Having food restrictions like gluten allergies and lactose intolerance can be frustrating, especially when dining in groups with different dietary needs. But lucky for us, Singapore is a hotspot for great food—including cafes and other locations that serve up gluten-free and dairy-free options that don’t skimp on taste.
Up first: The Butcher’s Wife, whose dishes are all gluten-free. Brazilian food takes the stage here—start with focaccia and goat or cashew cheese, before diving into mains featuring octopus, lamb and seafood stew.
Joining the ranks of The Butcher’s Wife in proving that gluten-free food doesn’t have to be boring are Real Food and Original Sin. The former is a vegan option that caters to every palate with their array of soups, noodles, pastas, pizzas and snacks, while Original Sin is a time-tested and well-loved restaurant serving up Middle Eastern dishes with gluten-free swaps available.
Other cafes in the central area offering gluten-free and dairy-free meals: The Living Cafe and The Whole Kitchen, offering lighter options like toasted sandwiches, quiches and scones, as well as coffee options for a casual meal with friends.
Rounding off the list are Kind Kones and Cocobella Lifebar, which offer dairy-free versions of ice creams and frozen yoghurts so you can indulge in the same flavours you love sans the risk of triggering allergies.
Below, the best selection of cafes and restaurants offering elevated gluten-free and dairy-free dishes.
The Butcher’s Wife
The Butcher’s Wife is a 100% gluten-free option for flavourful Brazilian food. The menu features Pão de Queijo, a Brazilian cheese bread with tomato and chilli sambal, Chicken Thigh Dosa, Chargrilled Spanish Octopus and The Wife’s Bread Basket, a house made herb focaccia, ube-walnut bread and pita bread, which they recommend pairing with the House-made Goat Cheese, or the dairy-free Cashew-cultured ‘Cream Cheese’.
End off your meal with the Choc & Caramel Lava Cake, which is served with vanilla pod ice cream, or other desserts and a comprehensive selection of wines, beers, ciders, cocktails and kombuchas.
The Butcher’s Wife is located at 19 Yong Siak Street.
Real Food
Real Food is an all-in-one vegan cafe, restaurant and grocer tucked away in a quiet corner of Orchard Central. On its menu? A rotation of comforting Eastern and Western-inspired dishes, including those that are gluten-free like Sweet Pumpkin Pancakes, Scrambled Tofu with Broccoli and Balsamic Beancurd.
For an additional charge, Real Food also offers gluten-free versions of their pastas and pizzas made from organic quinoa and sorghum flour respectively.
And though dairy-free options are rarely seen outside of desserts, Real Food’s Mushroom Soy Carbonara is a solid choice to beat those pasta cravings.
Real Food is located at 181 Orchard Road #02-16 Orchard Central.
The Living Cafe
The Living Cafe has something for everyone—those with gluten and lactose intolerances, health nuts and vegans alike. Menu highlights include Smoked Salmon, Pumpkin and Sage and Tomato, Basil and Goat Cheese gluten-free Quiches and the Barramundi Brown Rice Bowl, though they have plenty of other options like a gluten-free Rosti and Pizzas.
All dishes on their menu are free of refined sugars, preservatives, artificial additives and more, even in desserts like the Lemon Pistachio Tart, Cheesecakes and Chocolate Avocado Mousse. And like many other plant-based places here, drinks like smoothies and coffees are served with housemade almond, oat or soy milk.
The Living Cafe is located at 779 Bukit Timah Road.
The Whole Kitchen
Grab a quick meal in the heart of the Central Business District at The Whole Kitchen. While the gluten-free waffles are recommended by fans of the cafe, there are other sweet and savoury options on the menu that are free of gluten too. Think: granola and smoothie bowls, wildflower raisin scones, the truffle brie toastie, avo egg sourdough and more.
Dairy-free options like the vegan caprese sandwich featuring a vegan cashew cheese, and the kale pesto pasta salad are available along with plant-based milk options to go with your coffee order.
The Whole Kitchen is located at #01-01, 120 Robinson Road.
Original Sin
Original Sin is a storied restaurant launched in 1997 that stands out against others in the bustling local gastronomic scene. Many dishes on the list can be prepared to be vegan or gluten-free: salads, the Mezze Platter—Middle Eastern dips served with pita bread, or crudites as a gluten-free substitute—Lemongrass Corn Fritters and even mains like Tandoori Skewers.
Original Sin is located at Block 43, Jln Merah Saga, #01-62, Chip Bee Gardens.
Kind Kones
In the mood for ice cream? Kind Kones is a plant-based ice cream store offering indulgent flavours like Saffron Pistachio, Almond Brittle Fudge, Charcoal Vanilla and their bestselling Blue Planet—chunks of matcha cake folded into vanilla ice cream coloured blue with butterfly peas—along with more refreshing chocolate and fruit sorbet options.
Their ice cream flavours are free from dairy, eggs, preservatives and artificial additives, and gluten-free waffle cones are available for those who have an intolerance or allergy to it. Their flavours are made from different blends of plant-based milks like oat, cashew and coconut for the same rich flavour, handcrafted in small batches from fresh and natural ingredients.
Kind Kones has four outlets across Singapore:
- Forum Shopping Mall: #B1-27, 583 Orchard Rd
- The Paragon: #B1-15 The Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd
- i12 Katong: #02-25, 112KATONG, 112 East Coast Rd
- Westgate: #01-09A, 3 Gateway Drive
Cocobella Life Bar
And for something less rich but equally delectable, try out Cocobella Life Bar, an Australian coconut yoghurt brand that’s now serving up bowls of flavoured frozen yoghurt topped with your choice of fruits, granola and more at One Holland Village.
The beach-themed joint is entirely dairy-free, and also offers drinks like the matcha cloud, matcha-flavoured coconut foam poured over coconut water.
Cocobella Life Bar is located at 7 Holland Village Way, One, #01-55 Holland Village.
READ MORE
Add These 5 New Bars And Restaurants Around Town To Your Must-Visit List
The Wellness Code: Riyana Rupani On How Food Can Change Your Life