A Weekend In Bournemouth...

I recently took a little weekend trip to Bournemouth for a Cat Burns concert, and it honestly turned out to be the perfect weekend. The concert was absolutely incredible (still not over it), but what really surprised me was the food. Everywhere we ate was so on it when it came to allergies, which made such a difference. It meant I could order what I wanted without stressing and actually feel present and enjoy the day. I was so impressed that I thought I’d share more about where we tried, in case you ever find yourself in Bournemouth too!

1. Lolas Bakery

Now this is a little bit of a cop-out because, as you might know, this is actually a London-based bakery. That said, they do have cupcake outlets in a few different locations, and a bakery in London that sells cupcakes and so many other sweet and savoury goodies.

My sister now lives near this bakery, and ever since we missed going the last time we visited, I have been begging her to go. So when she surprised me with some treats to enjoy on the train to kick-start our weekend, I was very happy. I had to include it in this post because it really set the vibe for the whole weekend.

First of all, the choice in this bakery was unbelievable. The entire counter was gluten-free — everything from every cupcake flavour you could think of to muffins, cookies, and brownies. There was honestly so much choice, it was almost overwhelming.

Me and my sister ended up sharing a hazelnut brownie and an oat and cranberry cookie. The brownie was unreal — so rich and indulgent, with chunks of salty hazelnut cutting through the sweetness, topped with hazelnut butter and a thick, crunchy layer of chocolate. The cookie didn’t disappoint either: soft, chewy, and packed with a strong cranberry flavour in every bite.

There are still so many things I want to try from here, and with the café closing in May, I’ll definitely be running back.

2. Pho

This place has been on my bucket list for ages, so when I was looking for somewhere me and my sister could go for dinner and found one near The Botanist, where we had already planned to go for drinks (some of the best cocktails ever), I knew it was perfect.

The attentiveness to allergies here completely astounded me. During our visit, I had two separate waiters come over to talk through the dishes I could and couldn’t eat. And this menu is not small – there are loads of different options for pho, curries, fried rice and noodles, not to mention the long list of starters and drinks you can get to accompany any meal. Out of this whole menu, there were only three things that weren’t suitable for a gluten allergy. Three things!

If that wasn’t reassuring enough, they double-checked every time either me or my sister ordered something and confirmed who it was for, which made me feel so catered for.

Alongside a couple of cocktails, we ordered a selection of starters. There were so many we wanted to try that it took us ages to decide, but we eventually compromised and went for our top three.

One of the main reasons I’ve wanted to try this place for so long was their summer rolls, and they exceeded all expectations. The highlight for me was the peanut dipping sauce they came with – salty, smooth, and the perfect creamy accompaniment to these fresh and crispy rolls. We also went for the squid, which was super light and crispy and came with a lime-and-salt dipping sauce that you mix at the table. I thought this was such a fun, interactive element to the dish.

The last starter we got was a crispy Vietnamese pancake with tofu. This was another really interactive dish, served with tofu and bean sprouts (I didn’t know bean sprouts could be that good – me and my sister were genuinely fighting over them), alongside dipping sauce and rice paper so you can create your own tofu pancake roll.

For my main, I got the cha ca la vong, which is turmeric-coated grilled fish served with noodles and fish sauce. This was a type of fish I’d never heard of before, and it was absolutely delicious. I loved being able to add the amount of sauce I wanted, and the noodles were a really unique shape for a gluten-free dish, which I really enjoyed. There were also big chunks of chilli throughout, which added so much flavour.

There is still so much on this menu that I want to try, and I will 100% be back.

3. Bagels by Soho

   
   

While looking for a breakfast spot we could grab and take down to the beach the next morning, I stumbled across this café specialising in bagels and seasonal drinks. Being just a five-minute walk from our hotel, it was absolutely perfect. So, we headed there in the morning and were immediately overwhelmed—in the best way—by the number of options.

There were so many unique bagel fillings to choose from, all of which could be made on your bagel of choice, including a gluten-free option. I went for the banana and peanut butter bagel, which, despite being relatively simple, was honestly one of the best bagels I’ve ever had. It held together perfectly, wasn’t dry, and didn’t fall apart at all. It was prepared in a separate area from the regular bagels, which made me feel really confident ordering.

The overwhelming choice didn’t stop at the food—it continued when it came to drinks. There was a long list of regular options alongside a selection of specials. I’ve never been a big coffee lover, but I’ve always been intrigued by matcha. When I saw that their spring special was a piña colada matcha (one of my favourite flavours ever), I knew this had to be the drink that finally introduced me to it. And wow—it did not disappoint. I’ll genuinely be dreaming about this matcha.

I can’t wait to revisit some of these spots. If you have any other recommendations, let me know! And if you want to keep up with where I’m heading next, follow me on Instagram @rubysgfkitchen.

Ruby x