I’m a coeliac, eating gluten free and living in Birkenhead, Auckland. It’s important to me to have trusted local options, and I’m on a mission to try it all! I’ll be updating this page as I try new places or if I have any unfortunate glutening experiences (fingers crossed, haven’t had one yet in our delightful suburb).
Here are my favourite spots:
Woodside Cafe – best gluten free cabinet food
This gorgeous cafe is just down the road from me. It’s nestled in a block of shops, along with Hinemoa Street Organics Cafe and some local stores. Woodside is amazing, most especially with their cabinet food selection.
You can choose from savoury scones, sweet muffins and about three rows of gluten free cakes. So far I’ve sampled the lemon cake (yuuumm) and the boysenberry muffin (pretty yum but not quite on the cake’s decadence level).
Woodside Cafe are open during Level 3 Lockdown, so you can grab a coffee or cabinet food to-go until midday Monday to Friday.
The indulgent gluten free pancakes Fresh avo toast. I make this sort of thing at home so wouldn’t recommend as much as the pancakes!
Prices are reasonable and the food is super tasty. A perfect spot to pick up takeaway morning tea for a treat. It’s also a great spot for brunch. I HIGHLY recommend the gluten free pancakes (which is their gluten free version of french toast). You won’t regret choosing to eat here.
Like all spots in Birkenhead, it’s not 100% gluten free, but this is as close as you’ll get.
Hinemoa Street Organics Cafe – best all-rounder cafe
Slightly less rave-worthy than Woodside, but a really lovely all-rounder cafe, and with longer opening hours and days. For example, Hinemoa Street Organics is open on Sundays whereas Woodside isn’t, so this is the best gluten free spot in Birkenhead to brunch or lunch at on a lazy Sunday.
They have a cool blackboard menu where the meals are listed by type – bacon, salmon, vegetarian – so it’s easy to decide what meal will suit your fancy.
When I went recently with a group of ten, everyone was satisfied. One friend was stunned at the generous quantity of hot smoked salmon on the side of her Eggs Benedict. There were a couple of overcooked poached eggs along the table but they were happily re-done and came back perfect. We went again the next weekend with another couple and the eggs were perfect.
Mulan – best gluten free dinner in Birkenhead
I’ve mentioned Mulan in my post for coeliac safe eating on the North Shore. Mulan is a local Birkenhead gem specialising in south east Asian cuisine. It’s popular and is usually booked out on Friday and Saturday nights, so call ahead to reserve your spot. Everything is made in-house, so their menu is very adaptable for coeliacs (or other dietary requirements).
A large majority of the dishes can be cooked gluten free. The flavours are fantastic, fragrant but not spicy. The portions are very generous and the prices feel like good value. Our most recent meal here, including one cocktail, came to $72 and we couldn’t finish everything we ordered!
The restaurant buzzes, so come early or late for a quieter dining experience. A perfect spot for a dinner with friends, your family or a lively date night and definitely the best gluten free restaurant in Birkenhead, Auckland.
Pad Thai Papaya Prawn Salad
Next Birkenhead restaurants on the list
I’ll be visiting Junction, Moxie, Abruzzo, Birkenhead Brewing Company and Blitza in the near future provided COVID gets under control in Auckland soon.
I’ll also be returning to Hayashi Japanese restaurant, which I haven’t visited since 2018. It was a good gluten free experience when I went but I’m due for a re-visit.
