This is a guest post from Caz Roberts who is a coeliac, so is on a gluten free diet, and was recently on holiday in Lanzarote for the first time.
Anyone with a food intolerance knows travelling can sometimes be challenge. As a ceoliac on a strict gluten free diet I often find it hard to find suitable food when abroad.
I was getting fed up of the recent freezing weather in London and hopped a bit of an impromptu flight to Lanzarote for some weekend sun.
Lanzarote itself is lovely – no high rises, beautiful scenery, lovely beaches, quiet and sunny!
The fact that Spanish food is relatively gluten free friendly aside, I was very pleasantly surprised of the awareness of coeliac disease on the island.
My hotel – the lovely Hesperia Lanzarote – provided gluten free bread at the breakfasts – I only requested it once, after that they noted down my room number so that each morning when I came to the restaurant they would go and get it for me. It wasn’t the softest, but who on earth is complaining when you can smother it with nutella! I felt extremely well treated, and it was lovely to be catered for, and with a smile too. I also loved the fresh Spanish omelettes and large array of high quality cured meats – serrano ham and chorizo with my eggs, yum. That and loads of fresh fruit and yoghurts. And free champagne, which is always gluten free!
I didn’t stay there for dinner but they mention the gluten free food they provide. That is really comforting for a ceoliac abroad.
We took a trip to the nearby Puerto del Carmen for dinner, picking Restaurante Puerto Bahía in the old town harbour area on the basis that it had the nicest views and a black squid ink paella on the menu.
When I asked if the scampi on top of the paella had any flour on it the waiter said “Are you a ceoliac?”. I nearly missed it – it was my partner that heard him say it – me being so unused to hearing such a thing, especially abroad. He came back and said that the dish was gluten free, and asked if I would like some gluten free bread. It was soft, warm and fantastic. I may have eaten a bit too much of it before receiving the massive, freshly prepared and scrumptious squid and scampi paella, but gluten free bread in a restaurant is a rare treat! It was a lovely spot to eat at and the service and food were both top notch.
The next night we found a great Mexican restaurant, Las Margaritas in Puerto Calero, owned and ran by a friendly and chatty mexican expat, who managed to find some gluten free corn tortillas for my fajitas. It was very high quality Mexican food, I would definitely recommend it.
Overall is was a great short break, and I was very pleased to be so well catered for. I will certainly be going back to Lanzarote, the sooner the better!
You can find out more from Caz and her gluten free discoveries on her website:
The Gluten Free Foodie
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