My Easter bank holiday travels started from East Midlands Airport. Here I noted a Leon* landside as I made my way towards security. I had come prepared with my own sandwiches. However, if I’d not had my sandwiches, Leon would have been a welcome sight!
During the Ryanair flight, I browsed through their brochure to view the menu. Any items containing gluten are labelled. Chicken Tikka Masala was the gluten free hot meal. There were also a few gluten free snacks available.
Gluten free restaurants in Salou
The first restaurant we ate at was Lunattic. I hadn’t planned to go there but I spotted gluten free symbols on their menu as I walked past. Being able to identify gluten free food on the menu is always a good start because it indicates that the establishment is fully aware of their ingredients. In another country, it also means that nothing should get lost in translation. We got front row seats with a view of the promenade and beach. I ordered the grilled salmon with potatoes and padron peppers. The veggies were a bit sparse but the fish portion was double what you normally get. Overall- it was a lively place with efficient service and good food.
I also ate at Goretti which was on my researched list of restaurants. It was easy to find as it was along the main promenade in Salou. Even though I arrived for a late lunch it was very busy. The service was good and so was the food. I ordered pizza which came on a thin crispy base. It was a bit burnt on the bottom but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I did leave a few burnt patches on the plate that would have ruined the flavour.
My partner discovered another restaurant offering gluten free as we were wandering around the town. So we decided to check it out on our last day. It was called Spaghetti House. A traditional rustic style italian restaurant. All the pizzas could be prepared on a gluten free base. All risottos, salads and pasta dishes could be prepared gluten free. I had a tomato and basil pasta which was delicious.
Gluten free food at H10 Salauris Palace
We had booked half board at our hotel so this section is about my breakfast and dinner experiences.
Reception had asked me to speak to the restaurant manager about Coeliac options when I went to eat. Upon speaking to the restaurant team, they introduced me to the manager. He spoke good English but there was a little bit of confusion. He said they had a coeliac menu and would I like cornflakes. Cereal for dinner didn’t sound like a great option so I said I would look around the buffet instead.
I found some plain looking grilled chicken breast and then got the attention of the manager to ask if the chef could confirm it was ok. The chef was fairly prompt and he confirmed that the chicken was fine. I also asked about the boiled potatoes and paella. These were safe to eat too so I had a fairly decent meal.
The next evening I decided to go ahead and ask for the coeliac menu…surely it would have more than cereal. The restaurant showed us a page from a great big folder with several starter and mains options for that day. I picked a starter of carbonara pasta and a main of chicken and potatoes. It seemed a bit odd to have carbonara as a starter….and when it arrived it was huge. You know those dishes where you start eating and the contents spread out and it looks like it’s never going to end? It was one of those. I had to send it away unfinished when the mains arrived.
On our last evening I ordered from the coeliac menu again. I had a tasty thick crust margherita pizza.
For breakfast, I had the option to order gluten free cereal but I opted for gluten free toast. I also got bacon and beans from the buffet and an omelette from the cooking station.
At breakfast one day I noticed that the omelette chef was also making toasties. He was using the same tools and cooking surface for the omolettes and sandwiches….uh-oh! I waited till the queue died down and then asked for an omelette and advised I’m coeliac. He wiped down the cooking surface and his flipper. He didn’t add any filling as there may have been some contamination.
Gluten free lunch in Barcelona
Our itinerary included a day trip to Barcelona by train. We couldn’t get any walk up tickets for the Sagrada Familia which was a big disappointment. If you’re planning to go…get your tickets in advance!
We paid an obligatory visit to Mercat de la Boqueria, the famous market on La Rambla. Lots of tapas, fresh fruit, vibrant colour and incredibly busy! Whilst the food looked tempting, I decided to stick to a thirst quenching fresh juice.
When it came to taking a lunch break, I had a couple of places to look out for from the research I’d done beforehand (see previous blog). I’d also done some Google maps screenshots of where they were.
From our location on Las Ramblas, I decided to seek out a place called Conesa. This was in the Gothic Quarter and they did hot sandwiches . It was a cafe style eatery so we ordered and paid at the counter. I picked a gluten free sandwich called Pollastre (chicken, caramelised onion, lettuce, garlic sauce…yum). I did ask whether the preparation was separate and the assistant showed me how he had a separate area from where the regular sandwiches were prepared. We ordered some sides of patatas bravas too. They also had gluten free beer and cake bars..how fantastic!
There is a small seating are in the cafe but it was full when we arrived. As it was a pleasant day, we ordered our food as takeaway and ate on the nearby church steps.
As we waited for our flight at Reus airport, I popped into an airside cafe in the departures lounge. They had a section of the shelf labelled as Gluten Free…amazing! The section had gluten free fairy cakes and chocolate muffins. Not quite as filling as a sandwich, but a start. Some of their crisps were also labelled as gluten free.
Overall, I have to say that labelling has been pretty good in Salou and Barcelona. I spotted the gluten symbol on a few restaurant menus. This shows that they are providing the information I need to make a safe decision on what to eat.
On the whole, it was a good break. The weather didn’t quite warrant any of the summer clothes I’d packed. But, as far as surviving gluten free goes, I didn’t get sick so it was a success.
*Leon are a fast food chain. Their slogan is ‘Naturally Fast Food’. They offer a good choice of healthy vegetarian and gluten free foods.