Eating Gluten-Free in Prague

Czech food is a notorious foe to us gluten intolerant folk. Upon traveling to the land of beer, goulash and dumplings, I halfway expected to pick at lettuce and/or McDonalds fries all week long. So imagine my delight when I was researching Celiac-friendly options in Prague and finally came across a restaurant that supposedly served gluten-free versions of traditional Czech dishes. At first I thought it was too good to be true, but thankfully I was mistaken.

At Švejk Restaurant U Karla, you can find classic Czech dishes specially prepared gluten-free for a surprisingly decent price. My mom and I, both Celiacs, went there twice during our week in Prague. We feasted upon their gluten-free beef goulash with onions and homemade dumplings, pork sirloin in a sour cream sauce with homemade dumplings, roasted sausage with mustard and horseradish, pancakes with marmalade, fruit dumplings and apple strudel. They even serve a tasty gluten-free Czech beer called Celia. You can check out the rest of their extensive GF menu here.

Behold, good gluten-free beer actually exists!

Getting my goulash on.

These fluffy pancakes filled with apricot marmalade melted in my mouth.

Gooey dumplings filled with seasonal fruit & topped with cinnamon, sugar and cheese. Perfection.

Švejk Restaurant U Karla is conveniently located in Nové Město, or New Town, just a 15 minute walk from Old Town Square.

We also had luck finding GF meals at Hotel U Prince, one of the few restaurants in town that specifically labels meals on their menu as gluten-free. Both of their indoor and outdoor dining areas next to Old Town Square offer many gluten-free dishes, but their rooftop terrace has a different menu with fewer options. (Which is a shame, because the views are amazing. But I still recommend going up there for a drink and perhaps an appetizer.)

If you are traveling to Prague and have Celiac Disease or a gluten intolerance, I highly recommend printing out a gluten-free restaurant card like this one to give to your waiters at restaurants. There aren't many eateries in Prague that have special gluten-free menus like Švejk Restaurant U Karla or Hotel U Prince, and not every waiter knows what gluten is. Using this card helped me enjoy dishes at other not-so-Celiac-friendly restaurants without getting sick.

Although I wasn't expecting to sample authentic Czech cuisine in Prague, I was pleasantly surprised by how much of it I got to enjoy. I think it's fair to say that I loved every single bite.

Do you have any food allergies? 
How do you survive them while traveling?

Valenciennes

My first stop in northern France was Valenciennes, where my friend Patty lives. Getting there from Brussels was quite the trek, but as soon as I stepped off the train I was instantly enamored. Valenciennes is a charming small town, and everything about it is thoroughly darling. 

Patty guided me through the winding streets while I admired all of the rustic limestone buildings with picturesque shutters. I quickly became infatuated with how quintessentially French it all was.

I didn't expect to fall in love with northern France as much as I did, but I'm so glad I made a trip up there to experience it.

Lille

What I love the most about northern France is that it's a hidden gem that has yet to be discovered by the rest of the world. Lille has all of the charm and beauty of Paris, minus the hordes of tourists. 

Only 10 minutes away from the Belgian border, Lille is adorned with an elegant mix of both French and Belgian architecture. Not to mention, northern France boasts the best of both French and Belgian cuisine. I shamelessly feasted upon French cheeses, wines and omelets as well as Belgian chocolates and frites all weekend long. Talk about the best of both worlds. Quand on est à Lille, on mange comme les lillois!

Despite their bad reputation, I've always found French people to be quite friendly - and the people of Lille are by far the most amicable. I love practicing my French whenever I can (although I'm still pretty terrible), but whenever I'm in Paris and I initiate a conversation in French, Parisians automatically respond to me in English. However, in Lille my broken French was met with a smile. They listened patiently and spoke to me slowly, further inspiring me to keep continue learning French.

We spent our time in Lille wandering through the quaint cobblestone streets, admiring all of the charming buildings, snacking on macarons, drinking café au lait while people watching, and eating a sublime mix of French and Belgian food. I loved that there wasn't an overwhelming list of sightseeing to-dos, and there wasn't a tourist in sight. I felt as if I could freely enjoy the culture of France without stressing about squeezing everything in. During a season of many hectic travels, Lille was truly a breath of fresh air.