Nichols food and wine bar is a small place divided into two sections: it has a sunken level upon entry that houses comfy couches and mini tables to enjoy wine with friends and a dining section a few stairs up. Exposed red brick walls, dim lighting, black and white photographs, and soft lounge music give the place a relaxed and sophisticated ambiance. Even after a high-paced week, I couldn't help but feel calm in such a space. The service is the same: laid back, but knowledgeable — about both the food and wine.

For a place that seems to be balancing quality in-house made food with choice, the menu is a decent size: there are about five entrees and mains each, around 10 grazing plates, a handful of specials, including 5 desserts. About a third of the dishes are gluten free and any of the pasta dishes can be accommodated upon request (with rice and corn flour pasta).  I was also informed by the waitress that the chef, at times, makes some of the savoury tarts on the menu with gluten-free flour, but there weren’t any available on the night.

After a bit of a wait, my entrée of chicken and prosciutto salad ($12.50) arrived. Graced with spinach leaves, tomatoes and just the right amount of French dressing — it was both generous and yummy. My main meal was exceptional: I had the duck leg confit ($27); it was how it should be — soft, moist and ‘fall off the bone’ type of meat. The dish came with a potato and rosemary rosti, roasted parsnip and plenty of jus — yummy! I also had a side of perfectly cooked green beans ($8) with butter and crunchy toasted almond slithers. A flourless orange cake, served with lemon infused quince and ice cream, sealed off my evening nicely. I left happy and extremely full — and vouched to be back for more.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Nichols food and wine bar,
375 Nicholson St,
Carlton
03 9347 1007

To start me off, I asked for something big and bold, with cherry and vanilla flavours. My waiter laughed and said, 'So, we're talking reds, then?" The glass he brought was divine… unfortunately I enjoyed it so much I forgot to ask what it was.

I was thrilled with the choices of entrées and mains. Starters included edamame and tofu steak, various skewered meats and nasu dengaku, the classic eggplant disk. Many of my old favourites were there, but with wheat-free tamari instead of regular soy. The bibimbap, a deliciously spicy mix of cold vegetables on warm rice, which I've had before, is listed along with tofu don and other delicacies. I decided the freerange chicken yakitori don was a must — it had been forever since I'd had one.

It was worth waiting for. Tender chicken, perfectly marinated, with fresh baby spinach leaves, shredded cucumber and toasted sesame seeds over warm rice. Mmmmm.

I'm sad that none of the soup dishes are done with rice noodles instead of udon, given how easy it is to use wheat-free fish sauces and tamari for the stock.

Dessert was only one option and it wasn't dairy-free, so my dining companion was forced to taste it for me. He said it was good but was obviously made that morning and refrigerated until now rather than absolutely fresh. I was forced to have a liquid alcoholic dessert (woe!) called an Orange Dragon which was as inventive and delicious as I remember the drinks: Dark Rum, Chambord, Sake, muddled orange & lime, topped with Sparkling Blood Orange. If you're wanting something simpler, try the plum wine.

Oh, and the film was good too…

If you’re travelling through Germany the number one place you have to go is Berlin! It’s an amazingly vibrant city with many different faces. Every district has a different feel, I’ve been living in Berlin for 6 years and I’m always able to find something new. Many places around the city can cater to people with celiac disease.

I’ve got two suggestions that can be found in the city centre. Cha Cha's Thai Street Kitchen in Friedrichstraße has some great gluten free options. All the meals are really fresh and light which is perfect for the hot summer we are having. Nearly everything there is gluten free, some of which is clearly noted on the menu but it's best to ask the staff. I would recommend trying some of their fantastic curries.

You can also find Block House Steak houses scattered around the city, there’s a big one next to Alexander Platz for example. They have a gluten free menu and from my experience the staff know what to do when a celiac walks in. It doesn’t hurt to remind them that all utensils and preparation surfaces can’t come into contact with gluten. I have been glutened once before there because of such a mistake albeit only mildly.

It doesn’t hurt to have some allergy cards on you either: www.delicardo.com is a company based in Berlin that provides such cards in German among other languages. They are handy to give the chef at any restaurant as an extra reminder of what he/she should be aware of.

Oh, and very important is Neumarkter Lammsbräu Gluten Free Beer, you can find it in some organic supermarkets (Bioladen) or health stores (Reformhaus).

cha chá

Friedrichstr. 63

10117 Berlin

Germany

www.eatchacha.com

Block House

Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 7

10178 Berlin

030 2423300

www.block-house.de

I called and found it was open until 6 pm and did salads, crepes, and other stuff. He confirmed they do nothing that has gluten, so I could relax. I am GF but also must be DF and SF. It's a tiny shop front, doing mostly lunchtime trade. It has light fare and desserts and non-dairy ice cream as well as normal ice cream. Young oriental trio, cooking in full view. Lots of selection. I had ginger squash and beet soup, with a home made lavash cracker. Both were outstanding. Then a buckwheat crepe with 2 types of mushrooms, tomato, basil, spinach, and vegan cheese. So good. Finished up with a coconut mango ice cream. My companion had the same main and dessert but had an awesome salad starter (quinoa, beet, carrot….15 things in it) and he said it was delicious – he doesn't have to eat GF.

And it wasn't expensive either. Not even $30 (Cdn) for 2 people for 3 courses. Parking is tough… there are some parking garages but little street parking.

This gem of a place for anyone with GF DF SF etc is the

HIBISCUS CAFE, 
238 Augusta Ave,
Toronto.

Web: www.blogto.com/cafes/hibiscus

Apart from listening to me on which gluten-free soy milk I preferred, they'd gone out of their way to find a truly superb gluten-free, dairy-free bread from local artisanal bakery Fatto a Mano. The poached eggs with smoked salmon are perfect. The house-baked beans were a little under-done, but the sauce was piquant. The specials are also probably good when done as designed; however my attempt to get the green eggs and ham (pesto eggs) with soy instead of cream made them a tad odd.

The owners are aiming for excellent coffee and have a few single origin options. It's certainly one of the better coffees I've had in Clifton Hill recently.

The café is one of those rustic places where hardly any of the chairs match and every room has a different feel. The building is a classic Victorian terrace where the downstairs is the café and the upstairs is still living space. The front room is all old school tables and mis-match; the centre-room has a huge wooden table done beautifully with autumn leaves and stools around it, just right for lazing at and reading the Saturday papers or good for a large group; and then there are a few tables outside, next to a fabulous mural and poky garden with little pots and a square of lawn.

There are still a few too many dishes you'd have to alter to call the place gluten-free and the kitchen is so tiny that service can take a while, but the staff are delightful and the produce is ultra-fresh and high quality. Can I just gush about that bread again? Best gluten-free bread I've ever had at a café.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Bell Jar,
656 Smith Street
Clifton Hill, 3068

03 9482 7980

Well, what’s the catch? They do have salads but the mainstay of the sandwich menu is meat with a bit of dairy thrown in. The best vegetarian options (the vegie burger and the vegie sandwich) are not gluten free and/or dairy free. But it’s a great place to go if you feel like the Spanish equivalent of a steak sandwich, as I did. The grilled pork loin with roast vegetables (onions and green peppers) was delicious and although the bread contains egg, it is spot on. Most of the sauces are gluten-free too.

Carnivores can sample everything from Catalan butifarra to Basque chistorra to cured ham and cheese lovers can enjoy blue cheese or Manchego. The sandwiches cost around 4 euros with a supplement of 75c for gluten-free bread.

One of the most popular local beer brands has brought out a gluten-free beer. I didn’t see it on offer at Conesa but it might be worth asking for “cerveza sin gluten” just to check.

The restaurant area is small, with standing room only at times, so you might be better off going diagonally across the square and out the other side to a row of benches, if you don’t mind a bit of sun. Remember to keep a close eye on your belongings. 

Conesa now have another restaurant near Plaza España, which is another popular tourist destination and also handy to Montjuic. Check out the website www.conesaentrepans.com for more details, as well as other restaurant options in Barcelona and Spain on the Catalan Celiac Association web site www.celiacscatalunya.org

And have a great trip!

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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