Canberra said G’Day to Gluten-Free Dining

Canberra was calm, spacious, and had that classic Australian charm to it. This underrated state capital, is the kind of place where you slow down a little, wander into cafés, and somehow always end up well-fed.

Before visiting, we did what most coeliacs do before travelling — research everything. We bookmarked gluten-free spots, saved backup options, and made sure we’d never end up tired, hungry, and stuck with nowhere safe to eat.

Australia as a whole does gluten-free well, but Canberra? Canberra felt like a level up.

There were gluten-free options everywhere; not just at dedicated spots, but at cafés, restaurants, and even markets. More importantly, staff were generally knowledgeable, warm, and comfortable answering questions about ingredients and cross-contamination. In fact, we personally found it easier to find gluten-free options in Canberra than in Sydney, and when chatting with locals, a few of them echoed the same sentiments.

Sometimes when travelling, you want to just sit down and eat without spending an hour doing a deep dive into menus and reviews. Even though we had done all the research beforehand, we quickly realised we didn’t really need to. In Canberra, safe and genuinely delicious food never felt too far away.

Here are 5 gluten-free friendly spots in Canberra that made us feel well-fed, well-looked after, and very happy.

🍗 1. Fricken

Cuisine: Fried Chicken / Burgers
Address: 58/10 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT 2612
Safe rating: Coeliac-safe (separate kitchen)
Halal: No
Vegan/Vegetarian options: Yes
Dairy-free options: Yes

Our experience:
The manager was so knowledgeable and genuinely excited to walk us through all the gluten-free options available. Her palpable energy alone made the experience feel safe and welcoming. The separate kitchen for gluten-free food was the much-needed cherry on top for all my coeliac folks.

Now onto the food. Good gluten-free fried chicken is hard enough to find. Great gluten-free fried chicken feels almost impossible. But, Fricken pulls it off with crunchy, juicy, and flavourful fried chicken. The batter stayed crisp and held together beautifully instead of falling apart from the meat (say NO to crumbly gritty messes). The gluten-free cheese sticks were also a welcome side to the main show: Cheesy, sinful, and everything you want from a mozzarella stick. So my note to coeliacs: Run don’t walk to Canberra for the fried chicken alone (Unless you know a better spot — in which case, PLEASE tell me)

🇪🇹 2. Ethiopian on Northbourne

Cuisine: Ethiopian
Address: 65 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra ACT 2601
Safe rating: Gluten-free aware
Halal: Not clearly stated
Vegan/Vegetarian options: Vegetarian options available
Dairy-free options: Not stated

Our experience:
While gluten-free options were not stated on the menu, the staff was knowledgeable and consistent with their recommendations. Different folks attended to us, but everyone communicated the same information clearly and warmly. Also, injera bread and many of the stews being traditionally gluten free gave us an added sense of ease while dining.

It was our first time trying Ethiopian food, and beyond the excitement of experiencing a new cuisine, the meal itself was incredibly homely and comforting. Injera has such a distinct, almost tea-like flavour profile, unlike anything I’ve tasted before, and pairing it with familiar-tasting stews and curries made for an interesting and memorable meal. I will be carrying the warmth of this meal with me for a long time to come.

🇵🇭 3. Manila in Canberra

Cuisine: Filipino
Address: 9/26 Mort Street, Braddon ACT 2612
Safe rating: GF options stated in menu
Halal: No
Vegan/Vegetarian options: Yes
Dairy-free options: Vegan options double as dairy-free

Our experience:
It was easy chatting with the staff member helping us, especially since it was one of our first times trying Filipino food. She guided us through the menu and made reccomendations that gave us an authentic experience, while keeping it safe.

🥐 4. Haig Park Village Markets

Cuisine: Market / Various Vendors
Address: Haig Park, Braddon ACT 2612, Australia
Safe rating: Varies by stall
Halal: Varies by stall
Vegan/Vegetarian options: Varies by stall
Dairy-free options: Varies by stall

Our experience:
It felt so good walking through the market and seeing gluten-free cannolis, gluten-free scones, gluten-free this, gluten-free that - there were options everywhere! I absolutely love an Australian market, whether it’s a tiny night market or a huge weekend one, and it made me so happy that my sister got to experience it the same way I did.

We did make the mistake of eating breakfast before heading down (regrettable choice), so we only ended up trying the gluten-free cannoli.

🥯 5. Fav Cup

Cuisine: Café / Bagels / Brunch
Address: G09/39 London Circuit, Canberra ACT 2600
Safe rating: GF options stated in menu
Halal: No
Vegan/Vegetarian options: Vegetarian options available
Dairy-free options: Unclear if bagels are dairy-free

Our experience:
Gluten-free options were clearly labelled on the menu, and it was nice having a café with GF options close to our accommodation.

That said… I can’t fully recommend the bagels. Maybe I’m biased because we had the most phenomenal gluten-free bagels in Perth (a place that has sadly since closed and I’m still in denial about it), but these didn’t quite hit the same level. Still, we were grateful to have had the option.

Canberra genuinely surprised me as a gluten-free travel destination. The options felt plentiful, staff were generally knowledgeable, and dining out didn’t feel stressful or overly complicated.

And honestly, that’s one of the nicest things you can experience while travelling - being able to eat safely without having to overthink every meal.