Whether your diet is restricted due to allergies, intolerances, or just overall preference, we know the struggle is real when it comes to finding spots to sip and snack.
Luckily, many of Winnipeg’s restaurants have answered the culinary call – offering safe spaces for celiacs and gluten-sensitives alike. If dairy isn’t a delight for you, you may be surprised at how many spots offer cheeze that pulls like real mozza or creamy dishes that leave you thinking “I can’t believe it’s not butter!”
While you can find our 2021 updated Winnipeg Vegan Guide here, below you’ll find places that cater to both the GF and DF crowd.
100% Gluten-Free
Cocoabeans Gluten-Free Bakeshop is a dedicated gluten-free facility offering local picks like Manitoba chicken fingers, burgers and soups ready to be enjoyed in its cute cafe. You can also fill your pantry with offerings like cake mixes, pies, breads and buttermilk chicken. An absolute must are the onion rings.
Last year, MoNUTS opened a storefront in Osborne Village and it’s been serving up plant-based protein sweets and snacks ever since. The chewy, rolled oat doughnuts are changed up weekly, and are always gluten-free, vegan and hugely satisfying. You can also enjoy other treats, sandwiches and drinks, all of which are gluten-free.
For more gluten-free baking, check out Winnipeg’s newest ghost kitchen, Rêverie Gluten Free Bakery. Starting in December 2020, Linh Tran has been selling lush cakes, crumbly Imperial cookies, luxurious Camaelo cake (the caramel is outrageous) and more. The cookies alone were so good we wrote Rêverie its own feature – read that here.
For more gluten-free beverages, check out Bee Boyzz – offering Manitoba’s first and only bee-to-bottle meadery. Naturally gluten-free, these carbonated meads are made with local honey, water and yeast and there’s a dozen different flavour options that you can find at local vendors and MLCCs in the city.
Gluten-Free Friendly Options
Kawaii Crepe serves up thin Japanese-style crepes that can be either sweet or savoury. They offer 21 gluten-free crepe varieties, all folded in a sweet crispy batter, along with six different vegan creations.
For smoothies, wellness shots and snacks on Corydon visit The Mighty Kiwi. This Manitoba-made juice bar started in Selkirk in 2017, and has since opened in Winnipeg at the end of 2020. The smoothies are thick and the cheezeboards are full of colour – what more could you ask for?
Also on Corydon is our favourite treehouse bar, The Roost. Vegan and gluten-free friendly, you can always anticipate great plant-based dishes full of flavour. Enjoy the impressive vegan experience served up by head chef Zac Chizda, paired with an amazing whimsical drink from Winnipeg's queen of cocktails, Elsa Taylor.
Maxime’s Restaurant and Lounge has been a St. Vital staple for more than 30 years. Their gluten-free offerings are the size of the 2027 Yellow Pages, spanning six pages in length. Lunch, dinner and dessert – Maxime’s will have you struggling to pick your plate.
WOW Hospitality and Chef Kelly Cattani have created a cozy menu at the Bluestone Cottage in Charleswood. These seasonally-inspired breakfast and lunch meals can almost all be made gluten-free with dairy-free alternatives.
A new addition to St. Boniface, Thyme Café and Books is a plant-based café and used bookstore. Its soups are always gluten-free, while you won’t find any dairy on the menu. Save room for the desserts, which are always fresh and made in-house.
In Wolseley, we are all for Verde Juice Bar. Here, all the colourful bowls and salad are GF, or can be made GF (also grain-free, sugar-free, and vegan), and are guaranteed to impress. We're huge fans, as you can read in our healthy takeout guide here.
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