May 12, 2018

My gluten free & dairy free guide to Amsterdam

If you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen that I just got back from a fab long weekend break in Amsterdam for my 25th birthday, where I ate so much amazing gluten and dairy free food! I’ve had lots of people asking if I am going to post a blog about everything I ate out there, so here we go, here’s all the delicious gluten and dairy free food I ate whilst in Amsterdam. I have to say a huge thank you to Alex, The Gluten Free Suitcase who recently posted a Gluten Free Amsterdam Food Guide which proved very handy when finding food around the city, so if you are visiting, it’s definitely worth checking out!

Note: I’ve added a link to each of the restaurants website’s, so you can find out more information if necessary. It is also worth mentioning that a lot of places in Amsterdam close on Mondays, so bear that in mind if you are travelling! 

I arrived in Amsterdam on Sunday around lunchtime, so headed straight to Bagels and Beans, which I had previously been to when I was last in Amsterdam a couple of years ago, and knew I had to go back. Bagels and Beans is a chain that is dotted all around Amsterdam, so you will never be far from one and are really great with allergies and intolerances, offering gluten free bagels. I went for the vegan option with a gluten free bagel, hummus, rocket, sun-dried tomatoes and cucumber with an almond milk latte whilst we planned out what we would get up to for the rest of the trip.

That evening we jumped on the tram and headed to one of the restaurants I was most excited about, a 100% gluten free and vegan pizza place called Mastino V. To prevent any cross contamination, Marino V does not allow any gluten on site, which is honestly so great for a Coeliac to hear! Even Jake got involved with the gluten free pizza and loved it. I went for the ‘Love’ pizza which was topped with vegan cheese, tomatoes, pesto, spinach and a tomato sauce. If you are in Amsterdam, I would 100% recommend trying this place as the gluten free bases are incredible! They also offer various gluten free and vegan sweet treats for afterwards.

The following morning was Monday, and as I said previously, a lot of places in Amsterdam are closed on Mondays so it’s important to check! Luckily Pancakes, Amsterdam was open so we headed there for breakfast after tonnes of recommendations on Instagram. Pancakes is dotted around a few locations in Amsterdam including right next to central station, and is always absolutely packed, so be prepared to queue! It’s totally worth it though as they serve gluten free pancakes (made with soy milk to make them dairy free too!). I went for sweet toppings of maple syrup, banana and strawberries.

As the weather was absolutely beautiful, we decided to hire bikes after pancakes and cycle to Flevopark where we stopped for a drink and an ice cream at one of the little coffee huts. Flevopark spans across a few kilometres, and is definitely worth a visit, especially if the weather is sunny!

We then headed to the local supermarket, Albert Heijn, to pick up some bits for a picnic lunch in the sun. Albert Heijn is the main supermarket in Amsterdam which you will find dotted around the city, and has an extensive gluten free isle which is fab, including gluten free stroop waffles. Of course I stocked up on Stroop waffles to bring back to the UK with me!

Whilst cycling around the De Pijp area, we also passed another ice cream shop called Massimo where all flavours are gluten free, with a lot of vegan flavours too, so I had to give it a try. Vegan flavours included chocolate, chocolate orange, almond, pistachio and lots of fruity ones too! I went for the chocolate orange and strawberry which went down a treat in the sun!

That evening we got back onto the tram and headed to Loetje, which is a famous dutch restaurant serving delicious steak. It was harder than I first thought to find a steak restaurant in Amsterdam that serve gluten and dairy free options, as a lot of the places seemed to cook the steak in butter and the chips were not gluten free. Loetje (which was another great recommendation from Alex, The Gluten Free Suitcase) was to the rescue though with their gluten free chips and steak that they specifically cooked in oil for me instead of butter, to ensure it was dairy free. Although a little pricier than some of the other meals I had that week, it was definitely worth it and tasted delicious!

The next morning was my birthday and we headed back to Bagels and Beans for a quick breakfast before the rest of the days plans. This time I went for the gluten free BLT bagel (minus the mayo as that contained milk) and an almond milk matcha latte. I really do want to shout out the amazing staff at Bagels and Beans who were so great when it came to catering for my Coeliac disease and milk intolerance, it really is comforting to know that places take it so seriously and are so aware of dietary requirements. After lunch we hired a paddleboat around the Amsterdam canals which was definitely an experience!

For lunch, we headed to Piqniq, which is basically what it says on the tin, a restaurant with lots of picnic style foods including sandwiches, quiche, soup, cakes etc which you can order a variety of from the menu. Piqniq is really great at catering for gluten and dairy free, and the waiter basically told me they could make the majority of the sandwiches on the menu suitable for my dietary requirements! I went for the tuna salad and smoky chicken & avocado sandwiches, which were served on crusty bread, and a gluten & dairy free ‘snickers’ bar.

As Piqniq is fairly central, we went for a walk around the shops afterwards and came across another supermarket called Marqt. Marqt is a bit like an Amsterdam version of the UKs Wholefoods, with lots of niche organic products along with a freefrom section. I picked up a Kombucha to try.

We then headed out of town on the number 9 tram to visit an entirely gluten free supermarket called De GlutenVrije Winkel. Here I found tonnes of new gluten free products (which I would have loved to have brought but definitely wouldn’t have fit in my tiny suitcase home!) along with a gluten free bakery section with bread and cakes. I did however, buy a few gluten free goodies including biscuits and carrot cake. This shop is a little out the way of central Amsterdam, but definitely worth a visit if you have chance!

Our final evening consisted of heading to the icebar and to a restaurant called Cafe Piazza which is located in the centre of Amsterdam. Upon arrival before even mentioning to the waitress that I was gluten and dairy free, she asked if we had any allergies or intolerances, which was a great start! They have a huge gluten free menu with lots of pasta dishes. I decided to go for the gluten free bolognese spaghetti which they could also make dairy free. After dinner, we headed across the road to a little ice cream shop opposite, where I had some delicious sorbet for dessert.

The final morning we headed back to Pancakes, Amsterdam for one last delicious brunch before we left! This time I went all out with bacon and maple syrup toppings (with gluten and dairy free pancakes of course!).

Finally, if you have been to Amsterdam before you will know that gluten free McDonald’s burgers are available, so I couldn’t resist a McDonald’s lunch at the airport (When will they start doing this in the UK?!). I had a gluten free hamburger and chips!

So there you have it, all the gluten and dairy free food I ate whilst in Amsterdam, which I admit, was not the healthiest, but when there are so many free from options, it’s only right you try them all! Hopefully this is helpful if you are heading to Amsterdam soon, there are also more places I’m yet to try, so will definitely be returning soon!

Alice x

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