Happy holidays, everyone! I hope you’ve been enjoying time with family and friends — and, if you’ve been traveling, you haven’t been badly impacted by the cold, snowy weather that’s taken over a sizable chunk of North America. (I’m in Toronto right now and, baby, it’s cold outside.)
I love this time of year for plenty of reasons, including all the Best of the Year lists that pop up in December. It’s also the perfect time to take stock of what was great about the past 12 months. Here’s my personal list of favorite gluten-free spots that I visited in 2024. (If you you’re looking for great spots in Barcelona, Athens, and Montreal, check out last year’s list. I stand by all of those recommendations!)
Favorite Meal of the Year: Niche, London. Located near Sadler’s Wells Theatre, the restaurant’s tagline is “gluten-free but you wouldn’t know it.” No false advertising here! Niche was the first restaurant in London to be certified a 100% gluten-free restaurant by Coeliac UK. It is also nut-free and sesame-free, and many of the dishes are dairy-free or vegan. My meal started with the bread selection, which included a toasted sourdough, a garlic-and-rosemary focaccia, and a red onion and chili flatbread, all served with a sun-dried tomato spread, plus olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Next up was my appetizer: parmesan-and-cheddar doughnuts served with a tomato sauce. Plus a side of beer-battered onion rings. My main course was duck breast in a rich Madeira sauce with a creamy celeriac mash and steamed bok choy. It was decadent and delicious and the service was lovely.