With a worldwide pandemic, I don’t think I’ll be heading to sunnier climates in December 2020. However, December 2019 saw me basking in mid-twenties sunshine in Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria.
As always, this blog is to share with you the gluten free restaurants that I ate at.
The Research
Google and Findmeglutenfree.com were great for searching for gluten free restaurants.
My coeliac Spanish translation card from previous trips (link in the Resources section below) came on the trip too.
Travelling
I needed to grab a quick bite to eat before the flight but a quick scan for gluten free sandwiches in Boots and Costa Coffee proved fruitless. There weren’t any to be found. I settled for a parsnip soup from Costa which was heated up for me and served in a bowl…it turned out be a great choice…absolutely delicious!
As the flight was only a couple of hours, I didn’t pre-order an in flight meal. However, the gluten free option was chicken tikka masala.
From the onboard trolley snacks, the Yushoi baked pea snaps were gluten free.
Gluten Free at Hotel Occidental
We were staying on a bed and breakfast basis to make the most of getting out and about during the day. I was able to confidently order gluten free toast to go with my buffet breakfast which consisted of eggs, beans and bacon. Something I haven’t seen before in a buffet was the ‘gluten free’ counter with bread, biscuits, cupcakes, cheese and chicken slices. A great idea! However, the bread from the counter was very hard…maybe it was the brand or the fact that it may have been open for a few days.
Gluten Free Restaurants
The Red Cow and Shenanigans, Playa del Ingles
We discovered this place whilst walking towards the Yumbo centre. We were on our way to Fusion Thai restaurant which turned out to be fully booked. As this was across the road, we asked about gluten free options and were pleasantly surprised to find that they served gluten free beer and pizza. I was able to confirm that the gluten free pizza was cooked separately from the normal pizzas. We ended up eating here twice during our holiday!
The pizzas were substantial and loaded with toppings…great value! Looking at the menu, I noted that they had a gluten free breakfast option with mushrooms, tomatoes, bacon, eggs and beans.
Fusion Thai, Playa del Ingles
It’s worth booking this place in advance of your trip to avoid disappointment. We couldn’t get in on our first visit and had to made a booking for the following day. All the gluten free options were clearly identified on the menu, making ordering a doddle. We shared the chicken satay for starters followed by chicken pad thai and a green curry with jasmine rice.
Piccolo, San Agustin
We booked ahead for this restaurant as we were going to be travelling especially to eat there. It was located on the second floor of the San Agustin shopping centre but we did have to ask a few people before we found it. We shared a bruschetta starter on gluten free bread. My mains was a gluten free lasagne…because it’s quite rare to get this option on the gluten free menu. This all went down well with another gluten free beer, Estrella Galicia.
Gelatomania, Puerto Mogan
A day trip to this pretty resort village is recommended. There are frequent buses from the main road in Playa del Ingles. Walking along the promenade, I was super excited to see a sign for gluten free crepes at Gelatomania. It was a busy place! We ordered our savoury crepes, one with a vegetable and cheese filling and one with ham and cheese. We waited patiently for what seemed a good fifteen minutes. But they were worth the wait!
Itinerary Ideas
- There’s plenty of walking to be done along the promenade from Playa del Ingels to Maspalomas.
- It’s worth visiting nearby resorts such as Puerto Mogan using buses which are frequent and cheap.
- https://www.spain-grancanaria.com/en/what-to-do/beaches/playa-del-ingles.html
Resource List
Website to research restaurants: https://www.findmeglutenfree.com
Spanish Coeliac Restaurant card: http://www.celiactravel.com/cards/spanish/
