Brisbane Gluten Free – Bucket List Foodie Experiences You Do Not Want To Miss!
I feel very lucky as a coeliac to live here in Brisbane. The Brisbane gluten free scene is crammed full of some fantastic 100% gluten free cafes and restaurants, and many more who have at least decided that they now need to look after us really, really well.
Admittedly, sixteen years ago, when I was first diagnosed with coeliac disease, the story was somewhat largely much more dull…lots and lots of orange & almond cake and friands and maybe chocolate brownies as our only sweet options, and no real idea of safe cross contamination practices in the kitchens of most restaurants. ‘Gluten free’ back then meant ‘yeah sure, I can make that gluten free, I’ll just remove stuff’ (usually all of the texture and most of the flavour), and then, to top off the experience beautifully, they usually made you pay the full price for this ‘half meal’ and expected you to be super pleased with them for ‘catering’ for your annoying dietary issue. Sound familiar?!!
Well Brisbane in 2018 is thankfully a LONG way from that place. We now have some amazing dining venues to choose from, ones who actually pride themselves on catering well to the gluten free crowd. And there is a culture establishing in most restaurants that they need to provide good quality gluten free options on their menus, with many now having 50% or more of their labeled menu items gluten free. Yay! On top of this, Coeliac Australia is doing a fantastic job in bringing awareness to coeliac-safe kitchen practices with their restaurant/food providers accreditation process. So, if you are planning a trip to our beautiful city, start getting excited because, rest assured, you WILL encounter some gluten free nirvana while you are here. And if you live here, then get busy ticking all of these experiences off your Must Do list!
So let me introduce you to the best Gluten Free Eats that Brisbane has to offer. These are our Bucket List venues that the Brisbane gluten free community just cannot get enough of…social media feeds are FULL of food pics and rave reviews from these places. And, as a bonus, if you sign up here to become a member of the Gluten Free Joy Family your Brisbane gluten free foodie dreams just got that much brighter as you will be able to download a little gift from me which will score you a 20% discount off your first Foodie Tour or Experience with Gluten Free Joy!
Enjoy Brisbane Gluten Free!
Jane xx
**BLOG UPDATE!**
NEW MUST VISIT Gluten Free Venues in BRISBANE
At the end of the BLOG discover the latest gluten free venues causing a buzz in the Brisbane Gluten Scene!
Nodo has established itself as THE most desired gluten free venue in Brisbane, with a cult following to match. This 100% gluten free café utilizes quality ingredients and has made an art form of the breakfast and lunch creations on offer. Expect sweet and savoury waffles, burgers and assorted sides (the cauliflower hash browns are to die for!), all beautifully presented, as well as of course their namesake donuts and some cake options. DF, V & Vegan options.
Locations
Newstead – 1 Ella Street. Open Mon-Fri 6.30am-3pm & Sat/Sun 7am-3pm
Brisbane City – 300 Elizabeth St. Open Mon-Fri 6.30am-4pm
Camp Hill – 25 Samuel St. Open Mon-FRi 7am-4pm & Sat/Sun 7am-3pm
OK, so you have been craving that ‘cinnamon sugar’ donut experience. You’ve tried several ‘counterfeit’ versions and they are usually either so dense it’s more like a cake than a donut, or they have such little texture you really only get to taste cinnamon sugar and oil. Well, Bad Boys have perfected their recipe to create a light and fluffy donut that gets pretty close to the full of gluten version, so much so that they are loved by gluten consumers as well, and have also generated a growing cult following. With creative flavours added to their sugar mix, such as Apple Pie, Vanilla Chai and Paris Time, it is hard to stop at one or two. And the good news is, their donuts and stalls are 100% gluten free so very coeliac safe. Operating from food trucks or market stands they have pop ups at many venues across Brisbane and South East QLD. Best to check out their Facebook Page @BadBoysDoughnuts for up to date locations, but as a guide I have listed below their current regular weekly gigs.
SUBSCRIBE NOW to receive 10% off all donut purchases!
Locations
Fridays
Brisbane City: Brisbane Twilight Markets – King George Square, Rowan St. Open 4-9pm
Saturdays
Kelvin Grove: Village Markets – Blamey St. Open 6am-1pm
Caboolture: Village Green – James St. Open 4-9pm
Burleigh Heads: Burleigh Markets- Burleigh Heads State School. Open 7am-12noon
Ipswich: Urbane Markets – 95 Brisbane Rd, Booval. Open 5-8pm
Sundays
Brisbane City: Riverside at the Gardens – Brisbane Botanical Gardens,147 Alice St. Open 8am-3pm
Redcliffe: Jetty Markets – Redcliffe Pde. Open 7am-2pm
Nundah: Farmers Markets – Station St, Nundah Village. Open 6am-12noon
When you think of indulging in a brownie, do you imagine a beautifully crunchy outside and a soft & chewy centre? And do you think of varied added flavours that will take the humble brownie to the next level? Well that perfected brownie, coupled with their cute heart shape and packaging, has elevated I Heart Brownies to legendary status amongst the Brisbane gluten free foodie scene. Their store and bakery has just been expanded to allow for a full café experience where you can choose to have your brownie transformed into a dessert, served up with coffee, milkshakes or mocktails. Both café and kiosk are 100% gluten free. DF options.
Locations:
Café & Bakery: Bowen Hills – 17 Hamilton Pl. Open Mon-Fri 7.30am-6pm. Sat 9am-4pm. Sun 10am-3pm
Kiosk: Brisbane City – Ground level, Queens Street Mall, Wintergarden Shopping Centre. Open Mon-Fri 9am-5.30/8.30pm. Sat 10am-5pm. Sun 11am-4pm
In our busy, busy lives we are often in need of some short cuts. Botanica is just the place to go to grab some beautiful wholefoods salads perfect to take any meal to the gourmet level. All of their salads are plant based and made from premium ingredients, and most are gluten free. They seriously are all works of art, and creative as all heck with their flavourful ingredient combinations. The bonus is, after being virtuous eating the rainbow in a salad, you can indulge in their ENTIRE range of cakes which are all gluten free. Love this place! Beautiful packaging and branding as well, which of course makes any meal just that much more enjoyable. Bonus is they have recently added some gluten free quiche slices to their menu!
They have 2 stores, only catering for take away.
Locations:
Redhill – Shop 9, 1 Enoggera Tce.
Teneriffe – 29 Doggett St.
Both store open Mon-Sat 8am-6pm. Sat & Sun 9am-5pm.
You had me at macaron. The poster-cake for coeliacs around the globe, the macaron, is showcased beautifully at Marche du Macaron, a 100% gluten free patisserie & café dedicated to bringing coeliac safe, quality savoury and sweet foods to the gluten free community. And WE LOVE THEM for it! They have a ridiculous variety of macarons, as well as eclairs, profiteroles, cheesecakes, sweet & savoury muffins, quiche, focaccia & breads. Need I say more.
SUBSCRIBE NOW to receive 10% off your total bill!
Locations:
Gordon Park – 97 Thistle St
Ashgrove – 54 Frasers Rd
Both stores open Tues-Sat 7am-2pm & Sun 8am-2pm.
These markets have become a foodie institution for Brisbane, showcasing quality and innovative street food from around the globe in a fun, market style atmosphere. They have become so popular with Brisbanites they have recently expanded to cater for the growing crowds. And gluten free foodies do not have to miss out. Many of the food stalls have gluten free options, and some are 100% gluten free. I have included only those with known coeliac safe food practices, but I suggest you hit Eat Street Northshore’s website to download their food intolerances info sheet which gives the full run down on gluten free options (as well as DF, V & Vegan). It can get really, really busy, so best to arrive close to opening hours if you want to avoid some of the crowd craziness.
I have just listed the best Eat Street gluten free dining options here, but have a read of the full Eat Street Blog here for a full review.
AND if you want to avoid queuing and crowds completely, follow this link to sign up for one of the VIP Gluten Free Feasts at EAT STREET experiences run by Gluten Free Joy, where a banquet of gourmet gluten free Eat Street offerings are brought to you in a VIP roped off space right on the river! No more crowds or queues or struggles to find that elusive table!
Top Eat Street Picks:
Rogue Spice – 100% gluten free venue & hands down my favourite savoury option at the markets! Their slow braised lamb shanks are TO DIE FOR!
L’Apero – French street food brings you the Raclette: hot molten cheese smothered over hot potatoes, bacon & fried onion. Yum.
Slinky’s – The good old potato slinky…these are an Eat Street institution, and happily the venue is 100% gluten free.
Salty Sailor – They offer all of their seafood products gluten free, with a dedicated gluten free fryer.
Vietnamese Shack – Cute as heck and really yum potato prawns*, and their rice paper rolls are all gluten free
Poulet & Porc – Spicy chicken wings and melt in the mouth pork belly
Karinderia – Filipino pork and chicken skewers + bbq corn on the cob
Miss Claudes Crepes – These guys can make both sweet and savoury gluten free crepes. Sadly no longer at Eat Street.
Doughnut Bar – Their cinnamon donuts are simply yum and are made in a separate gluten free fryer.
Dessert Depo – Macarons and a nice selection of gluten free cakes.
Funky Dumplings – Chinese Dumplings + Fried Rice Puffs
*(only coeliac safe at Gluten Free Joy events)
SUBSCRIBE NOW to receive 10-15% discount at some of these venues!
Location:
Hamilton – 221D Macarthur Av. Open Fri & Sat 4-10pm and Sun 11am-7pm
Ok so these guys are NOT a gluten free eatery, but they have great coeliac safe food practices in all of their kitchens (starting with asking if you are coeliac when you order gluten free so they make sure they handle your food safely). I have included them because they hands down provide THE BEST gluten free burger & fries experience you can hope for. Some say Grill’d is great, but I always find their gluten free buns too dense and stodgy which takes away from the burger flavour and you just fill up too quickly with the carb load. The Betty’s Burgers version has a ridiculously yum char grilled flavour to the burger pattie that takes me to burger heaven every time, and their fries are just classic, fresh oil flavour with an optional aioli that will have you rolling your eyes in ecstasy with each mouthful. It really does create one of those moments. LOVE them.
They have numerous outlets across the city and further afield, including Newstead, Chermside, Robina, Noosa & Maroochydore. Best to check their website for the nearest one to you and for their opening hours.
I seriously had a food coma when I recently finally got to experience the joy of choosing from the entire extensive menu at this South American street food restaurant in Brisbane’s northern suburbs. The ENTIRE menu. 100% gluten free. My little coeliac self was not used to so much choice. In fact I almost became debilitated with choice and subsequently we ended up ordering from every section of the menu. It was quite the feast for just the two of us. The slow braised beef, chicken & pork were so so tender and full of flavour, and it was such a treat to be able to eat the fried pastry empanadas. Loved loved loved it. This one is located in the atmospheric restaurant precinct of Westfield Chermside shopping centre, but they also have a restaurant at Robina on the Gold Coast AND they operate several food trucks at varied locations around Brisbane & the Gold Coast (check their facebook page @fierydeli for up to date locations). As mentioned, their entire menu is gluten free, but it is also all dairy free and they have plenty of vegan and even paleo options.
SUBSCRIBE NOW to receive 15% off your total bill!
Locations:
UPDATE: Chermside venue sadly closed its doors recently.
Robina – 19 Town Centre Dr. Open Sun-Fri 11am-3pm/5-8.30pm. Sat 11am-9pm
Food trucks at varied event venues around Brisbane & the Gold Coast (refer facebook.com@fierydeli).
This little oasis of monumentally sized gluten free cake creations is a little further north, sitting opposite the waterfront at Cotton Tree on the Sunshine Coast, but it is definitely worth the trek. Oh. My. Word. The cakes are HUGE and beautiful works of art, lovingly created by their pastry chefs, who have a passion to indulge the gluten free community with ‘pinch me’ cake experiences. You do not have to choose from the usual boring unadorned mudcake or the cold friand here while your gluten-consuming companions get to sample the glamorous looking sweet treats…nearly all of the gorgeous cakes on display are gluten free. It feels like gluten free cake nirvana. They also have gluten free cupcakes, muffins and savoury items on their menu. The café is not 100% gluten free, so there is an extra element of caution required if you are highly sensitive, but they do take great care to minimise cross contamination. The café also doubles as a fine tea and coffee emporium and has a cute collection of homewares for sale. They have been voted Best Tea House in QLD for the second year running…and I can see why.
SUBSCRIBE NOW to receive 10% off your total bill!
Location:
Cotton Tree, Sunshine Coast – Shop 1, 27 Cotton Tree Pde. Open Mon-Fri 7am-5pm and Sat/Sun 8am-5pm.
Another gluten free eatery earning a cult-like following and lots and lots of social media posts showcasing their pretty cakes and sweet creations! Nutri Hitt has built a reputation for hand-making the best quality product with superior flavour, utilising only premium ingredients. They are 100% gluten free as well as dairy free, refined sugar free and vegan! And there are SOoo many gorgeous options to choose from, in both the on-trend raw variety as well as baked cakes. They also make cakes to order. Definitely worth a visit.
Location:
99 Racecourse Rd Hamilton. Open Mon-Sat 7am-3pm & Sun 9am-2pm
BLOG UPDATE! NEW MUST VISIT Gluten Free Venues in BRISBANE
Such a good moment walking into this 100% gluten bakery for the first time recently. Definitely gave myself a forehead slap for taking so long to head over the river to visit…they opened their doors some 6 months ago, to ALOT of fanfare I must say and a lot of online buzz. They are a franchise of the very popular Melbourne bakeries of the same name, so gluten free Brisbanites far and wide were very happy to welcome them to our sunny state.
And now I know why. Oh. My. Word.
I definitely experienced a choice coma…it was a case of where do I start?!
So, I ended up with: a croissant, a pain au chocolat, cannoli, choc éclair, 2 croissants (one fresh & one frozen), a carrot cupcake, meat pie, chicken pie, sausage roll, loaf of bread, frozen sweet potato patties, & frozen spring rolls.
Yes they must have thought I was a lunatic. Seriously though, I had no choice. Deprive me of pastry and this is what happens!
So, not only do they have multiple cabinets of gorgeous sweet pastries and cakes, they also have hot savoury pastries, and 3 double freezers full of frozen options. Additionally they have some packaged bread + baking mixes.
It really is gluten free paradise. You have to visit.
There is not a café or place to eat on site, and it is the middle of suburbia…so time or plan your visit to take your haul away to a nearby park or all the way home to munch on later. I took a chiller bag and was so glad I did. If you are visiting from out of town, it is about 11km from the city centre…so perhaps uber yourself a little gluten free adventure! You will not regret it.
Location
Mt Gravatt – 1/22 Carrara St. Open Tues-Fri 8.30am-4.30pm and Sat 8.30am-3pm
This very unassuming little suburban bakery is currently blowing the minds of coeliacs & gluten free-ers across Brisbane…with day trips being made especially to grab some of their offerings to take home.
Now don’t make the mistake that I did, arranging a catch up thinking you can enjoy your treats on site…literally no where. Strictly take-away only…but a nice park just down the road if you can’t wait until you get home to devour your new purchases! You can grab a take-away coffee or tea in store, which is handy.
So, again I was like a kid in a candy shop…mind blown by the gluten free cakes & pastries on offer. There were apple turnovers, choc éclairs, vanilla slices, cakes, blueberry pies, chicken pies, meat pies, sausage rolls, the softest fresh bread (best GF bread I have had to be honest). They have definitely mastered the art of gluten free pastry, so much so that the family size chicken pie I bought to have with the family was loved by all the non GF males in the house (& believe me they are expert gluten pastry eaters!). I just really loved it all. And you can order a day ahead to make sure that what you are craving most is set aside for you.
The only downside to this gluten free nirvana is that it is not a 100% gluten free venue. This does mean there is an element of risk. I did not react to anything I have purchased there, but there are a couple of coeliacs who have reported that they have. The reason that I ate with confidence though is that they have a very high level of coeliac safe food prep awareness, and have great protocols in place to prevent cross contamination (all gluten free products are baked first each day in a cleaned down kitchen). Up to you re what you are comfortable with.
SUBSCRIBE NOW to receive 10% off your total bill!
Location
Lawnton – 66 Francis Rd. Open Mon-Sat 6am-5pm and Sun 6am-3pm
Conveniently located in the middle of the uber trendy foodie zones of New Farm & Newstead in inner Brisbane sits this 100% gluten free café hiding in a lovely tree lined river-side street in Teneriffe. It has received huge kudos as the only Coeliac Australia endorsed foodie Brisbane in Queensland (why, why don’t we have more up here?!) and comes with the added bonus that Coeliac Australia members receive a discount on their meals when dining there (see website for current offers).
They have a focus on healthy menu options, with most meals having a high protein & good fats label, and many paleo, keto & vegan menu options. But don’t panic about missing out on something sweet…the cake cabinet is loaded with lots of raw gluten free sweet treats. They also have their own line of pre-made paleo mixes & pre-prepared meals to take home with you, including some FODMAP options.
We enjoyed a lovely early afternoon on their shaded deck, having earnt ourselves a good feed after walking riverside from Teneriffe Park to New Farm Park. It really does make for a lovely day out.
Location
Teneriffe – Cnr Florence & Macquarie Sts. Open 7 days 6.30am-3pm
This little outdoor café hidden in the gorgeous suburban streets of Norman Park, surrounded as it is by beautifully restored Queenslanders, is fast building a reputation as a go-to authentic foodie experience on Brisbane’s southside. They have so many gluten free options & freshly baked gluten free sweet treats, and recently added a few authentic Filipino dishes such as their popular Adobe Bowl. These are whipped up fresh daily by the gorgeous Rejoice who draws on her Filipino heritage to recreate traditional dishes all gluten free…a necessity developed over time in order to keep coeliac hubby and co-owner Adam well fed!
It is worth noting that the venue is not 100% gluten free, although all of the sweet options are. But with a coeliac husband in residence, you can relax knowing that all of the food prep strictly follows coeliac safe guidelines…so stress free dining! And I particularly loved a little phrase at the bottom of their menu…”no extra charges for gluten free options, ever!”
Location
Norman Park – 85 Overend St. Open Tues-Fri 7am-1pm and Sat-Sun 7am-2pm
So there it is. My wrap up of the Must Do Gluten Free Experiences in Brisbane (& slightly further afield). Hope you get to enjoy a little bit more gluten free joy in your world trying them out.
Jane xx
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Have you been to a great café or restaurant that you think should be on this list? Let me know in the COMMENTS below and I’ll make sure I check them out for inclusion in future updates. And I would also love to hear of any of your experiences dining out gluten free in Brisbane, good and bad…sharing the intel spreads more gluten free joy around 🙂
If you would like to READ MORE about the Brisbane gluten free scene, then check out my other blogs Best Gluten Free High Teas in Brisbane for some great places to experience a little bit of foodie girlie glamour in Brissie… and this one for the Best Gluten Free Eats at EAT STREET
INTERESTED in TOURS to some of these places with all of the details sorted?
Feel as though you can never find the time to visit or manage the logistics to make it happen?
How about my Bucket List Brisbane Gluten Free Foodie Tour which whisks you around to 4 of these amazing gluten free eateries all in the one morning, complete with onboard cool box to keep your supplies chilled as you stock up on this gluten free foodie’s dream adventure! 2021 dates to be released soon!
Or why not join me for one of my other Gluten Free Joy Gourmet Tours or Experiences, designed to take ALL of the stress out of enjoying Brisbane & its surrounds gluten free & coeliac safe! Special discounts apply when you sign up to Gluten Free Joy.
Plus, we have extremely popular events to get excited about,with NEW DATES for 2021 to be released soon:
HIGH TEA FUNDRAISER at the Stamford Plaza
EAT STREET VIP Gluten Free Banquet
Gluten Free KIDS PARTIES @EatStreet
Gluten Free HEALTHY COOKING MASTERCLASS
For more information please contact Jane:
E admin@glutenfreejoy.com.au
T +61 422 416575
And if you are keen to access some gourmet gluten free foodie joy but can’t make it to these lovely venues or events…we have the solution!
Our Gourmet Gluten Free Hampers (with DF + Vegan options) can be delivered to your door! HEAD HERE to see our gorgeous range of Australian made gourmet gluten free goodies.
Spudbar in The Wintergarden Queen Street Mall. In a Foodcourt but an easy lunch and all GF.
Thanks Christine, good input. I have heard alot of talk about that one so definitely need to add it to my list. Great one also as it is CBD central, so handy for visitors to Brissie 🙂
You must try Covent Garden West End… amazing! It is essentially a gin bar & restaurant, with the entire menu 100% Gluten Free and Coeliac safe, completely GF kitchen. My daughter and I are coeliac and absolutely love it. My other daughter is not coeliac and loves it just as much!! Highly recommend.
Hi Jodie,
Yes, good reminder. I have been there and loved it. Always so amazing to eat at a 100% GF restaurant…no anxiety 🙂 The decor is also so gorgeous…always a plus for me! The only negative I had was the serving size of their shared platters…we ate there with my family and for the amount of dishes ordered (& spend) we felt it was all somewhat under generous. Definitely need to add them into my Brisbane blog though!