My partner in crime is gluten intolerant, so when we’re exploring the food scene in Brisbane, I invariably have to look for gluten-free-friendly options. Fortunately, I’ve discovered that not only are gluten-free-friendly food options in the city on the rise, but Brisbane dishes up some excellent experiences. So, without further ado, here are 10 gluten-free restaurants in Brisbane that my partner and I love!
(Click on the links in each section for full posts with more detail).
Covent Garden Gin Bar & Restaurant
If you’re looking for gluten-free restaurants in Brisbane, this is our number one pick. Not only is the entire menu gluten-free, the food here is mouth-wateringly good. Additionally, the food encourages shared plates, which is something I miss from living in Spain. We ordered bits and pieces and shared the lot.
Dishes we loved included the mushroom arancini with truffle aioli, the schezwan fried baby squid with nuoc cham and pickled ginger, the boneless Korean fried chicken with gochujang sauce and the sweet potato gnocchi with truffle sauce. Oooh-la-la. Another superb thing about Convent Garden Gin Bar & Restaurant is the setting, which is lovely. This would also have to be one of the best gin houses in Brisbane, with over 600 varieties inspired by native botanicals for you to try!
Bella Julia Pizzeria – Gluten-Free Restaurants in Brisbane
For gluten-free sourdough pizza, you can’t go past Bella Julia Pizzeria in Ashgrove. The gluten-free pizza here in this unassuming backstreet haven is lip-smackingly good. I had a try myself, so can attest to its quality. However, as my partner Nikki is fussy and a gluten-free gal, you can take it from her – this is one of the city’s finest.
Bella Julia Pizzeria also sells its pizza from its food truck at Northey Street Markets and various locales. The truck, which is named ‘The Italian Stallion Gourmet Pizza Mobile’, is well-equipped and certainly doesn’t disappoint. If you can’t get yourself down to Bella Julia Pizzeria in Ashgrove, head to Northey Street Markets, where you’ll find the Italian Stallion every Sunday.
Bird’s Nest Yakitori & Bar
Recalling all these food experiences is making my mouth water! Bird’s Nest Yakitori & Bar has a reputation in Brisbane for serving up the city’s best yakitori food, which is Japanese skewered, grilled chicken. Better still, as it’s a popular place that sits in the city’s lively West End, this place is entertaining. You can watch your food being grilled in front of you.
I had fun eating the Kari Kari Cheese, which is a gluten-free dish of crumbed deep-fried camembert with soy caramel and yuzu mayo. Something I really must return for! However, Nikki had the chicken tenderloin skewers – the house specialty – which she professes were nothing short of amazing. Served with mayonnaise and heaped with crunchy garlic, the skewers easily propel Bird’s Nest Yakitori & Bar into one of the best gluten-free restaurants in Brisbane.
Creole Soul Kitchen
This place quickly became one of our favourite restaurants in the city when we first visited it early last year. I’ve never had creole food before, and I was pleasantly surprised. Additionally, the owner Marc is friendly and knowledgeable and his wife is an excellent cook. Better still, Nikki was happy as they accommodate for gluten-free scoffers. Of course, this makes me happy too! Happy wife…
The creole food is great ‘mop-up’ food, as you use bread to soak up the tangy, southern sauces. As we found out, you can easily swap the bread for rice. Nikki also savoured the gluten-free crocodile cake, which was certainly a novelty. There’s also a substantial list of creole pasta dishes here, all of which you can have gluten-free. Ask Marc if you’re unsure if something is gluten-free, as he’ll try and accommodate where possible. Nikki and I love it here!
Felons Brewing Co.
We were surprised by this one, as Felons appears at first glance to be a bit of a tourist trap. It’s an enormous place that sits under Story Bridge by the Brisbane River. This, and the fact that it’s a brewery, makes this place constantly busy. However, not only is it large enough that you’ll get a seat with prime views at almost any time, Felons dishes up one of the best pizzas in all of Brisbane. Nikki says the gluten-free pizza here is nothing short of amazing!
I can attest the gluten pizzas are excellent. I would currently put this as the second-best pizza I’ve had in Brisbane. Nikki ordered the funghi with a gluten-free base and vegan cheese, before relaying she could hardly believe it was gluten-free. She then went on to say that Felons dishes up the best gluten-free pizza in all of Brisbane, making this one a must-visit gluten-free restaurant in Brisbane!
Libertine Restaurant and Bar
This is another regular of ours and as far as the general menu goes, this place is awesome in catering for gluten-intolerant types. We would put this as number two on the list of gluten-free restaurants in Brisbane, just behind Covent Garden (see top). Basically, the entire menu is gluten-free! We like this place so much that we’re returning here for our 15-year anniversary next week.
What are some recommendations at the Libertine? They’ve got different menus for different occasions, and the menu changes here constantly. However, we’ve never had a bad experience and some of our favourites include the ‘pan-roasted barramundi’, the crispy ‘smashed’ chat potatoes and the chill aubergine. If you’re a gluten-intolerant foodie, put both the Libertine and Convent Garden gluten-free restaurants in Brisbane at the top of your list.
Sassafras of Paddington
Okay, this is another regular of ours we’ve been going to for the last seven years, ever since we moved to Brisbane. We last went here a couple of months ago and it’s still the high-quality food stop we remembered. We typically use Sassafras of Paddington as a breakfast stop, but the lunch and dinner menu is reportedly excellent too.
A bonza breakfast dish we can recommend includes the corn fritters – with jalapeno aioli, sassy relish, avocado, rocket and poached eggs. These are a real local favourite. I typically order these too and I’m not gluten-free. The hot chips here are also gluten-free, and sweet lovers will take delight in the gluten-free apple and walnut crumble, which is served with coconut ice-cream and brown sugar sauce.
Stratton Bar & Kitchen
This is one of the first places we visited for Brissie Life – early last year – and writing this post has reminded me we must return! Additionally, Stratton Bar & Kitchen, which is located in Newstead, is another restaurant like the Libertine and Convent Garden where virtually the entire menu is gluten-free!
Dishes we relished include the crispy mushroom bites, which are arguably the most succulent mushrooms I’ve ever had! We also really loved the kingfish sashimi cured in citrus and served with cucumber salad and Thai basil oil. The high-quality food here certainly makes it one of the best gluten-free restaurants in Brisbane. Additionally, as the place sits inside an old renovated WWII hangar, it has plenty of character.
Uncle Don
Uncle Don is another specialty Japanese restaurant in Brisbane, which dishes up ‘donburi’, or rice bowl meals. The place has real atmosphere with its modest setting on a balcony in Rosalie. However, it’s the food that stands out head and shoulders above many other Japanese restaurants we’ve been to in Brisbane.
The good news about Uncle Don is that roughly two-thirds of the menu is gluten-free. That, and the high-quality food on offer here propel Uncle Don into one of the best gluten-free restaurants in Brisbane. We devoured the edamame beans, which are char-grilled and seasoned to perfection. Additionally, I watched Nikki take a vow of mesmerised silence during her entire gluten-free char-grilled chicken don experience, which came with teriyaki butter, steamed rice, roasted seaweed flakes and shallots.
Yabbey Road
Who would have thought a fish and chip shop would make it on the list of best gluten-free restaurants in Brisbane? While writing this post and asking Nikki what her favourites were, she said Yabbey Road is a must-have on the list. All the battered goods here have gluten-free options and I can attest that they don’t taste any different! Subsequently, Nikki called this ‘so much fun’!
The only bummer for us is that Yabbey Road is located all the way out in Redcliffe, but we’ll keep making the drive! Nikki just had the fish and chips and potato scallops gluten-free. However, there’s a whole range of gluten-free goodies on offer at Yabbey Road. What might be of interest to you is that Yabbey Road uses Gold Leaf Oleo oil, which apparently has a superior texture and a cleaner taste. However, this is animal-based, so is not suitable for vegans.
There you have it, our ten best gluten-free restaurants in Brisbane, all tried and tested by me and Nikki. As we’re always going to gluten-free restaurants, I’ll keep adding them to the ‘gluten-free-friendly’ section in the menu bar of this blog.
What about you? Any gluten-free restaurants in Brisbane that you recommend? What have I missed? Let me know in the comments below, on social media, or shoot me an email.
Happy gluten-free scoffing!
