Four Coeliac Australia-Accredited Spots Where You Can Get a Good Gluten-Free Feed in Melbourne
If you're coeliac, you're probably used to missing out on late-night gyros and actually good chewy pizza bases — until now.
Four Coeliac Australia-Accredited Spots Where You Can Get a Good Gluten-Free Feed in Melbourne
If you're coeliac, you're probably used to missing out on late-night gyros and actually good chewy pizza bases — until now.
In Melbourne it's not hard to find nosh that's gluten-free. But food that is completely not contaminated by gluten? That's a harder task. Unfortunately, it's one that's necessary if you suffer from coeliac disease and even a crumb can cause an immediate onset of illness (and long-term health issues).
But, luckily, there are a few opportunities for coeliacs to leave the house without a Pyrex full of emergency snacks. These four restaurants have accreditation from Coeliac Australia, which means that all of their gluten-free food is prepared in a contained area separate from the gluten-containing food. That might not mean much if you don't self-destruct whenever a smidge of gluten enters your digestive system, but it means a whole heap for someone that is out for three days when it does. So don't just pity your coeliac mates — take them out to these places where they can eat pizza, pasta and late-night gyros and chips just like you.
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Italian might not be the obvious choice when you’re hunting for gluten-free eats, but Shop 225 is pretty keen to shake up that thought process entirely. Up in Pascoe Vale South, this neighbourhood pizzeria is dishing up a rare culinary combination: it’s championing simple Italian fare, while also specialising in both vegan and gluten-free dishes. Boasting Coeliac Australia accreditation, the restaurant’s got all the proper processes in place to minimise cross-contamination and ensure long-suffering diners can finally sit down to a whole menu filled with choices.
A hefty range of traditional pasta dishes also includes a plethora of plant-based alternatives — from mushroom fettuccini to a rigatoni bolognese — with gluten-free casarecce, spaghetti or gnocchi interchangeable for most. And when it comes to woodfired pizzas, the options are even more bountiful, thanks to a wide-ranging lineup of vegan ingredients and Shop 225’s impressive coeliac-friendly bases (worth the extra $4). It swaps the usual wheat situation for a blend of Ardor gluten-free flour and rice, tapioca, maize, soy and pea flours. For toppings, plant-based options abound, crafted with lactose-free Local Craft cheese and vegan-friendly meat alternatives. And, of course, they haven’t forgotten about the discerning dessert fiends out there either — you’ll spy Nutella-loaded pizzas and calzones, creamy panna cotta and proper Sicilian cannoli, all available in both vegan and gluten-free variations.
Images: Hi Sylvia Photography.
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Eat Cannoli founders Kate and Dom Marzano really love their Sicilian pastries — just without gluten. The duo’s Preston cafe is serving up 100 percent gluten-free fare to the masses — and it’s got a Coeliac Australia accreditation to prove it, too. All cannoli are made from scratch and filled to order, going for $4.50 a pop. The menu changes often, with the original ricotta regularly featured — the deep-fried pastry shell is filled with ricotta, chocolate chips, candied orange and honey from the shop’s beehive. Other fillings include Aperol spritz, lemon cheesecake, amaretto, creme brûlée and passionfruit. Shells come infused with the likes of charcoal and raspberry, too, and vegan cannoli are also available for order.
But the Preston shop isn’t just limited to cannoli. It also serves up other desserts like tiramisu ($6) and semifreddo sandwiches ($4.5), along with coffees by Hallelujah ($4–5) and a daily granita ($4.50). For savoury options, the duo is baking piadini in-house — an Italian-style flatbread made from a 48-hour sourdough starter. The toasted bread is used for sandwiches, including the slow-cooked beef brisket with pickles, sauerkraut and peppers; and the pumpkin and ricotta with mozzarella and rocket ($10.50 each).
Images: Parker Blain.
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Located on the corner of Lonsdale Street and Hardware Lane, A25 CBD is open for coffee and on-the-go breakfasts and pizzas thereafter. It’s a traditional pizza place — and not one that you’d suspect of having legitimate gluten-free options — but, in April this year, the eatery was awarded accreditation by Coeliac Australia. Which is great news for GF pizza diehards. The classics are well covered, as well as some surprises, like the prawn and porcini mushroom number, and one topped with nduja, olives and fermented chilli. There are also seven separate vegan pizza options, so this place is ideal for a group with dietaries.
As well as the pizza, all of the pasta (except the lasagne), the triffle fries and foccacia can be made gluten-free as well. You can book, but you can also rock up and try your luck for a table — there’s room for 50 people inside and another 50 outside. A25 also has location in South Yarra and Docklands.
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Stalactites is a late-night Melbourne institution — it’s pumping out its signature souvlakis since 1978. But it’s only been this year that the 24-hour restaurant has added options for coeliacs. It has recently introduced an extensive gluten-free menu — along with new cooking and serving processes — that has been certified by Coeliac Australia. That means that everything from the pita bread and souvas to the chips and grilled meats can be done gluten-free — which is huge news as late-night food is usually fried, bready or otherwise laced with gluten.
The restaurant’s souvlakis are a late-night rite of passage for Melburnians — complicated, meaty and ready to hit your tum with what it needs at 2am. You should try the lamb gyros ($17) or, if you’re late enough (that is, between 6–11am on weekdays and 7–11am on weekends), the brekky souvlaki with bacon and eggs wrapped in a pita ($15). And hot tip: if you’re closer to Elizabeth Street, Stalactite’s take away shop Hella Good is also Coeliac Australia-accredited.
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