I am wheat and gluten free intolerant (but not a coeliac), and my husband, Ray, is intolerant to dairy products, so we don’t get asked out to dinner by friends very often!
Eating out can be problematic, but fortunately, the situation has improved in the last few years. Many restaurants are training more staff about allergies and offering helpful symbols on their menus indicating whether a dish is gluten—or dairy-free.
Many now include vegan dishes, which is good news for Ray as these are dairy-free. Others offer QR codes on menus that you can scan to find the ingredients in each dish. Sometimes, I’ve even been handed an iPad that allows me to track the ingredients and identify whether we can eat the dish.
Here's our list of top eateries in Surrey. Always alert the restaurant before your visit about your allergies and double-check your meal choices with the staff. Do let us know about other eateries we can add to the list. Happy dining!
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Jackie Mitchell
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Jackie Mitchell
Cote in Esher
- 102-106 High St, Esher KT10 9QJ (other branches in Surrey, including Guildford and Kingston)
- 01372 462315 - view menu
Cote is one of our favourite chains as they are geared up for people with allergies or intolerances.
To start with, they have a separate gluten-free menu. Otherwise, vegan dishes are available for dairy-free customers. On our last visit, our server checked the ingredients of a specific dish on an iPad to ensure there was no dairy in it for Ray.
We find the staff at the Esher branch helpful, and they always advise us on which dishes are appropriate. Ray’s favourite dishes include steak frites minus the butter and vegan burgers in a dairy-free bun, and I usually opt for fish dishes such as pan-fried salmon bearnaise.
For dessert, there’s gluten-free Crème Caramel or Crème Brulee and for dairy-free, vegan Chocolate Praline Tart and vegan ice cream.
Jackie Mitchell
The Glasshouse Café
- 139 Reigate Rd, Epsom KT17 3DW
- 07503 877707 (view menu)
Mayfield is well known for its lavender farm and fields in nearby Banstead, which open in June. We met friends here for lunch, and when we ordered at the counter, we were impressed by the serving staff’s knowledge of the dishes' ingredients and what we would be able to eat.
The restaurant is set in a garden nursery with a gift shop, and the food is served at your table. I chose smashed avocado on gluten-free toast while Ray enjoyed a baked spud with baked beans without butter or cheese. They checked that the baked beans did not have milk in them (some brands do).
The menu includes the Full Vegan Breakfast, including avocado, mushrooms and spinach. Delighted to discover they serve a range of gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free cakes. The gluten-free chocolate brownie was yummy, while Ray had the dairy-free raspberry and almond slice.
The Ivy
- 48 High St, Cobham KT11 3EF - The Ivy and Ivy Asia also in Guildford
- 020 3301 0300 (view menu)
Whenever we dined here or at other branches, we found the staff to be knowledgeable and helpful with our menu choices. It’s a real treat to visit this restaurant, especially to celebrate a special occasion with its beautiful décor, pictures and fresh flowers.
Each branch features local attractions – in Cobham, there are pictures of vintage cars from Brooklands Museum. On my last visit, I used the QR code on the menu to find out what allergens were in the dishes.
One of my favourites is the gluten-free Blackened Cod Fillet. Ray likes the Traditional Fish and Chips as the Ivy 1917 batter doesn’t contain milk and is served with mushy peas and thick-cut chips as the batter doesn’t contain milk. The restaurant has a separate vegetarian and vegan menu.
For dessert, there’s gluten-free crème brûlée or frozen berries. It’s a pity they don’t expand the dairy-free options, but Ray usually has a mango sorbet.
harehounds.pub
Hare & Hounds
- The Green, Claygate, Esher KT10 0JL
- 01372 465149 (view menu)
A friendly village pub offering an extensive menu with useful symbols for gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, and “gluten options available” means the dish can be adapted to be gluten-free.
For example, the smoked salmon can be served with gluten-free bread. One of Ray’s favourite starters is Meze - sweet potato falafel, hummus, stuffed vine leaves, olives and pitta.
There’s a choice of burgers, vegetarian dishes and sandwiches. We often come here for Sunday lunch – the roasts are exceptional, such as Roast Beef, but this will be adapted for us – Ray doesn’t have the creamed leeks as there is milk in them, and neither of us has the Yorkshire pudding.
Our gravy is gluten and dairy-free. I’ve also had the veggie option, Chestnut and Cranberry Nut Roast. Here’s somewhere we can have dessert, as there’s gluten-free sticky toffee pudding and vegan Chocolate Truffle Cake for Ray.
Jackie Mitchell
Pizza Express
111-115 New Zealand Ave, Walton, KT12 1QA (other branches in Surrey include Surbiton, Esher, Cobham)
01932 243404 (view menu)
Time was when I visited this restaurant, I could only order a salad while watching friends enjoy their pizzas, but no longer!
As all Romana and Classic pizzas can be ordered on a gluten-free base, I have a wide selection to choose from. I tend to opt for La Reine with ham, black olives, mushrooms, mozzarella and tomato.
Ray, who is dairy-free, asks the staff to ‘tailor’ his pizza accordingly. Although he usually orders the Vegan Giardiniera with a vegan mozzarella alternative, he asks for prosciutto to be added to the pizza and for only a thin layer of tomato on the pizza, as he has a problem with too much tomato.
queensheadweybridge.com
The Queen’s Head
- 1 Bridge Road, Weybridge KT13 8XS
- 011932 839820 (view menu)
This is a comfortable, welcoming restaurant. The website has an allergen matrix so you can check which dishes would be suitable for your dietary requirements.
In addition, each menu item carries an ‘i symbol, and when you click on it, you can see what the ingredients are. There is also an allergen filter so that dishes that contain gluten can be excluded.
On the menu, there are symbols for vegetarian and vegan. On my last visit, I enjoyed the chicken liver parfait with red onion marmalade and gluten-free bread, followed by Chalkstream trout. A variety of burgers are available on a gluten-free bun.
Dessert options include a range of Jude’s ice creams and sorbets.
Jackie Mitchell
Leon
- 65-67 Clarence St, Kingston KT1 1RB
- 020 8109 9256 (view menu)
This is one of our favourite chains. The menu carries useful symbols indicating whether a dish is gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian. They have a Foodie Fact Sheet which lists ingredients of all dishes, including allergens marked in bold. This can be downloaded from https://leon.co/allergens/.
When you order food on their touch screen, an 'i' icon gives you a list of ingredients, which tells you what the ingredients are in each dish and also before you pay, a dialogue box appears asking whether you have any allergies.
Favourite dishes include chicken peanut satay and Brazilian Black Bean, both with rice and of particular note are the gluten-free Crispy Chicken Nuggets. Crucially, they sell gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free cakes - a real treat.
girocycles.com
G!RO
- 2 High St, Esher KT10 9RT
- 01372 200538 (view menu)
It can be challenging to find items to eat in coffee shops, especially the big chains. At G!RO, we usually order avocado and bacon with rocket, lime, and chilli flakes on gluten-free toast for me and banana topped with bacon on bread for Ray, with no butter and maple syrup on the side. Here, you’ll find such a fabulous selection of gluten-free and dairy-free cakes that it’s difficult to make a choice.
zizzi.co.uk
Zizzi’s
- 1 Bridge Rd, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9EU - other branches in Banstead and Woking
- 020 3092 4899 (view menu)
Zizzi’s has a wide range of choices for both gluten-free and dairy-free dining. On the website, you can download the Allergen Guide, which gives details of what allergens are in each dish. There are symbols on the menu for vegan and vegetarian dishes. There is a wide choice of gluten-free pizzas such as Non-Gluten Chicken, Fiery Roquito, and Non-Gluten Aubergine Meatball. Gluten-free pasta includes Non-Gluten Bolognese Fusilli and Non-Gluten Lentil Ragu Fusilli.
DISCLAIMER
All information is correct at the time of writing. Please research menus before visiting and check allergens with the staff when you order.
