food tastes great and they cater for a wide range of dietary requirements. 

Our Lord in the Attic

Amsterdam has plenty of markets to offer, ranging from nic nacs to flowers, food to clothes. One of my favourites is called Nieuwmarkt which is only open on Sundays and sells really quirky things! Nieuwmarkt is very close to China town and the famous Red Light District. Now, the Red Light District is certainly is an eye-opener at night, however if you fancy giving it a go during the day then there is a wonderful little curiousity called Museum Amstelkring or 'Our Lord in the Attic' which is actually a 17th century church hidden inside a canal house.

Me on boat ride

If it's entertainment you're after then head to Leidseplein.  If  you fancy a chillout with some relaxing jazz head to Jazz Café Alto. For comedy head to Boom Chicago, which is run by a crazy bunch of Americans who certainly now their way around improv. Think Whose Line is it Anyway? For the best boat ride in Amsterdam, head inside Boom Chicago near the bar and sign up for the St. Nicolaas Boat Club of Amsterdam - it's run by the locals and is a 'non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic boats on the Amsterdam canals'. It's free to ride, but they do ask for a donation at the end (well worth it!). As the boats are smaller they go off the beaten track a bit more than the bigger tourist boats, so you get to see the best bits of Amsterdam! 
 

Me and Pip

When I went last month, as an early birthday pressie my friend Pip took me to Artis Zoo which was awesome! The have lots of cool animals and creepy crawlies. At one point we freaked ourselves out in the insectorium by screeching at the spiders they had. Meanwhile small kids aged about 5 were pointing and staring in fascination at the spiders and then us... Lets just say we didn't stay in there too long! *shudder* The zoo is expecting a baby elephant in June 2011 and we saw the mother having a pedicure in one of the enclosures, not something you see everyday! We both came prepared with our sandwiches, I had cheese and ham on some GF bread I'd brought from home and a snack for later on in the day.

Crazy Sea Urchin

I think my favourite part of Artis is the aquarium. They've got loads of crazy fishes and strange underwater creatures. This picture on the left is a really cute sea urchin - I'd never seen one quite like it before! The zoo is a great day out for kids and adults, plenty to do and see.

Me on NEMO

Artis Zoo is not far from NEMO too - an amazing kids museum with plenty of trippy things to do and see. I went with my brother last year and we ended up doing an experiment in the labs there with kitty litter. Quite strange, but oddly enjoyable! If it's a sunny day, check out the views on the top of NEMO, stunning! 

I will no doubt keep adding to the Amsterdam post as time goes on and more visits take place. I love Amsterdam and if you've not been it's well worth it, you'll love it!