Eating in Ireland: Gluten-Free and Vegan Options
Irish chefs (even in rural areas) are well informed when it comes to gluten allergies, and many menus mark their gluten-free options. These restaurants are all excellent options for travelers in Ireland with dietary restrictions.
Dublin and Surrounding Area
Savor a pain au chocolat and a café au lait at George’s Patisserie (Chapel St., Slane; tel. 041/982-4493, 9am-6pm daily, €6). The ornate three-tier cakes on display conjure daydreams of a grand old-fashioned wedding. Though the café offers only sweet things, there’s a delicatessen on the premises featuring local meats and cheeses, and the freshly baked breads (including gluten-free options) make for good picnic fixings.
The Southeast
For a sit-down enjoy-your-meal kind of place, try the (however oddly named) Stable Diet Café (100 S. Main St., Wexford; tel. 053/914-9012, 8:30am-5pm Mon.-Sat., until 5:30pm Fri.-Sat., under €10), which does excellent gluten-free home baking—everything from scones to cakes to granola and flapjacks—along with soups, salads, and veg or chicken tagine.
For lunch, try the quaint and cozy (in a modern sense) Cotton Tree Café (Slaney Pl., on the river, Enniscorthy; tel. 053/923-4641, 8:30am-5pm Mon.-Sat., 10am-5pm Sun., under €10). The menu happily abounds with hearty vegan and gluten-free options.
Cork
It isn’t a formal restaurant, but at The Cornstore (41/43 Cornmarket St., Cork; tel. 021/427-4777, noon-10pm daily, lunch €10, dinner €14-23, 3-course early bird €28) reservations are definitely recommended on weekend evenings. The cocktails are legendary, the menu includes plenty of gluten-free options, and the service is terrific.
For the best coffee in Cork, drop by Filter (19 George’s Quay, Cork; tel. 021/455-0050, 8am-6pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-6pm Sat., 10am-5:30pm Sun., under €8). This arty (if tiny) coffee shop does sandwiches and scrummy treats too, with vegan and gluten-free options.
Part of Isaac’s Hotel, the wonderful Greenes (48 MacCurtain St., Cork; tel. 021/450-0011, 12:30pm-3pm Mon.-Sat. and 12:30pm-4pm Sun., 6pm-10pm daily, 2/3-course lunch €22/25, 3-course early-bird special €32.50 6pm-7pm, €26-30) is reached through an atmospheric stone archway and a courtyard with a waterfall floodlit by night. The modern Irish fare is top-notch, and the desserts are to die for. While there are no vegan options on the menu, the chef will accommodate with something way more imaginative than a stir-fry, and gluten-free choices are abundant. Be sure to get here by 7pm for the early bird, which is a far better value than the à la carte.
Pop into Café Cois Cuan (Main St., East End, Cork; tel. 028/27005, 10am-6pm Mon.-Tues., 10am-8:30pm Fri.-Sat., 10am-4pm Sun., under €10) for anything from a bowl of chowder to a gluten-free brownie.
Kerry
Adh Danlann Café (Dykegate Ln., Kerry; tel. 087/773-5815, Mon.-Sat., hours vary, under €10) adjoins a small wonderland of toys, clocks, and musical instruments. The simple menu (curries and so forth) is 100 percent vegetarian, with plenty of gluten-free options.
For a hearty lunch or delectable home-baking, visit Noelle’s Retro Café (Old Market Ln., off New St., Killarney; tel. 087/687-3364, 9am-8pm Mon.-Sat., under €12), which offers gluten-free (though not vegan) options. Enjoy your tea and daintily frosted cupcake in one of the comfortable nostalgia-themed rooms.
Galway
One of Athlone’s best restaurants is Thyme (Custume Pl., Athlone; tel. 090/647-8850, 5pm-10pm Mon.-Sat., noon-10pm Sun., €16-26, 2/3-course dinner €25/30), which is a terrific option for those travelers on a gluten-free diet.
Northern Ireland
Seafood is a specialty at Ginger Bistro (7-8 Hope St., Belfast; tel. 028/9024-4421, noon-10pm Tues.-Sat., lunch £5-17, dinner £15-23), which also gets good marks for helpful service and appealingly quirky decor. Vegetarians will find a wealth of options, and though many of them are au gratin or otherwise loaded with dairy, Ginger is still one of Belfast’s best dinner options for vegans. Those on a gluten-free diet have a choice of meals as well. Book ahead.
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