Bristol’s best gluten-free options

Pieminister takes its gluten-free offering very seriously, making its GF pies in a dedicated kitchen ensuring no cross-contamination risk. Certified gluten-free by Coeliac UK, you can relax knowing you’re in safe hands. The venue produces three GF pies – the moo (a British beef steak and GF craft ale pie); the free ranger (a British chicken and ham pie with leek and thyme); and the mooless moo (a jackfruit ‘steak’, GF craft ale and black pepper pie). The latter actually won Pie of the Year at the 2022 British Pie Awards awards – you can’t ask for better than that. Now with three restaurants across Bristol since its humble Stokes Croft origins, you’ll be spoiled for choice.

Bocabar is known for its GF pizzas – for a £2.50 supplement, you can have any pizza you like on a GF base. Recent specials (of which there are two monthly) include the Wild Grill: wild mushrooms, grilled leeks, charred sweetcorn, gorgonzola and mozzarella on the signature tomato base – and the Hick Hock: pulled ham hock, Taleggio cheese, grilled leeks and mozzarella, with a drizzle of plum ketchup. With its pizzas available from 12 to 9:30pm (or 10pm on Friday/Saturday) daily, you can drop in for a tasty lunch with mates or impress your evening date with fairy lights and live music to accompany your meal. Its Finzels Reach location is centrally located too for another option.

A short detour out of Bristol, you’ll find yourself at the serene Chew Valley Lake, a perfect backdrop to your fish and chips. Locally sourced and great tasting, all batter uses a GF recipe. There are also battered sausages and battered halloumi, if they take your fancy. There’s also a kids’ menu, too.

Under the same ownership for nearly 30 years, Primrose Cafe is a local favourite and prides itself on its ethical and sustainable values. It’s particularly great for GF breakfasts – GF bagels are available with most options. Most dishes are prepared to order, so can be adapted to dietary requirements. Grab a table inside or indeed outside in its cobbled patio area, and watch the world go by. Open Monday to Sunday, it’s the perfect pitstop when spending the day exploring Clifton.

With its enviable waterside location in the city centre, The Stable serves up great pizzas, with GF bases available. Its wonderfully named offerings include The Meat is On, featuring Suffolk chorizo, Napoli salami, Serrano ham and Guindilla chilli pepper toppings, and the Aubergine Kenobi, with roast aubergine, sunblush tomatoes, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach, roast pumpkin seeds, chilli flakes, chilli oil and basil. If you really needed any more convincing, all its desserts are GF too. Book a table and tuck in with a local pint, and hopefully some live music to accompany your meal.

Nomu is a Japanese restaurant and lounge bar, serving up a tapas-style menu of small plates. It welcomes a rotating selection of pop-up kitchens, who serve up a good range of GF options – recent offerings include Shioyaki Sakana (fire-grilled, whole salted mackerel) and burnt Basque matcha cheesecake. Open Monday to Sunday, from 5pm (or 3pm on weekends) till late, drop in for an early supper or a late-night feast.