Restaurant Brighton's guide to
Gluten Free Brighton
Our top picks
Gluten-free restaurants in Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove are superbly equipped to cater for all the main dietary requirements – dairy, vegan, vegetarian or gluten intolerant. This is our guide to gluten-free Brighton.
Best for international
The food of South India is renowned for being lighter, healthier and fresher-tasting than that of the North. Many dishes are naturally gluten-free, with gram (chickpea) flour taking the place of wheat in battered and breaded dishes. Curry Leaf Cafe also sells a range of gluten-, sugar- and dairy-free cakes during afternoon tea.
Brighton’s long-standing, outstanding, family-run Italian restaurant Donatello has been providing Brighton with healthy helpings of authentic Italian hospitality and great food since 1991. They’re well versed in the Brightonian dietary needs and fluctuations so have rolled with them over the years. Pizzas and pasta are offered as standard or with GF flour-based alternatives.
This Brighton Lanes, modern fine dining restaurant, offers guests a revolving menu of great tasting dishes and ideas that champion modern Chinese cuisine. Gluten free options are featured generously across the menu for both omnivores and vegetarians alike.
An ultra-sleek super stylish Robatayaki grill Japanese restaurant on Preston street that offers guests more than a generic tuna roll. Expect succulent marinated meats, vegetables cooked over a flameless coal grill and served small plate style alongside bespoke Japanese cocktails and lashings of style. Gluten-free diners will be well catered for at Kujira, and should you feel brave enough there’s a karaoke rig set up downstairs with your name on!
Vibrant and lively, neon-lit and with a sound system to rival any club. Lucky Khao serves Northern Thai cuisine and with its bustling atmosphere can teleport diners to its Bangkok origins. The menu is divided into sections, which offers guests a range of dishes from fresh salads, flavour-packed curries to grilled meats, fish and corn. Gluten-free options are listed throughout the menu and if it doesn’t bear the GF initials simply ask your waiter and they’ll be able to tell you if it can be modified.
Feast on long luscious lunches and dinners, Spanish style at the Market restaurant in Hove. The Victorian green tiles and mirrored walls dazzle and hospitality reflects the charm of its appointed nation. The food here is served as Tapas and offers guests a sensational selection of popular Spanish influenced small plates. Gluten-free dinners will be able to navigate their way around the menu pretty well with the GF initialled dishes.
Moshimo, in Bartholomew Square, serves some of the best sushi in the city and is loved by locals and visitors alike. Moshimo has a strong sustainability policy, they will never serve fish that is registered as endangered and their Fish Love campaign has garnered international support and driven policy change in Europe. They provide guests with an abundant selection of gluten free options that also cater well for those on a plant based diet.
Treat your taste buds with a culinary trip to the Med at Nostos, Hove. This authentic modern restaurant serves elevated Greek cuisine and guarantees guests fresh and full flavours in every dish. Nostos has changed the face of Greek dining here in Brighton by shifting focus from grilled meats and fish to our local love of seasonal and fresh fruits and vegetables. Those needing to eliminate gluten won’t be left out and prepare to indulge in a Mediterranean feast!
You’ll find charming French hospitality partnered with upscale French cuisine at Petit Pois. This intimate, family-run bistro is modern, stylish and exudes chic elegance. It’s a firm favourite among the Brighton foodies and the dishes here are inclusive to most dietary requirements. So, gluten-free diners get booking your next rendezvous.
Rum Kitchen in the Lanes serves Caribbean food, rum cocktails and carnival vibes every day of the week. Uniquely, their interactive allergens menu lets you hide all options that aren’t right for you, making choosing easier.
For more choices speak to your server about what can be adapted as well.
Shelter Hall with its enviable setting on Brighton beach, in the middle of the two piers, offers guests a food hall experience like no other in town. Gluten-free diners will reap the benefits of having seven independent restaurants to choose from. All offer various GF dishes and allergens are clearly listed on their online menu.
Tapas Revolution on North Road is a lively restaurant embodying the fiesta vibes of Spain and the country’s home-cooked cuisine. Tapas, paella and other traditional dishes populate the menu with plenty of gluten free options. There’s lunchtime offers, happy hours and a good children’s menu, for your whole family fiesta, any time.
Best for casual
Perhaps best known for its awe-inspiring array of cocktails and flamboyant displays of mixology, Bohemia also offers an equally diverse food menu. Gluten avoiding diners can expect an extensive selection of small and sharing plates ranging from Thai-style Tiger Prawns and Basmati Rice to Patatas Bravas, Spicy Tomatoes, Huancaína sauce. And perhaps wash it down with a Porn Star Martini on the terrace?
The seductive decor is only the first thing to get excited about at Cyan. The menus there are inspired by local heritage and champion the freshest in local and sectional ingredients. Gluten-free diners can enjoy a seriously exciting selection of dishes at Cyan, here are a few examples to whet your appetite; small plates like tasty corn ribs, celery salt, rose pepper, bloody Mary ketchup to large sharing platters of oysters, cockles, prawns, mussels, dressed crab with American Marie rose, lemon, raspberry, shallots.
With a dedicated menu for gluten-free diners, one can expect a multitude of delicious dishes to dine on at Coppa Club. Some of the established favourites are available with gluten-free alternatives, such as; fusilli carbonara guanciale, Pecorino Romano, black pepper, egg yolk and truffle pecorino fries.
This long standing Brighton favourite pub, is smack in the centre of our bustling North Laine and, being just five minutes from the station, it makes for a cracking assembly point for those visiting the city. Food wise the menu at the Dorset is simple, unfussy but great pub classics. While they’re not bursting with options for gluten free diners, there are several good options and the offerings that they do provide are tasty.
It’s happy days when you can find a decent GF burger that’s sandwiched in an equally satisfying bun. Happy to report to all you burger lovers that Honest Burgers provide both banging GF burgers and wrap them in a bun that’ll have you questioning if it honestly doesn’t contain glutinous grains? We assure you they’re true to their namesake!
Love a good burger but can’t eat the bun? Never fear as Lucky Beach offers gluten free buns for just 75p extra and plenty of gluten free menu options to fill your hungry boots. We’re particularly enamoured with the salads – not just your average lettuce job but chock full of seasonal gems such as fenugreek scented char-grilled chicken, crispy chickpeas, roasted cauliflower and pomegranate. Staff are happy to advise on what’s GF while you sit back, chill out and enjoy the view!
Brighton Marina has been patiently waiting for restaurants of this calibre to set up shop on its yacht lined harbour. The food offering here is made up of the best in Sussex sourced ingredients, made fresh to order and delivering the consistent quality of the other GBC venues. Gluten free options are available throughout both the breakfast and day menus. We recommend speaking to your server so they can help you make the most of their delicious offerings.
This pub is as easy on the eyes as the village it’s nestled in. If you’re out on a stroll then we recommend lunch or dinner here at The Plough Inn. Both menus offer a broad range of gluten-free options in the form of great pub classics. If you’re looking for a Sunday Roast, we also rate them highly but call up in advance to make sure their GF options are suitable.
As a pub that boasts a menu anchored in the fruits of the sea you may expect a healthy gluten free offering and the menu at The Urchin will not disappoint. Boasting a wealth of fresh seafood dishes, small and sharing plates and some super daily specials that are also suitable for gluten free diners. Dishes are made to order so check with your server and they’ll be able to guide you through all the gluten free options.
The menu saw a complete overhaul when the Brighton titan the Great British Charcuterie took over the kitchen at the Westhill Tavern. In true GBC form they offer a menu that is inclusive and adaptable to a wide range of dietary needs – and guess what folks? Gluten free bases for those delectable pizzas are included in the GF offerings.
Best for special occasions
The set menus at Amarillo offer an exquisite selection of tapas style small plates. The dishes themselves are refined and nod to chef Ian Swainson’s highly regarded reputation. Many if not most of the dishes served here will be gluten free. However, we recommend asking about the specifics when you book.
Burnt Orange is a beautifully stylish and relaxed bar and all-day restaurant, serving locally and seasonally sourced small plates. They offer a good selection of gluten-free options, while other dishes on the menu can be adjusted to be gluten-free as everything is freshly prepared. Speaking to your server about your dietary requirements will really open up the menu.
Specialising in the rich and smokey flavours of the Slow + Low Smokehouse. The Bronze in Kemptown boasts a menu that is versatile and very accessible. Almost everything on the menu can be adapted to suit a GF diet. All you’ll need to do is opt for rice as your mains base.
Famed for its flame and coal-fired high quality meats, The Coal Shed is a great option for those looking to dine out in one of Brighton’s most popular restaurants. With all dishes being made to order the food is fresh and delicious. Gluten free diners are free to ask for special requirements and tweaks throughout the menu.
Up there as one of Brighton’s most distinguished restaurants you’ll have to be quick off the mark to get a reservation at this local treasure. The acclaimed masterchef Steven Edwards produces seasonally changing menus that deliver dishes of exceptional quality. The five to nine-course tasting menu is adaptable to gluten-free diets. However, the kitchen must be informed on booking.
Restaurant Interlude offers a dining experience like no other. The seasonally changing set menu showcases exquisitely prepared local ingredients, many of which have been foraged from their gardens. They accommodate food intolerances and allergies providing that these are mentioned at the time of booking.
It is true to say that Little Fish Market in Hove offers guests a culinary masterpiece. Brought to you by the acclaimed Chef, Duncan Ray who showcases simple, seasonal and exquisite ingredients over a tasting menu of fish led tasting plates. Diners will need to inform the restaurant of any dietary allergies on booking.
The daily changing menu at Plateau offers diverse and elegant small plates. All made fresh with local and seasonal produce and will have you ordering everything you can eat on the menu. Many, if not most, of the dishes here are gluten free and we recommend trying every one of them.
With two Michelin plates under their belt the Rathfinny Tasting Rooms are a serious competitor for the top spot of the finest dining experience in Sussex. The elegant menu offers local produce and can be matched with some of their most delectable home grown wines. Diners with specific dietary needs will need to flag up requirements upon booking.
Set across the road from Brighton’s seafront and serving up some of the best views in town is not all The Salt Room has going for them. They’re one of the most popular destination spots in town and they come from good stock. The menu here offers diners traditional seafood from top chefs and an assortment of other seasonally changing dishes. Gluten free dishes are available on request.
Terre a Terre is multi-award-winning and caters for vegan and gluten-free diners on a daily basis.
Terre à Terre is Brighton’s iconic acclaimed restaurant where vegetarianism is more about indulgence than abstinence.
This Hove based restaurant offers diners delectable, modern British and European cuisine. The award winning team behind Wild Flor provide customers with a first-class dining experience. There are several GF options listed on the menu. However, they ask that you inform the kitchen of any food allergies on booking.
Best for plant-based
First-class, plant based, fine dining at Kokedama in Lewes is a culinary treat of excellence that all must try. Since everything is made fresh, with the finest local ingredients, mini menu alterations in the name of dietary needs are offered. Simply let them know at the time of booking.
Gluten free cafe comforts can be hard to come by, but if you’re in Lewes and seeking some GF treats then The Needlemakers is your one stop shop for satisfying those cravings. They offer gluten free alternatives and alterations across their 100% vegan menu and offer this for eat-in or takeaway.
This family-run pub is famed in Brighton for delivering award winning 100% plant based dishes. The Roundhill offers a wide variety of healthy and nutritious meals along with vegan alternative comfort food. Most dishes served here can be altered to make gluten free and GFO is clearly listed on the menu.
Serving a simple menu of 100% vegan, vibrant and flavoursome wholefood dishes. Smorl’s offers a great selection of gluten-free lunch options. However, they don’t use gluten-free bread or buns. So, paninis or burgers will be served open with extra salad.
Best for breakfast and brunch
The breakfast and ‘lost brunch’ offerings at Lost in the Lanes are certainly rich ones. Local and sustainable produce make up the ingredients that result in flavoursome and beautifully presented dishes. If you ask your server to talk you through the gluten free options the menu will open up to you. Alternatively, call up before booking and they’ll assist you with your dietary needs.
Famed in Brighton for their award winning brunches, Mange Tout bagged the top stop in the BRAVOs ‘20 as the restaurant serving Brighton’s best brunch. The charming North Lane Bistro also serves small and large plates of seasonal and sustainable modern cuisine. The food here is made fresh to order so asking your server where GFO apply is your best bet for making the most out of their exquisite menu.
Not only does Redroaster serve enviably good coffee, their brunches (which conveniently are served all day) are also some of the best around. Ask your server to guide you through the menu as it might not be obvious where and what you have, but they’re in there and it’s worth digging for!
With three town centre venues The Trading Post is an extremely accessible destination for anyone in search of a banging brunch. The bread that’s offered with brunches here is available in a gluten free variety. If you let them know on ordering they will offer other switches and swaps, so even though your plate is glutenless you won’t be going without.
Best in Sussex
The Horsham based restaurant The Crabtree offers diners an exquisite menu seasonal modern cuisine and a thoughtfully crafted set menu. Ingredients are sourced from the finest suppliers with an attention to sustainable and foraged produce. Gluten-Free diners will delight in the fact that they offer a vast amount of allegiant free dishes and the kitchen will make amendments where possible.
The idyllic, West Sussex based pub The Crown Inn offers a simple and unpretentious menu of small plates and well-done pub classics. The menu lists clearly what is available in gluten-free and there are plenty of yummy options. Something we don’t see that often in restaurants and what’s caught our eye here is that they serve gluten-free garlic bread!
The Vineyard Kitchen at Manning Heath Golf Club offers guests stunning views over the estate whilst they dine. The menus here provide guests with healthy offerings of breakfast and brunch favourites, along with a lunch offering of simple British classics. Whilst the menu doesn’t highlight what is gluten free, if you ask your server they will be able to talk you through the allergen friendly alternatives.
Based in Hurstpierpoint, Morleys Bistro is a charming and well-presented restaurant that offers guests a fantastic menu of European and modern favourites. Dishes are made fresh using locally sourced ingredients. Gluten-free variations of dishes are available all across both the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.
This charming country pub is nestled at the foot of the West Sussex Downs. They offer guests brunch to evening dining options, which include: tapas and small plates, lunchtime sandwiches and gastro classic mains. There are several gluten free options listed on the menu and they recommend stating dietary needs on booking so the kitchen can open the menu up further.
