Finding My Niche in London

Discovering dedicated gluten-free dining across the pond

I had the very good fortune to spend Easter Week in London. While the weather left something to be desired (it rained every day, of course), everything else about the trip was spectacular. It’s been many years since my last visit, and a lot has changed — especially the food. Years ago, a travel-writing friend of mine liked to claim that if you wanted to eat well in London, stick to curry. That’s definitely not true now.

I had one of the best meals of my life in London, at a small restaurant in Islington called Niche Gluten-Free Dining. When doing research preparation for the trip, Niche was the name that kept coming up. It was lovingly reviewed on Trip Advisor and was mentioned on virtually every blog. It was the first restaurant in London to be certified a 100% gluten-free restaurant by Coeliac UK. It is also nut-free and sesame-free, and many of the dishes are dairy-free or vegan.

Niche’s tagline is “gluten-free but you wouldn't know it.” I promise you, this is true.

My meal started with the bread selection, which included a toasted sourdough, a garlic-and-rosemary focaccia, and a red onion and chili flatbread, all served with a sun-dried tomato spread, plus olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Next up was my appetizer: parmesan-and-cheddar doughnuts served with a tomato sauce. Plus a side of beer-battered onion rings. My main course was duck breast in a rich Madeira sauce with a creamy celeriac mash and steamed bok choy. I bet you’re wondering how I possibly had any room for dessert after all that, but it was required for research purposes: the Winter Mess was a delightful mix of Chantilly cream, meringue, berry compote and fresh blackberries.

I already want to go back.

Niche provided the most memorable meal of the trip, but it wasn’t the only dedicated gluten-free spot I visited. I also had the pleasure of dining at Station 26 in London’s diverse, vibrant Brixton Village. I could rave about the venison burger I had there with halloumi chips (um, fries), but I have to report that I chatted with the owner for a while after dinner, and Station 26 will be shutting down soon.

I’d also heard a lot about Romeo’s Bakery, a 100% gluten-free spot that is also free of refined sugar and is vegan-friendly. Sadly, Romeo’s has shut down its cafe operation, but you can still order from them for pick-up, and they do deliver within London.

In some ways, the news is great: London has a wealth of gluten-free options. But restaurateurs everywhere are struggling these days, and this trip reminded me of that fact, too. I’ll be writing more about London in the next few weeks, but my biggest lesson from the trip is this: if you find a place that does gluten-free well, support it and introduce everyone you know to it.