THE GOOD LIFE EATERY
Location: The Good Life Eatery is mini chain with 4 branches in London (Chelsea, Marylebone, St. John’s Wood, Belgravia) – for more info check their website {here}
Tried and tested: Marylebone
Food: all kinds of healthy options – warm bowls, salads, breakfasts, sandwiches, smoothies, soups, etc.
Gluten free status: gluten free friendly | good knowledge of cross contamination | safe for coeliacs
Bonus: vegetarian, vegan and dairy free options
London is home to so many gluten free friendly restaurants, but thanks to the popularity of the gluten free diet, knowing which are Coeliac-safe is a minefield at times. I’m a very careful and anxious Coeliac who doesn’t like to take risks so I have a habit of sticking to the same old places that I know are safe. It’s not a bad thing, but there’s so much I’m potentially missing out on… and so I’ve been making a point of exploring different restaurants lately and here’s one of my latest discoveries: The Good Life Eatery!
It’s a mini restaurant chain with four (mostly central) locations in London that revolve around ‘clean’ healthy eating. A huge chunk of their menu is gluten free (although some of it is off-limits, but I’ll get to that in a bit) and they have a good understanding of cross-contamination. The branch I visited (in Marylebone) even prepares gluten and gluten free foods in separate areas of the kitchen. I can only assume that applies to their other restaurants as well, but make sure you ask first just in case.
In fact, no matter how knowledgable and safe a restaurant is, always let them know if you have a medical condition so they can take extra precautions. I think that’s especially important with health-orientated restaurants like The Good Life Eatery. They tend to attract the kind of gluten free customers that are only doing it for the perceived health benefits… So it’s important for them to know when to be more careful with the food preparation.
And this brings me onto the food.
*TL;DR: no to the desserts, but yes to other gluten free options*
First of all I know that the gluten free cakes at the entrance look amazing, but I’m afraid the coeliacs must resist. ? They’re all on display right next to gluten containing things so it’s too risky. Plus it’s not clear what environment they’re baked in… But either way The Good Life Eatery doesn’t recommend any of it for Coeliacs. If you’re ‘only’ gluten-sensitive and don’t have to be careful with cross-contamination, then it may be fine for you. ?
They were pretty confident about the rest of the menu though. From warm bowls to breakfasts to seriously epic looking salads (check out their website {here} or their Instagram {here} to get an idea), they have tonnes of safe gluten free options. They even have gluten free waffles! And gluten free bread available.
My boyfriend and I both went for the same warm bowl – El Hombre Bowl – which is jerk chicken strips (or sweet potatoes for a meatless option) with a choice of rice or quinoa. This comes with kale, black beans, sweet corn, avocado mash, tomato sauce, vegan cheezy sprinkle, coriander and chilli flakes. Note: my boyfriend had some gluten free toasts on the side (as seen in the pictures) and said they tasted great, a lot like Warburtons gluten free bread. But just a heads up, I’m not sure if they’re cooked in the same toaster as gluten containing bread so be sure you ask before ordering. ?
Flavour-wise it wasn’t mind blowing, but we did enjoy it and we felt great after. The ingredients were fresh and ‘clean’ tasting, plus the chicken was really juicy and tender. It has a healthy homemade food vibe and sometimes that’s exactly what you need. Especially if you were to use this place for work lunches for example. It’s easy to fall into the sandwich and crisps meal deal black hole day after day, which doesn’t offer much nutrition. So it’s great to have the convenience of already-prepared but nutritious food. ?
I look forward to sampling more of the menu and see what’s best. If you’ve been to The Good Life Eatery before, what would you recommend?
For their full menu, check out their website {here}.
Other than that, the place is cute and cosy and the staff are friendly and helpful. Really my only criticism is the price. At £6+ for a juice/smoothie or around £10+ for a main meal, in my opinion it’s not exactly cheap for what it is. For that reason I couldn’t see myself eating there on a regular basis, but it is London after all. On the whole I would happily go back. Especially for the breakfast menu which sounds yummy (and is actually a bit cheaper). ?
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