The Best Gluten-Free Food I Ate in Dublin

Discovering the traditional Irish "boxty" was a real treat.

Last week, I shared my favorite gluten-free eats from my recent trip to London. After leaving London, Greg and I flew to Dublin for three days to celebrate Bloomsday, the annual fete honoring Irish author James Joyce and his classic novel, Ulysses. (As you might’ve guessed, we were both English majors in college.)

I was impressed by the gluten-free food offerings in Dublin—every place I went had allergens clearly marked on the menu, and a few establishments even specifically had celiac menus. (Fun fact: Research shows people of Irish descent are more likely to have celiac disease—so I often wonder if I inherited the condition from the Irish part of my family.)

The hotel I stayed at—Ruby Molly Dublin—was new and super-trendy, and they gave me a package of gluten-free bread every morning with breakfast. The hotel was also within easy walking distance of the city center.

Below is a rundown of all the gluten-free food I ate in Dublin. Please note that none of these restaurants are dedicated gluten-free—if you have celiac disease, you should do your research and ask your own questions to assess your comfort level before dining at any of these places.

Millstone Restaurant: For my first night in Dublin, I made a reservation at Millstone Restaurant, which I had seen the content creator Coeliac Dublin recommend on Instagram. This quaint, cozy restaurant has a celiac menu, so I felt safe ordering here. I had the gluten-free garlic pesto bread as an appetizer and oven-baked salmon with mashed potatoes as an entree.

Café en Seine: I didn’t eat any food at this hip restaurant and bar, although it does have good ratings on Find Me Gluten-Free and allergens clearly labeled on the menu. I stopped in here my first night after dinner for a drink, ordering a non-alcoholic orchard spritz. The spritz is made with Ceder’s Non-Alcoholic Gin, which is gluten-free.

Gallagher’s Boxty House: This popular restaurant in the bustling Temple Bar area has many gluten-free options noted on the menu. This restaurant is known for its gluten-free boxty, a traditional Irish potato pancake. I had the lamb boxty, which came with a small side salad, and it was delicious. Bonus: I was even able to order a non-alcoholic cider (which is naturally gluten-free) here.

Beshoff: I couldn’t leave Ireland without trying fish and chips! Luckily, I saw Coeliac Dublin’s post about Beshoff—which has separate fryers for its gluten-free fried food—and was able to pop into the fast-casual spot for lunch one day. Greg and I split an order of gluten-free fish and chips and gluten-free onion rings.

Davy Byrnes: James Joyce frequented this restaurant, and it’s even featured in Ulysses. In the novel, Leopold Bloom eats a gorgonzola sandwich. Greg wanted to try it, so we headed here for lunch one day. There were limited gluten-free options on the menu, but the waiter helped me order. I chose a goat cheese salad, which was very good.

Nutbutter: After eating a ton of heavy food, I needed something a bit lighter. I came across Nutbutter on Find Me Gluten-Free and gave it a shot. This fast-casual joint whips up brightly colored salads and bowls, almost all of which are made entirely with gluten-free ingredients, according to the allergen guide on the menu. I had the salmon poke bowl, which was fresh and filling.