I've saved the best of my Lake District reviews until last because I was just absolutely blown away by my experience at Zeffirellis in Ambleside. I would even go as far as saying this was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had - and that's including my pre-Coeliac days! Not only was the service first class and the food amazing but they really did seem clued up on my dietary requirements.
This started right from the minute we set foot in the place. The lady showing us to our table had obviously checked the reservation list and noted that I was Coeliac (instant brownie point there from me simply for making the point she was aware I'm Coeliac). She showed me everything on the menu I could have and also said she would personally speak to the chef to remind him that I needed a gluten-free meal. Very good start!
Zeffirellis combines 3 of my favourite things - eating, cinema and music - it's a restaurant with its own cinema and also a jazz bar upstairs. Now there aren't many places where you can do all 3! This is probably my absolute perfect night out and there's no wonder I immediately felt at ease here. There's a wonderful atmosphere once inside. You get the feeling you are in a stylish, contemporary jazz bar with its atmospheric mood lighting, water feature and soft jazz music playing in the background, but you're actually in a restaurant. The decor really is impressive and adds to the experience.
We weren't initially aware that it is a vegetarian restaurant and despite neither of us being vegetarian we found the menu was varied and interesting and I can honestly say we didn't miss the meat. I went for the bean chilli with brown rice which was absolutely delicious - fresh ingredients, well presented, an ample portion size and I couldn't fault it at all. My husband went for the broccoli and blue cheese lasagne which he said tasted amazing. They also do gluten-free pizza. Gluten-free options are marked with a GF on the menu and there are also many vegan options to choose from.
I really wish we had known this at the time but Zeffirellis offer a cinema package - a film and 2-course meal for £18.75 - an absolute bargain if you ask me. Next time we visit we will be doing this for sure!
After our meal off we went upstairs to the jazz bar where we had a couple more drinks and enjoyed listening to the live jazz band to round the evening off nicely.
All in all this was a lovely restaurant - a real gem in the Lake District and when we return to this part of the world we will definitely be stopping by again.
I would definitely recommend booking - especially if you want to see a film too.
You can check out their website here
Sunday 30 June 2013
Saturday 29 June 2013
The Honey Pot, Keswick, Lake District
OK, so the service here wasn't great - we were served by a really miserable waitress who didn't seem happy to be there - but the Honey Pot in Keswick does cater for Coeliacs so I definitely wanted to pay it a visit when in the Lake District. Here's their menu...
It was great to see they actually had a gluten-free section in their menu as not all places do. I really fancied a bacon and cheese ciabatta but sadly they had sold out of ciabatta's so I opted for a toastie instead. I have to admit I was a little disappointed when my food arrived. It wasn't really presented that well and it looked like something I could have just easily made myself at home with a sandwich maker, nothing special at all. Still, I was hungry and ate it although I did find it a little too greasy for my liking (probably the melted cheese).
To cheer myself up I decided to order the New York Cheesecake which was advertised on the specials board as gluten-free. This was much better and it was my first taste of cheesecake since going gluten-free and I really enjoyed it.
I'm kinda hoping I visited the Honey Pot on a bad day because they have the potential to be a really lovely gluten-free venue, they have variety on their menu and the fact they also do Coeliac-friendly dessert gets them an extra bonus point in my book. I just hope they will work on their presentation in the future - just because it's gluten-free doesn't mean it has to look bad - and also they need to make sure they have everything in stock that they advertise on the menu otherwise they will end up with a lot of unhappy Coeliacs.
I did love their pretty tables though!
You can find the Honey Pot at
Looks good so far
To cheer myself up I decided to order the New York Cheesecake which was advertised on the specials board as gluten-free. This was much better and it was my first taste of cheesecake since going gluten-free and I really enjoyed it.
I'm kinda hoping I visited the Honey Pot on a bad day because they have the potential to be a really lovely gluten-free venue, they have variety on their menu and the fact they also do Coeliac-friendly dessert gets them an extra bonus point in my book. I just hope they will work on their presentation in the future - just because it's gluten-free doesn't mean it has to look bad - and also they need to make sure they have everything in stock that they advertise on the menu otherwise they will end up with a lot of unhappy Coeliacs.
I did love their pretty tables though!
You can find the Honey Pot at
| 6 New St Town Centre, Keswick CA12 5BB |
Thursday 20 June 2013
Coeliac friendly at the Crooklands Hotel, Kendal, Lake District
If you are looking for a Coeliac friendly hotel in the Lake
District look no further than the Crooklands Hotel in Kendal.
We stumbled upon this hotel by accident actually. We stayed here a
couple of weeks ago just for a weekend break in the Lakes and I was really surprised to find
out that they offered gluten-free bread as part of their continental breakfast.
We hadn't opted for breakfast when we booked as I just didn't think it was worth paying an
extra £15 or so each for breakfast when it was highly likely that I couldn't
eat most things they offered (or so I thought). However, when we first checked in the
receptionist having asked if we had ordered breakfast for the following morning and I confirmed no she then told us that we could add breakfast on to our bill if we wanted to. Obviously I enquired first as to whether they had any gluten-free breakfast
options, not really expecting her to say yes but she confirmed they had gluten-free bread on site! Sadly,
they had run out of gluten-free sausages otherwise I could have even had a full English.
Anyway, I was able to eat breakfast in this hotel which was
a lovely surprise as I just hadn't expected it. I had gluten-free bread rolls and fresh fruit
plus all the Twinings infusions I could drink. It would have been nice if they
had had a couple of gluten-free sausages but I enjoyed my breakfast all the
same and was just chuffed that I didn't have to check out on an empty stomach.
To check out reviews of the Crooklands Hotel on Trip Advisor click here
Sunday 16 June 2013
Primo Piano, Leek, Staffordshire
Primo Piano is a Ristorante and Pizzeria based in Leek, Staffordshire. Yes, you did hear me right, Leek - that's where I live! Finally, somewhere in Leek I can review, Hurrah! As far as I know this is the only restaurant in my home town offering to cater for Coeliacs (at the moment). But I'm really hoping I can change that soon.
It was a special occasion, our 3rd wedding anniversary, so we decided to book a table there on a Wednesday evening (I've heard it can get quite busy on Friday and Saturday nights so definitely book in advance). Family friends had mentioned that they offer some gluten-free options on the menu and I also checked www.onionring.co.uk in advance too and was pleased to see that "gluten free dishes available" was clearly stated on this website. A quick phone call to the restaurant a couple of days beforehand also clarified this for me. You can find a copy of their menu on onionring (although I'm not sure how up to date this menu is).
Once we were seated at our table the waitress very kindly explained that all the chicken and steak dishes could be prepared gluten-free so I could choose any of those. I had heard that they do provide gluten-free pizza bases so you can also get a pizza there but I decided to go for a steak, it was a special occasion after all, and I never would normally choose steak on a menu.
I must say I was a bit disappointed to see that although there were options I could have on the menu, there was no mention of a gluten-free pizza base on the menu and it would have been nice if there had been a gluten-free pasta option on there too. Still, the meal I had was delicious, steak in a blue Italian cheese sauce with salad and potatoes. The steak was cooked exactly how I liked it and the sauce was absolutely moreish, rich, creamy and filling and yet not too overpowering to the steak. I would most definitely order this again when I go back although I am trying to be careful with my dairy intake at the moment so I have to be careful with creamy sauces like that.
I'm hoping that the more people that get diagnosed with Coeliac Disease (and it is becoming more and more common) and as the demand increases for gluten-free cuisine, smaller restaurants like Primo will develop their menu to include more pasta and pizza dishes in line with some of the bigger chain restaurants that are already doing this. The good thing about Primo though is that it is my local restaurant and they do offer some gluten-free choices so it means I don't have to travel to Manchester for a meal out, however, if you don't like chicken or steak (or you happen to also be vegetarian) I do wonder whether there would be anything for you to have here. Also, the steak dishes happen to be the most expensive meals on their menu rather annoyingly! I do think in the future Primo should work on their menu, maybe highlight on there with a 'GF' symbol all the dishes that are gluten-free so it is really clear and if they could expand their menu to include one pasta dish this would ensure I came back time and time again. Still, I have to give it to Primo for being the first restaurant to openly advertise gluten-free choices in Leek and I'm hoping that other venues in Leek and the surrounding areas will catch on and also do the same.
If you're a restaurant/cafe in Leek, I'm coming for you!!!!
It was a special occasion, our 3rd wedding anniversary, so we decided to book a table there on a Wednesday evening (I've heard it can get quite busy on Friday and Saturday nights so definitely book in advance). Family friends had mentioned that they offer some gluten-free options on the menu and I also checked www.onionring.co.uk in advance too and was pleased to see that "gluten free dishes available" was clearly stated on this website. A quick phone call to the restaurant a couple of days beforehand also clarified this for me. You can find a copy of their menu on onionring (although I'm not sure how up to date this menu is).
Once we were seated at our table the waitress very kindly explained that all the chicken and steak dishes could be prepared gluten-free so I could choose any of those. I had heard that they do provide gluten-free pizza bases so you can also get a pizza there but I decided to go for a steak, it was a special occasion after all, and I never would normally choose steak on a menu.
I must say I was a bit disappointed to see that although there were options I could have on the menu, there was no mention of a gluten-free pizza base on the menu and it would have been nice if there had been a gluten-free pasta option on there too. Still, the meal I had was delicious, steak in a blue Italian cheese sauce with salad and potatoes. The steak was cooked exactly how I liked it and the sauce was absolutely moreish, rich, creamy and filling and yet not too overpowering to the steak. I would most definitely order this again when I go back although I am trying to be careful with my dairy intake at the moment so I have to be careful with creamy sauces like that.
I'm hoping that the more people that get diagnosed with Coeliac Disease (and it is becoming more and more common) and as the demand increases for gluten-free cuisine, smaller restaurants like Primo will develop their menu to include more pasta and pizza dishes in line with some of the bigger chain restaurants that are already doing this. The good thing about Primo though is that it is my local restaurant and they do offer some gluten-free choices so it means I don't have to travel to Manchester for a meal out, however, if you don't like chicken or steak (or you happen to also be vegetarian) I do wonder whether there would be anything for you to have here. Also, the steak dishes happen to be the most expensive meals on their menu rather annoyingly! I do think in the future Primo should work on their menu, maybe highlight on there with a 'GF' symbol all the dishes that are gluten-free so it is really clear and if they could expand their menu to include one pasta dish this would ensure I came back time and time again. Still, I have to give it to Primo for being the first restaurant to openly advertise gluten-free choices in Leek and I'm hoping that other venues in Leek and the surrounding areas will catch on and also do the same.
If you're a restaurant/cafe in Leek, I'm coming for you!!!!
Happy Anniversary to us!
Tuesday 11 June 2013
Misco's Chocolates and Truffles, Leek, Staffordshire
I managed to pick up some Misco's Chocolates randomly at an open evening at my local hair and beauty salon a couple of weeks ago where the company were exhibiting their wares. Having never heard of them before I was pleased to discover they are a local company based in Leek, Staffordshire - hurray!
The chocolates are handmade from only the best ingredients and use no artificial colours and the best bit is they are gluten-free.
They come in a variety of flavours including:-
Violet Cream
Coconut & Vanilla
Ginger Wine
Passionfruit & Raspberry
Dark & Gold leaf
Hazelnut Truffle
Port
Champagne & Galliano white or dark truffles
Cherry Kirsch
Intense Coffee
Blackcurrant & Blueberry
Salted Caramel
Strawberries & Cream
Lemon Cream
Raspberry & Vanilla
They all sound amazing, but I opted for a box of 4 for £3.80 which contained Passionfruit & Raspberry, Cherry Kirsch, Champagne & Galliano white truffle and Intense Coffee.
I found the chocolates were incredibly indulgent yet not too rich or sickly, perfect for that little naughty treat every once in a while. The fruity flavours really came through and I was impressed by how fresh they tasted and how crisp the chocolate was. They also melt in your mouth just perfectly. I would definitely consider ordering a box for a special occasion or as a gift for someone special. All their chocolates are made fresh every week and sent out on a Thursday for delivery in time for the weekend.
As they are a local company I am giving my full support to Misco's Chocolates & Truffles who are flying the flag for gluten-free producers in Leek and I am so glad they are! We need more companies like this in Leek! It seems they are going from strength to strength too by appearing at local markets where you can pick up their tasty delights. If you are out and about visiting the Artisan Markets in Staffordshire and Cheshire you may well see them there so pop over and say hi.
****Winner of the Totally Locally Leek Award 2012 for Totally Locally Producer/Maker****
To find out more and to order online you can visit their website here
Or you can follow them on Twitter or Facebook
The chocolates are handmade from only the best ingredients and use no artificial colours and the best bit is they are gluten-free.
They come in a variety of flavours including:-
Violet Cream
Coconut & Vanilla
Ginger Wine
Passionfruit & Raspberry
Dark & Gold leaf
Hazelnut Truffle
Port
Champagne & Galliano white or dark truffles
Cherry Kirsch
Intense Coffee
Blackcurrant & Blueberry
Salted Caramel
Strawberries & Cream
Lemon Cream
Raspberry & Vanilla
They all sound amazing, but I opted for a box of 4 for £3.80 which contained Passionfruit & Raspberry, Cherry Kirsch, Champagne & Galliano white truffle and Intense Coffee.
I found the chocolates were incredibly indulgent yet not too rich or sickly, perfect for that little naughty treat every once in a while. The fruity flavours really came through and I was impressed by how fresh they tasted and how crisp the chocolate was. They also melt in your mouth just perfectly. I would definitely consider ordering a box for a special occasion or as a gift for someone special. All their chocolates are made fresh every week and sent out on a Thursday for delivery in time for the weekend.
As they are a local company I am giving my full support to Misco's Chocolates & Truffles who are flying the flag for gluten-free producers in Leek and I am so glad they are! We need more companies like this in Leek! It seems they are going from strength to strength too by appearing at local markets where you can pick up their tasty delights. If you are out and about visiting the Artisan Markets in Staffordshire and Cheshire you may well see them there so pop over and say hi.
****Winner of the Totally Locally Leek Award 2012 for Totally Locally Producer/Maker****
To find out more and to order online you can visit their website here
Or you can follow them on Twitter or Facebook
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