If you are someone with a gluten intolerance, it can be hard to find places to get a tasty and gluten-free meal. Fortunately, there are some great options in the Highlands, you just need to know where to look. To help put this guide together, we spoke with locals who know the gluten-free scene well, including Ben Hampton, [Founder of A Gluten Free Family], who has tried just about every coeliac-friendly option in the region.
Just an important note: While chatting with these awesome restaurant owners, they mentioned they try their best to keep things separate in the kitchen, their kitchens may still have foods containing gluten, and some cross-contamination could occur.
Raw & Wild
This Bowral cafe is open from 8 am to 4 pm, 7 days a week, and they pride themselves on catering for gluten-senstivie and coeliacs.
With plenty of yummy gluten-free options on the menu, wild coconut curry and exotic mushroom risotto.
They’ve also got a cute pre-schoolers play area open from 9 am-12 pm, Mon-Fri if you bring the little ones along.
The kitchen is not exclusively gluten-free so it’s best to advise the staff if you are coeliac and they will let you know which dishes can be cooked in isolation.
Cheeky Kebabs
Even folks with gluten intolerances need a kebab fix, right?
And Cheeky Kebabs are just what the doctor ordered. Wraps filled with nommy meaty goodness or plates just oozing with sauce and flavour… drool.
They have mainly Gluten-Free options but if you are coeliac you can have a chat to the wonderful team before you order and they’ll do their very best to accommodat
Toshi’s Japanese Restaurant
Gluten-free dishes and gluten-free soy sauce are available here. Fish lovers will definitely be keen for the tempura prawns or grilled salmon and for the meat eaters, there’s yakitori and teriyaki to chow down on.
Bendooley Estate
Both restaurants at this winery have plenty of gluten-free options for dinner and lunchtime.
There are also some gluten-free desserts to choose from like raspberry velvet ganache and strawberry & pomegranate eton mess… daaaaamn!
Note: If you see “gf” on the menu, those dishes are gluten-free. For dishes marked “gfo,” you can ask for a gluten-free version. They take care with everything they prepare, but since they work with flour, there’s a chance of cross-contamination
BD’s Woodfired Pizza and Pasta
An option for when the pizza and pasta cravings hit. They have traditional pizzas like Hawaiian and Supreme as well as more out-of-the-box options like antipasto pizza and tandoori chicken.
Note: Please ask specifically for gluten-free options when ordering.
Bangkok House
A huge portion of the menu is gluten-free or has the option to be made gluten-free here. Go classic with yummy sweet and savoury Pad Thai or get adventurous with a Yum Talay salad- mixed seafood tossed with red onion, shallot, ground rice and loads of fresh herbs …sounds A.MAY.ZING!
Scottish Arms
You can grab gluten-free entrees and mains here including the pan fried lamb rump and honey mustard chicken salad. All their steak options are gluten-free and have gluten-free sauce options as well.
Eccetera Trattoria & Pizzeria
We love a good BYO wine joint and we’re also fans of the yummy Italian food served alongside it. They have gluten-free pizza options at this restaurant in Bowral and right now we’ve got our eye on that Quattro Formaggi pizza- all the cheese.
Note: The pizza section of the kitchen is not isolated here so they can’t guarantee a 100% free contamination product from flour.
Leila’s at The Grand
This Lebanese restaurant in Bowral has a menu filled with gluten-free and dairy-free options if you are also not able to eat dairy. You can go for a selection of mezze dishes to share with pals like fried cauliflower, falafel and stuffed grape leaves or grab a main meal like the creamy garlic lemon chicken or traditional lamb shawarma.
Mount Ashby Estate
Most of the menu at this French-inspired, paddock-to-plate restaurant inside the winery is gluten-free or has the option to be made gluten-free, including the desserts. Lavender creme brulee? Yes, please!
Mittagong RSL
Ironstone Dining is the main restaurant inside the RSL. Many options on the menu can be made gluten-free like the southern fried barra burger and the chicken scaloppini. The club just wants diners to be aware that although they use gluten-free ingredients in these dishes all their food is made in the same facility as products containing wheat.
The Imperial Hotel Bowral
We can vouch for the gluten-free pizza bases here, which are truly authentic Neapolitan style…. delizioso!
The bistro menu is also full of tasty classics like bangers and mash, beef nachos and 12 hour lamb shanks.
Veggie Nook
Both vegan and gluten-free options are here. You can find this lovely little spot inside The Mill Courtyard in Bowral. Check the blackboard out the front for the menu of the day.
Mild To Spicy
A menu jam packed with flavour and incredible gluten-free options. And just like the name suggests some of the options at this restaurant are sure to make your tongue tingle.
Play it cool with mango chicken or set your mouth on fire [in the best kind of way] with a Punjabi goat curry. There’s so much excitement to choose from.
Franquette Creperie
All crepes here are made or can be made with a gluten-free buckwheat base as well as the galette salads. Both the sweet and savoury crepes here are as delicious as they sound and they’ve even got a full vegan menu as well.
Home No. 9
We’d say that over half of the lunch and dinner menu is gluten-free or has the option to be made gluten-free. Just advise the staff when you book or order so they can assist you with making the safest choices. We love that the red, green and yellow curry are all gluten-free.
Briars
Another wonderful pub with a huge selection of gluten-free entrees and mains as well as a couple of gluten-free desserts to choose from. They’ve even got some share plate options as well if you’re visiting with friends.
Sutton Forest Inn
Here you can grab gluten-free burgers and the main menu has options like pan-fried barra or rib-eye steak. There’s also a gluten-free brownie on the dessert menu.
Note: The menu does contain allergens and is prepared in a kitchen that handles nuts, shellfish and gluten. Whilst they cannot guarantee that their food will be allergen-free they do offer gluten-free options.
JB’s Indian
Gluten free curries, super friendly staff, online ordering AND home delivery…. What more could we need?! Oh and don’t forget plenty of vegetarian options as well, yessss!
Plantation Cafe
Just beautiful inside and fab gluten-free lunch options. They make a mighty nice cup of java at this Bowral cafe as well.
Vudu Food Bar
The menu is even changing at Vudu Food Bar but you can guarantee loads of locally sourced fresh flavours and gluten-free choices. Great for a grab and go bite.
Genki Poke
With Bowral, Mittagong and Mossy locations, we are major fans!
Go for a signature bowl or DIY your own to get that goldilocks flavour. You can even place your order online AND they offer delivery, nice.
Mountain Berry
When you’re looking for a healthy [but still yumalicious] sweet treat and need it to be gluten-free then look no further than Mountain Berry inside The Mill. Acai is said to have many health benefits as well, so we can feel good about our noshing.
Bistro Sociale
Beautiful location, beautiful atmosphere and of course beautiful food. Just chat to the lovely staff here before ordering to discuss your dietary needs so they can do their best to accommodate.
Wonder Sushi
You don’t have to be a trainspotter to love sushi train. And considering you Wonder Sushi has gluten-free soy sauce available, you don’t have to eat gluten to love it either.
Robertson Pie Shop
It’s an icon in Roobo, and they have a gluten-free meat, chicken and vegetable, vegetable, apple and cherry pies on their menu. A good one to keep up your sleeve for when friends are visiting town and you wanna show them the local eats.
Hopefully, this list comes in helpful for some of our Highlander friends with gluten intolerances. If you have any other recommendations for gluten-free restaurants around the Highlands that you think should make the list, don’t hesitate to give us a shout. The more the merrier!
And for more local gluten-free insights, check out Ben’s blog, where he shares his experiences and tips on coeliac-friendly dining in the Highlands.
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