Being gluten free can be a real pain in your back side. It is deceptively hard to cut all gluten out of your diet and no more so than when you are trying to go out for a bite to eat. Well, there is one cafe in Auckland that is providing a haven for all gluten-free diners and just plain delicious food for the rest of us.
Groucho's Cafe is at the bottom of Wellesley St, in a little carpark opposite Dida's and Glengarry. Not particularly easy to find and also not particularly easy to find a table at. The place was very busy when I popped in for a quick breakfast before work. It's a narrow little place with two seater tables lining the walls and a big counter and cabinet with tasty treats inside.
Everything on the menu is gluten free with glutenous options available, basically the opposite of every other cafe around. I ordered a really flipping yum design your own juices (mine was carrot, apple and ginger) and the Gluten Free Buckwheat and Linseed Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Mixed Berry Yoghurt. They were both fresh, tasty and didn't make me feel like I had a dead weight inside my stomach - gluten free for the win!
Though the menu is smaller it's varied and everything looks incredibly yummy, especially the Gluten Free toasted sandwiches; the Rocket, Tomato, Cheese and Walnut Pesto is on my wish list for my next visit.
Like I said being gluten free (and in my case vegetarian as well) can be a huge downer when you go out to eat, solely for the lack of options available on the menu. But Groucho's really provides an excellent offering and great service to any diner - gluten free or not. I say well done for tackling a niche market and doing it so well - keep up the great work.