The tiring part of travelling with a gluten sensitivity is not finding food but having the same conversation at every meal. Turkish cooking is in better shape here than people expect, because a large part of the menu carries no flour at all. There are, however, a few traps worth knowing.<\/p>\n
The grill. Most grilled fish, chicken, lamb and beef amount to meat, salt and fire. Because the grill is a section of its own in Turkish cooking, the choice is wide.<\/p>\n
Olive oil dishes. Almost everything in this group is flour-free: imam bay\u0131ld\u0131, borlotti beans in olive oil, artichoke, vine leaves.<\/p>\n
Yoghurt mezes. Haydari, atom, cac\u0131k. They contain dairy but no grain.<\/p>\n
Rice pilaf. Pilaf in Turkey is generally made from rice \u2014 with one exception, below.<\/p>\n
Pilaf with orzo.<\/strong> Turkish pilaf very often includes small wheat pasta, and menus rarely say so. This is the first thing to ask about.<\/p>\n K\u00f6fte.<\/strong> Almost always contains breadcrumb. It looks like plain meat and is not gluten-free.<\/p>\n Thickened soups.<\/strong> Lentil soup appears safe, but some kitchens use flour for body.<\/p>\n Pastes and ready-made sauces.<\/strong> House-made ones are usually clean; with commercial products it is worth asking about the starch.<\/p>\n Frying oil.<\/strong> If pastry is fried in the same fryer, the chips are not clean either. This is the point where cross-contamination is most often overlooked.<\/p>\n Asking “is there anything gluten-free?” often fails, because the person in front of you may know the word without knowing its reach. Being concrete works better: “I cannot eat wheat, flour or bread. Is there flour in this dish? Is there orzo in the pilaf? Is the fryer shared?”<\/p>\n Timing matters too. A question asked mid-service on a busy evening reaches the kitchen incomplete. Writing it when you book is far safer \u2014 the kitchen can prepare for that day.<\/p>\n Eleven dishes on our \u00e0 la carte menu are gluten-free and marked (G): the charcuterie plate, Aegean salad, sa\u00e7 kavurma, Sultan Kebab, hanging skewers, grilled sea bass, grilled salmon; and among the desserts, baked rice pudding, ice cream and the sugar-free gluten-free brownie.<\/p>\n We bake fresh gluten-free bread every day \u2014 the detail that opens most of the meze list back up to you.<\/p>\n If you have coeliac disease, please say so separately. Our kitchen team will speak with you directly about how things are prepared; we would rather have a specific conversation than offer a blanket assurance.<\/p>\nHow to talk to a kitchen<\/h2>\n
Where we stand<\/h2>\n