Every item we tried was delicious. We started with "street-style" char-grilled corn with chipotle mayonnaise — mine without the queso, because I’m dairy-intolerant too. Our starter drinks were "natural flavoured" but definitely not natural coloured soft drinks from Mexico. We tried the mandarine (delicious), the tamarind (very unusual, lovely but got a little syrupy toward the end) and the lime, which was okay until we started eating and then it clashed.

The ceviche mixto was just right — prawns and calamari with pear-drop tomatoes and coriander in lime, served in a most unusual way: in a cocktail glass. The bean taco was finished perfectly with pico de gallo. The tacos can be ordered individually or as a mixed plate of three, which is a great way to experiment with flavours. And of course, there were those tostaditas, which can also be ordered as a tasting plate of two flavours (eight little toasted tortillas) or four (sixteen little toasted tortillas) which would be terrific to share.

The desserts looked fabulous but all had dairy. My companion ordered the fresh mint flan, subtly flecked with specks of vanilla bean. I was going to have the chocolate and cinnamon sorbet but without the jalapeño praline (dairy) when I had a brain wave. Could I have the sorbet with the stewed figs and caramelised pecans from the other dessert? Our extremely helpful waiter checked with the kitchen and came back with a resounding yes. I really wish we could have tried the other dessert, which sounded amazing: a quinoa pudding.

We want to go back and try the mains for dinner some time, especially the red mole chicken and the chipotle goat.

We’d also like a night out there after we’ve researched which tequilas are 100% agave and guaranteed gluten-free: Mamasita has an extensive menu. Mind you, we hear there’s a queue of a night, and they don’t take bookings, so get in early or be prepared to wait. It’s worth it.

The menu changes regularly, but should stay gluten-free. The web site boasts it, but check with the staff on the night to be certain.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Mamasita
Level 1/11 Collins Street
Melbourne 
Phone: +61 3 9650 3821
Web: http://www.mamasita.com.au

The first thing that strikes you at Auction Rooms is the scale of the place. Located in the old WB Ellis auction house in Errol Street, North Melbourne, the refit has preserved the brick walls and the height of the ceiling, but with quirky touches such as a sun-shade made of milk crates, creating a funky space without being intimidating. A lot has been written elsewhere about the way the central bar and innovative use of levels allows the tables to have privacy and a nook-like feel while staying airy and spacious.

The menu features quite a few bread-based items, which can all be made with gluten-free bread. I’m suspicious of that in most cafés — the bread is usually packet stuff from the supermarket that tastes like cake. At Auction Rooms, though, it’s good crusty bread sourced from Silly Yaks. Points already. I decided I wanted something different, though, and ended up with calamari, tossed in spices and rice flour and lightly fried, served in a salad with the most amazing thin strips of salted cucumber. Finished off with a perfect aioli, the result was mouth-watering and I took my time to savour each bite.

The first course was already on the table when I arrived: rice-flour pancakes filled with mushrooms and beanshoots. The woman serving us (who seemed to be the manager) quickly let me know that the dipping sauce had soy sauce in it and that she’d be back in a moment with a gluten-free fish sauce equivalent. She also brought me deliciously subtle rice-paper rolls to make up for the fact that everyone else was having spring rolls. She told me everything else was prepared with rice flour except the banana fritters and that all the other dishes should be fine.

Then there was a terrific fish dish — tender chunks of fish coated in rice flour, deep fried and served with a fresh Vietnamese mint salad. My daughter (only 16 months) wolfed these down but I paced myself knowing what was to come. The water spinach was delectable. I sampled the chilli and lemongrass tofu provided to a vegetarian guest: spicy, soft and crunchy all at once. I assumed the next dish, a duck salad was prepared with soy sauce but didn’t bother asking, wanting to test what I’d been told (and prepared to deal with the consequences). It was utterly delicious, but I do think it had gluten in it. I’m taking a half-star off for that, but only because I’d been told all the other dishes should be fine. 

By this point, everyone was protesting they didn’t need any more food but it kept coming anyway. I didn’t eat the beef dish, since I don’t eat beef, but my daughter did and had no problems. 

Next was the first dessert dish: sweet corn, tapioca and coconut cream soup. I think this is an acquired taste — but it made sense as a transitional dish. The highlight of my meal was the next dish: the original was sago in coconut, with a coconut pudding in the middle, pomegranate seeds and banana fritters. For our version, they simply gave us fresh banana slices instead. The crisp autumn flavours of the fruit were just superb against the warm comfort of the sago and the pudding.

With fabulous food, generous helpings and extremely gracious staff, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Thanh Binh. With gluten-free clearly marked on the menu, this would have been a five-star restaurant. As it is, the food is superb, but it’s still advisable to ask about every dish.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Thanh Binh
111 King St,
Newtown
Phone: (02) 9557 1175
Web: http://www.thanhbinh.com.au/

Movida is the sort of place where they bring absolutely delicious but totally not gluten-free breads to the table with perfect olive oils and you have to cry while you watch your callous friends eat this in front of you. It's really the only complaint I have about the place — it wouldn't be that hard for them to find a decent gluten-free option. After all, Fifteen does it. I usually ask for a serving of mixed olives instead, which comes quickly enough, but always ends up on the bill rather than as a replacement for the bread.

Depending on how hungry you are, you can just have tapas — little mouthfuls for one designed to go with the food and help you drink more — or the larger raciones. You can be a little boring and have a tapas as an entrée and a racion as a main or you can go the spanish route and order a variety of both to come out as they will and share everything you can.

When the goat special isn't on, my favourite dish is the Conejo Agridulce, rabbit in a honey sauce with almonds and raisins. Thankfully, it's at both restaurants, but at my recent visit to Movida Aqui I resisted the urge and tried new things. I'm so glad I did — on special was the Cordero al Chilindron, a slow-roasted lamb dish with a white wine, paprika, tomato, capsicum and onion sauce. Oh my. The meat was falling off the bone beautifully, the sauce complemented it perfectly. Given that I had no gluten-free bread, it was all I could do not to tip the bowl up and slurp the sauce up.

We also had Choco a la Plancha, cuttle fish served with squid ink, which was very tender and much more intricate a flavour than I had imagined it would be. Another stand-out dish was the quail with morcilla and chickpeas.

Dessert for the gluten-free but not dairy-free is easy: I would choose the flan every time. These days, however, I go with the sorbets, which change regularly. 

Ask the sommelier to help you out with a dessert wine or port too. Movida's cellars are extensive.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Movida,
1 Hosier Lane,
Melbourne

Movida Aqui,
Level 1, 500 Bourke St,
Melbourne (Access via Little Bourke St)

Phone: (03) 9663 3038
Web: www.movida.com.au

Thankfully, it was easy. As a Breton institution, what’s served here are actually galettes, not crêpes, usually made with a mix of buckwheat and wheat flour. The galettes here are gluten-free thanks to being made completely with buckwheat rather than partially but they don’t have that bitter flavour that I have to mask with sugar and vanilla when I make buckwheat crêpes at home. The owner says that’s because the buckwheat he gets here is very finely ground and different from the buckwheat he worked with in France. I’m guessing it’s worth looking at the country of origin on my next sack of buckwheat flour or going directly to the mill myself.

Le Triskel uses gluten-free soy milk, so not only would my galette be safe for me to eat but I could finish with a café au lait. Almost everything on the menu comes with cheese or bechamel, so if you’re one of the lucky ones, you’ll be fine. I was content with old standards — egg, ham and mushroom or egg and tomato. The cheesy options look absolutely delicious (oh, how I miss melted gruyère…).

All meals are served with a green salad, which is small but fresh and dressed well.

The owner wasn’t quite sure whether any of the French ciders were gluten-free and none of them said so on the label. I took a flyer for one (Manoir du Kinkiz) and tried to look it up online but the site didn’t mention it either. I’ll try to find out and update this review at a later date. 

Of course there are dessert crêpes: pear and melted chocolate, banana and almonds, cinnamon apple with calvados… which can all be done on a 100% buckwheat crêpe instead of the traditional sweet wheat crêpe. 

For a quick lunch at a reasonable price, Le Triskel will stay on the list of places to go for me. Merci a tous. Je vous verrai a la prochaine.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Le Triskel,
32 Hardware Ln,
Melbourne 3000
Phone: 0466 406 404
 

More importantly, the food is as good as it used to be, if not better. It’s even more rare to find gluten-free and dairy-free items and ones that taste so incredible. Of course, everything is clearly marked. My absolute favourite sweet is still available: the dark chocolate raspberry tart. The apple pie is sweet and the pastry is incredible for a gluten-free pastry. There’s a variety of sweet biscuits including vanilla kisses and tiramisu kisses.

Savoury dishes include sausage rolls and pies, salads, soups and brunch dishes such as eggs florentine. The coffee is even good — and it’s the first place I’ve ever been able to ask if they have soy milk without having to check it’s a gluten-free brand.

You can take a little bit home with you too: there’s fresh bread, lots of cakes and pastries, and a little store space out the back selling pasta and condiments. The cakes are stunning and you can buy whole ones for your next party. Sacs is definitely worth the trip. If you dream of having an entire menu to choose from, Sacs is where your dreams come true.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Sacs
105 High St
Northcote 3070
Victoria

+61 3 9482 3999