Dining Gluten-Free in Edinburgh, Scotland
After spending time in England my boyfriend, Tommy, and I took the train to Edinburgh, Scotland. This was our first time visiting Edinburgh and we absolutely loved it. We spent 5 days exploring and eating our way through this beautiful city.
Like in England and Wales, I found it very easy to eat gluten-free and paleo in Edinburgh. Almost every restaurant had "Please let us know about any food allergies when ordering" on the bottom of the menu. This always makes me feel more comfortable when ordering.
Below are some of the delicious, gluten-free friendly restaurants we found in Edinburgh.
Victoria St. in Edinburgh
Howies
Our first meal in Edinburgh was at Howies on Victoria Street. Howies sources most of the food on the menu from local Scottish vendors, so it’s always changing depending on what’s in season. There’s a map of Scotland on the menu that shows where different items on the menu are from. They also mark the menu with what is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and what contains nuts. We took advantage of their early dining special and got 2 courses for £14.95. So we both ordered the local Scottish salmon and the gluten and dairy free poached rhubarb with sorbet. Everything was so delicious!
Gluten and dairy free poached rhubarb with sorbet from Howies
Radisson Blu Hotel
We really enjoyed our stay at the Radisson Blu Hotel. Our 5th floor hotel room was quiet with a gorgeous view of Arthur’s Seat. We ate at the Itchycoo Bar & Kitchen inside the hotel one night because they had an awesome menu with all the gluten-free options clearly marked. We both got the salmon and a side of roasted veggies. It’s definitely a good option if you are staying at the hotel and don’t want to go out in the cold one night!
Salmon from Itchycoo Bar & Kitchen inside the Radisson Blu Hotel
Field
Field is a cozy restaurant that focuses on local, seasonal produce. Our waitress let us know everything on the menu that was gluten-free. We had a lot to choose from, even though the menu was small. We started out with the pork belly appetizer, which was so tender and delicious. Then I had the salmon and vegetables and Tommy had the lamb. Field is a little hidden from the main roads of Edinburg, but definitely worth having dinner at one night!
Pork Belly from Field
Salmon with sunchokes from Field
Lamb with kale from Field
Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant
It wouldn't be a trip to the U.K. without having some Indian food! Gurkha was close to our hotel and highly rated. We asked if they had gluten-free options before sitting down and they told us most of the menu is gluten-free! Our waiter was able to point out the few items that contain gluten. We ordered the chicken tikka masala, and the aloo kauli(cauliflower and potatoes with spices). Everything was delicious!
Aloo Kauli (cauliflower and potatoes with spices) from Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant
Prezzo
Prezzo is an Italian restaurant in the U.K. The menu is marked with what is gluten-free and they offer gluten-free pasta, which is why my boyfriend wanted to eat here! My favorite part about eating here was our window table with a beautiful view of Calton Hill. We started with the Giant Meatballs as an appetizer, which we both enjoyed. I had the sea bass with potatoes and vegetables, which was just okay. My boyfriend had the gluten-free spaghetti bolognese, which he loved. If you are interested in gluten-free pasta, I’d recommend Prezzo, otherwise I’d check out other restaurants on this list first.
Giant Meatballs from Prezzo
My favorite cafes
Having long, slow cafe breakfasts was one of my favorite parts about my time in Edinburgh. It’s definitely a much different pace than America, where the waiter brings the check as soon as the meal is over. In Edinburgh you actually have to ask for the check and are never rushed, even in small cafes. I can’t even choose a favorite out of the cafes we visited because I loved them all. We ate at The Edinburgh Larder the most, because it was the closest to our hotel. But all the cafes we ate at are tied at first, so you can’t go wrong with any on this list!
Loudons Cafe & Bakery
Loudons is a large, quiet cafe a short walk from Edinburgh Castle. They focus on healthy food and source from local vendors! What makes this cafe really special is they make their own gluten-free bread and cakes. So, the menu has lots of gluten-free options! Ordering was tough because the menu had so many things I wanted to try! I ended up ordering poached eggs, bacon, and gluten-free bread and Tommy had the Loudons Full Breakfast made gluten-free. I loved the food and the open atmosphere of this cafe!
Poached eggs, bacon, and homemade gluten-free bread from Loudons Cafe & Bakery
Urban Angel
Urban Angel is located in the New Town area of Edinburgh. It was a long walk from our hotel in Old Town, but so worth it! Urban Angel sources their food locally and uses many organic and fair trade ingredients. Most of the menu can be made gluten-free on request! I started with the turmeric and almond butter smoothie, you know I love turmeric so I had to get some in on vacation. We both got the eggs benedict on gluten-free bread which came with a very generous portion of bacon. The gluten-free bread here was so good I had to double check that we were given gluten-free bread. They also have gluten and dairy free desserts, which I didn’t get to try because I was so full! I loved the food and the cozy atmosphere of this cafe.
Turmeric and almond butter smoothie from Urban Angel
Eggs benedict on gluten-free bread from Urban Angel
Edinburgh Larder Cafe
The Edinburgh Larder Cafe is a charming cafe that serves seasonal, locally sourced food. We had breakfast here three times because we loved it so much! It was also super close to our hotel. Eating gluten-free here was so easy, the staff is knowledgeable and the menu is marked with what can be made gluten-free. Each time I ate here I had 2 fried eggs, bacon, a piece of their delicious gluten-free nut and seed bread, and a pot of Scottish breakfast tea. They also had gluten-free French toast, porridge, and granola. This cafe is cozy, with only a few tables, luckily we never had to wait! I loved the food and the convenient location of this cafe!
Fried eggs, bacon, and gluten-free nut and seed bread from Edinburgh Larder Cafe
Real Foods Grocery Store
Real Foods is a natural grocery store in Edinburgh. I always love to check out the natural food stores while I’m traveling to look for new and interesting products! I found so many awesome things at Real Foods, like local kombucha, coconut milk kefir, and coconut ice cream. Real Foods is a great place to shop gluten-free and paleo in Edinburgh!
Overall I loved our time in Edinburgh. It’s a beautiful city with so much to see, do, and eat! I highly recommend adding it to your travel list if you’ve never been!
