My new love’s name is Mr Close…a cafe/restaurant in Melbourne’s CBD in the Target centre (cnr Swanston and Bourke streets). Prices here are a wee bit higher than you would find in nearby cafes but you pay for a fresh gourmet menu that changes pretty much daily…and the food is generally really beautiful. I’ve eaten here many many times and have regular favourites, particularly the salads and curries. The menu is marked with what is gluten free and if you’re not sure you can ask the staff. The chef is usually there too and happy to talk through ingredients if the staff are not sure. They also do take away.

They also sometimes have amazingly decadent gluten free desserts.

Check out their website here.

Sushi Sushi is a chain of sushi cafes around Melbourne (and all around Australia too) that have selected hand rolls and sushi packs that are gluten free. And they have just started stocking gluten free soy sauce – it’s an extra 20c but better than no soy on your sushi!

Most of the stores I’ve been to have a sign near the counter that shows which sushi is gluten free. If you want to research before hand you can check out their website which details gluten free options (although it’s quite clunky to use).

Go forth and eat sushi!

See their website for a full list of locations.

Cupcakes, how can you possibly not love them???

Joy Cupcakes is such a cute shop, it just makes you smile when you walk in and see all these beautiful, immaculate cupcakes sitting there waiting for you to pick one…or two…or three…

Whilst there is not a huge range of gluten free cupcakes (there are only a few flavours), they are clearly marked on the cupcake menu, which also tells you which days of the week each flavour is baked.

There are 2 locations – Southern Cross Lane, 121 Exhibition St, Melbourne and Doncaster Shopping Centre.

Get yourself a treat!

For a truly indulgent afternoon, make your way up the opulent staircase to the Aria Bar & Lounge located in the beautiful Langham hotel, Southbank. Here you will find a classy selection of cakes, desserts and gourmet tea for the perfect afternoon tea. You have the option of an a-la-carte selection or a set afternoon tea selection. We tried the a-la-carte which has quite a few gluten free dessert options, including the pear tart below. Mmmmmmmmm!

Check out their website here

The Langham, 1 Southgate Avenue, Southbank, Melbourne

Mamasita, where you at been tryin to reach ya…I used to love this song back in the day…and every time I hear “Mamasita” / “Mamacita” this song plays quietly in my head…

The words, whilst very simple and clearly nothing to do with food, are actually quite appropriate when applied to my efforts to try to get a table at Mamasita, the hippest Mexican restaurant in Melbourne. After several attempts at walking up those stairs thinking I might amazingly come across a free table, only to be told the wait will be at least an hour, I finally got to try this amazing place a few weeks ago with some friends.

The trick was we we went late on a weeknight. By late I mean we were starting to eat around the time I’m usually settling into my pj’s. It was worth the wait though. The food here is beautiful. So fresh, so interesting…and it’s all gluten free…the whole menu.

The place was quite noisy, dark and crowded but that all gave it a nice Melbourne vibe…my only small criticism was the service was a bit hard to get, had to wave to get any attention, but I can get over that as the food was so good.

The menu is perfect for share plates, we chose a range of dishes – tacos, salads and tortillas – so everyone could try a bit of everything.

The below selection doesn’t look very appetising in a photo, does it? Oh but it was!

Looking forward to going back here and trying some more off the menu!

Click here to visit their website, they have their full menu on the site if you’d like to take a look

Level 1, 11 Collins St, Melbourne

La Camera is an Italian restaurant in Southbank, Melbourne with a nice view over the Yarra. They have a great range of gluten free risottos, some mains (meat dishes), and also do gluten free breakfast options.

The risottos were very very nice, full of flavour and generous servings. Service was good, staff friendly, good value…only thing I could fault was the size of many of the tables – they were so crowded once you had 4 people at them.

As this is right in the middle of Southbank they get pretty busy on weekends so best to book. For more info see their website.

Shop MR2 Mid Level East End
Southgate, Southbank

Don’t you hate when the advertised picture looks nothing like the real thing?

Ok to be fair the burger ordered was not with “the lot” but still…

Burger Edge have opened a few new stores recently, one of those is at Chadstone Shopping Centre. They offer gluten free buns and some gluten free fillings. My friend asked whether the chips were gluten free and got several different answers, the staff at the Chadstone store did not really know what was GF and what wasn’t. Looking at their website, the fries are actually not gluten free. So I’d suggest taking a look at their website to check what is GF and not before going as this information is not actually advertised in store (well it wasn’t in the Chadstone store when we went). To see, go to their website and click on “Allergan Info”

To be blunt, compared to other burger joints, namely Grill’d, Burger Edge is pretty average. I’d only really go there again if I was desperate for a burger and there was no other option.

What’s your favourite gluten free burger joint in Melbourne?

Mrs Parmas is one of those places I’ve walked past a million times but never actually realised it was there. It’s inconspicuously located at the Spring St end of Little Bourke St, and is a small-ish sized pub. Good for a casual meal, very much a pub style (nothing classy here!) and full of after work drinkers on a Friday night. There is a good selection of gluten free options with the parmas and they also have gluten free beer (bottled, not on tap) – O’Brien’s Gluten Free Beer- Pale Ale & Dark Ale.

The parmas are not much to look at (as is the case with all parmas really) but the servings are huge and they taste great.

Visit their website here

25 Little Bourke St, Melbourne

The Age recently published a list of gluten free eateries in Melbourne – click here to see the article…below I’ve listed their list but expanded on it a little for the places I’ve tried. Those I haven’t tried are on my list now!

Have you tried any of the below places? What did you think? Leave a comment, and if you’re interested in submitting a guest review just email me at info@glutenshmooten.com.au

Contemporary:
The Firehouse, Ringwood
Website: http://www.thefirehouse.net.au

This place looks really interesting

Italian:
Fifteen, CBD
Website: http://www.fifteenmelbourne.com.au

I’ve been to Fifteen years ago and loved loved loved it. I really want to go back and this time pay more attention so I can write up a post on it

Mezzo Bar & Grill, CBD
Website: http://www.mezzobar.com.au

Never tried Mezzo but it looks beautiful

Mexican:
Mamasita, CBD
Website: http://www.mamasita.com.au

This has been on my list for a while now but I get scared off because they don’t take bookings for under 8 people! I’m waiting for the hype to die down a bit before heading out to this one

Asian:
Penang Affair, Fitzroy
Love this place – check out my review here

Jade Village, Mitcham
Heard of this place but I’m unlikely to ever be around this side of town

Gedera, Caulfield
17 Derby Rd
I know of this place but didn’t realise they do GF – they do Sri Lankan food – yum!

French:
Le Triskel, CBD
32 Hardware Lane

A French creperie I will have to try! Love crepes!

Pizza:
Pizza Piazza, Windsor
One of the gluten free institutions in Melbourne – check out my review here

Pizza Farro, Thornbury
Website: http://www.pizzafarro.com.au
Haven’t tried this place yet but have heard great things

Mr Wolf, St Kilda
Website: http://www.mrwolf.com.au
Heard good things about this one too

Cafes:
Sacs, Northcote
Another gluten free institution but haven’t been here yet

Fox in the Box, Brighton
Website: http://www.foxinthebox.com.au

Looks like a cute place

Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder
Website: http://www.rhcl.com.au

I’ve been here years ago – nice little casual cafe to do breakfast, brunch or lunch

Cafe Eden, Canterbury
Website: http://www.cafeeden.com.au

Not tried this place yet, looks like a nice casual cafe

Olmecs, Richmond

Liked this place – check out my review here

How top restaurants have honed their menus

Abla’s: Caters for the gluten-intolerant on request.

Bacash: Includes gluten-free dishes on menu and functions.

Bistro Guillaume: Can modify every dish.

Botanical: Trains staff to advise patrons.

Canvas: Uses symbols to identify dishes that are gluten-free.

Cecconi’s Cantina: Plans menu; stocks gluten-free bread.

David’s: Will make stir-fries without gluten.

Esposito: Modifies dishes to dietary needs.

Gingerboy: Designs menu with gluten and lactose intolerances in mind.

Grossi Florentino: Makes its own gluten-free pasta, offers gluten-free rolls.

Jacques Reymond: Menu largely free of gluten, caters to special needs.

The Italian: Offers bought-in, gluten-free pasta dish on request.

Longrain: Waiters carry lists of dishes without gluten.

MoVida: Separate menu for gluten and dairy-intolerant.

The Press Club: Separate dietary training and tasting for staff.

I haven’t had the pleasure of trying any of the above restaurants except for MoVida (which was beautiful) – I think I need to celebrate more “special” occasions and try a few of these restaurants!

Spiga is in the “laneways” section of Melbourne Central – kind of indoors, kind of outdoors. Nice atmosphere, good service, food was ok. Yes, just ok. Not an amazingly extensive menu with pastas, pizzas, salads, risottos and meat dishes (gluten free available for all) but enough choice to suit most people. The meals sounded a lot more interesting on the menu than what they actually ended up being, for example, “Grilled Yellow Fin tuna on a salad of dried tomato, baby beans, olives, crispy potatoes and lemon dressing” sounds great, yes? What came out was okay, but it was missing a key ingredient – potatoes!

“Orecchiette Primavera – Ear shaped pasta with Spiga dried tomato, red peppers, broccolini, baby spinach and pine nuts” – yum sounds great! Result was actually penne, not “ear shaped pasta” (maybe they only had GF penne) and hardly any of the veggies mentioned. It was also a really small serve of pasta, a bit tight when you’re charging $20 for packet pasta.

Overall Spiga was nice, but over-priced for what you get. For more details you can check out their website.

2 Menzies Alley, Melbourne – enter via 360 Elizabeth St