A gluten-free experience of Cardiff

A Gluten-Free Weekend in Cardiff (With Lewis Capaldi!)

For my birthday, my parents surprised the whole family with tickets to see Lewis Capaldi in Cardiff. After a very long six-month wait (thank you, December birthday), the day finally arrived! Knowing we’d need some good food to fuel all the excitement, I did a lot of pre-show research into the best gluten-free lunch spots in Cardiff, as well as breakfast options for the next morning.

We travelled into Cardiff by train from Barry, where we were staying (big Gavin & Stacey fans over here). On the journey, we debated which gluten-free-friendly spot to visit from my carefully researched list. Cardiff has loads of popular chain restaurants with gluten-free options, including ASK, Côte, Wagamama, Pho, Honest Burgers, and Wahaca. We originally planned to go to Honest Burgers, a family favourite, but decided to swing by Wahaca first to see how busy it was, as it would have been a brand-new place for both me and my sister. Then we spotted a sign advertising free margaritas for anyone seeing Lewis Capaldi that day, and that sealed the deal.

When we arrived at Wahaca, the staff immediately asked if anyone had allergies and brought me over a separate gluten-free menu, which they talked through in detail. There’s a dedicated gluten-free section, as well as another section for those with milder gluten sensitivities where shared fryers are used. The fully gluten-free options included starters like guacamole with tortilla chips, nachos, and confit garlic dip. There was a great variety of tacos and small plates too, including mushroom tacos, grilled broccoli, and pork, beef, or chicken tacos, as well as larger plates such as the grilled sea bass taco board and sunshine bowls with ingredients like quinoa, avocado, and cherry tomatoes, topped with either chicken or halloumi.

I went for the sea bass taco board, which came with a piece of grilled sea bass topped with crispy capers, pineapple salsa, and a sesame and nut dip. The tacos were served separately in a little bag so you could fill them yourself, which I loved.

The sea bass was light and full of flavour, with beautifully charred edges and crispy skin. The pineapple salsa added a fresh zing, while the sesame and nut dip gave great texture and richness. The wraps were served warm and were super soft and flexible, with no tearing or falling apart.

After a couple more cocktails, we headed off to explore the shops and the sale sections before making our way to the concert venue.

As dinner time rolled around, we were a bit nervous about how much gluten-free choice there would be at an outdoor concert. In need of some pre-dancing fuel, we explored the food stalls and I was pleasantly surprised by what we found. While the usual burgers and pizzas were a no-go, there were still plenty of options, including a jacket potato stand with loads of toppings, curry and rice, multiple places offering gluten-free chips, and even a crêpe stand with gluten-free options.

We chose a completely gluten- and dairy-free paella stand, sharing the vegan paella packed with white beans, chickpeas, green beans, and peas. We also grabbed a portion of oregano and paprika fries from a Greek stall, which were hot, crispy, and full of flavour.

The hunt for gluten-free options in Barry was a little trickier, to the point where I almost gave up. That was until some determined Googling led me to Heavenly Vegan Coffee, a fully vegan café in the heart of Barry offering loads of gluten-free options. The menu included unique drinks like smoothies and milkshakes, alongside gluten-free toasties, breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast, mushrooms on toast, and what really caught my eye — pancakes.

They offer gluten-free pancakes in flavours such as blueberry and lemon, tiramisu, and apple crumble, and I went straight for the apple crumble. I felt completely safe ordering, as the chef came out personally to reassure me that all surfaces are thoroughly cleaned before cooking the pancakes. What arrived was a stack of two thick buckwheat pancakes, cooked to golden perfection, topped with soft stewed apples, a crunchy sweet crumble, and a side of thick homemade soy custard. They were honestly heavenly. It’s so rare to find gluten-free pancakes, especially with such fun and unique flavours, and these were easily the best gluten-free pancakes I’ve ever had.

On the takeaway counter, they also had gluten-free Basque cheesecakes in flavours like blueberry crumble and tiramisu, which I’m definitely going to try recreating at home.

If you have any recommendations you think I should try, or if you want to keep up with where I’m eating and what I’m baking, head over to my Instagram @rubysgfkitchen to stay up to date.

Happy exploring,

Ruby x