The Best Gluten-Free Food I Ate in London

From fish and chips to Japanese-Mexican fusion

I just got back from a week and a half in London and Dublin, and I’m happy to report that the gluten-free food scene in both cities was pretty incredible.

I planned my trip around two very different events. In London, I attended the Mets vs. Phillies baseball series (which my partner, Greg, covered for Thrillist). In Dublin, I got to experience Bloomsday, the annual celebration of James Joyce and his novel, Ulysses.

Below is a rundown of all the delicious gluten-free eats I enjoyed in London (and stay tuned for a Dublin recap next week!).

Best gluten-free food in London

Hotel Indigo London - Kensington:

Hilary Davidson

recommended this hotel to me, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s across the street from the Earl's Court station of the London Underground, making it easy to travel across the city. Additionally, the staff accommodated my gluten-free needs, whipping me up a safe breakfast every morning.

LEON: This fast-casual spot, another gem Hilary suggested, has a location in Earl’s Court. Much of the menu is gluten-free, including the crispy chicken nuggets and chips. I became obsessed with the iced vanilla matcha latte and ordered it multiple times during my trip.

Hobson’s Fish & Chips: For my first dinner in the city, I went to Hobson’s (which has multiple locations and separate fryers for fried gluten-free items). Greg and I split the fried cod, fried haddock, fried onion rings, and a salad.

Wicked Fish: I headed to London Stadium on Day 2 for the Mets vs. Phillies game and was surrounded by thousands of American MLB fans. As luck would have it, there’s an outpost of Wicked Fish, which has separate fryers for their gluten-free fish and chips, close to the stadium. I ordered the Kiddie Fish, which includes bite-size pieces of fried haddock and chips, before watching the game.

Honest Burger: I liked the food at Honest Burger (a chain with a mostly gluten-free menu) so much I ended up eating here twice. All of their sides—including chips and onion rings—are gluten-free, and you can request a gluten-free bun for your burger. I tried a cheeseburger and a chicken pesto burger, as well as the chips and onion rings.

Dishoom: Quite a few non-gluten-free people in my life recommended Dishoom, a trendy Indian restaurant with a few locations around London. I’ll be honest with you: I was disappointed because there were very limited celiac-safe options on the menu (many of the gluten-free items have a high risk of cross-contact in the open kitchen). However, I was extremely impressed with my waiter’s knowledge of the menu and ability to help me pick a safe meal. I had the chicken tikka and basmati rice and a salted lassi, which really hit the spot.

Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea at Sanderson London: A few months ago, I interviewed Sarah Bence, the celiac health and travel writer behind the Instagram account Endless Distances. Sarah recently moved to London, and I had the chance to meet her in person for gluten-free afternoon tea. The Sanderson Hotel hosts an Alice in Wonderland-themed tea, and you can request gluten-free goodies to go along with your drink. We indulged in gluten-free pastries, tea sandwiches, and even cotton candy. The coronation chicken sandwich and this chocolate mousse pastry were among our favorites.

Pho: After stuffing my face at afternoon tea, I wasn’t in the mood to eat a huge dinner. Sarah recommended Pho, another London chain with extensive gluten-free options. I shared crispy baby squid with Greg as an appetizer and then had chicken pho, which was a nice complement to the rainy weather.

Borough Market: This historic market in central London is full of fantastic gluten-free eats. I bookmarked a reel Sarah posted about her favorite gluten-free eats at Borough Market, and her choices were top-notch. I tried the onion bhaji from Gujarati Rasoi; chicken, pork carnitas, and crispy potato tacos from Tacos Padre; mango sticky rice from Khanom Krok; and a raspberry and white chocolate brownie from The Free From Bakehouse.

Libby’s: One of my friends from college, Justin, lives in London, and he spent a day taking Greg and me around the city to see the sights. We started in the morning at the Belsize Park location of Libby’s, a dedicated gluten-free bakery, before walking to the top of Primrose Hill. I had a gluten-free croissant and apple crumb pastry.

Los Mochis: After a full day of walking around London, our group headed to Los Mochis, a dedicated gluten-free Japanese-Mexican fusion restaurant in Notting Hill. We shared about 12 small plates, including crispy rice with duck, bluefin tuna ceviche, fried zucchini tacos, and dulce de leche churros. It was the perfect amount of food—and an excellent way to wrap up a week in London.