Let's face it, we've all got an aversion to something.
For some it may be dairy or peanuts, for others it may be perennially cheeky yet smug broadcaster Dermot O'Leary... but if yours happens to be the protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related species, including barley and rye... it doesn't mean you have to forgo a great meal when eating out.
We've scoured London looking for the best restaurants catering for a gluten-free menu... and here are a few of the best...
Mildreds does hearty vegetarian dishes, influenced by both Asian and European cuisine. Vegan and gluten-free options are helpfully marked on the menu, and with things like sweet potato and cashew nut curry, and amaretto baked peach and nectarine it’s little wonder it’s always packed to the rafters.
The restaurant headed up by the brilliant Angela Hartnett is friendly towards those with gluten intolerances. The former protégée of Gordon Ramsay was awarded a Michelin star just four months after opening this Mayfair eatery, which offers high-end Italian cuisine.
This Italian restaurant specialises in gluten-free polenta dishes, with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu too. It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and wheat-free paninis and salads are available to take away.
This is delicious, colourful Peruvian cuisine at it's best. In a bid to avoid cross-contamination, the gluten-free food here is prepared using a dedicated set of utensils. That's black belt stuff.
Burger fans who are wheat intolerant need not be deprived - Honest Burgers offer gluten-free buns. Meat is carefully sourced, with beef from Ginger Pig and free range chicken, and the house chips come sprinkled with delicious rosemary salt. They now have a second site in <a href="http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/restaurants/restaurant-16766.php">Soho</a>.
“Give chickpeas a chance!” is their slogan, and rightly so when hummus is paired with slow-cooked chunks of beef or tender chicken with sun-dried tomatoes. Eschew pitta bread in favour of gluten-free bread, rice crackers, carrot sticks or tortilla chips; and with desserts and salads available too you won’t leave hungry.
If you like Lebanese street food they don’t come more authentic than Yalla Yalla, which literally means “hurry hurry”. Their teensy Soho establishment was such a hit the owners opened a larger restaurant near Oxford Circus in 2010. Aside from mouth-watering cuisine, this is one of London’s best budget eateries.
What Asakusa may lack in glamour it makes up for in the sheer length of the menu, which has specialties like eels wrapped in omelette as well as all the expected sushi, teriyaki, noodle dishes and much much more. Prices are low too, resulting in this restaurant being packed most nights of the week; make sure you book ahead.
It seems Yolam Ottolenghi can do no wrong. The former pastry chef runs four successful delis in the capital and has published two best-selling cookbooks; his all-day brasserie, Nopi, has affordable, simple dishes inspired by Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, many of which are gluten-free.
Fans of gourmet French dining will find Marylebone High Street’s Orrery has more than enough to please the discerning gluten-free diner; just advise them of your requirements and feast on stuffed pig’s trotter, foie gras and lobster.