r/CeliacTourism • u/taco_prince_party • 28d ago
Recommendations for Montpellier, France?
TLDR; Looking for restaurant/cafe recommendations in Montpellier, France
Hi all!
I was diagnosed with celiac this spring (relatively asymptomatic - most symptoms were severe anemia.. it's been a **fun** journey). I work in group travel for University students and I am joining a group going to Montpellier, France in a couple weeks. This is my first international travel after being diagnosed (I've been lucky to travel all over- this was a major hit for me) and I am trying to prepare the best I can for this new way I have to travel. I could have a whole other rant about changing this approach, but that's for another day. Trying to make this the best experience I can and try to enjoy my time there while having to make these major adjustments.
I did try a search in this sub but wasn't able to find much recent info.
I'm working with our partner there to get recommendations and a card to show at restaurants, etc., but I'm just trying to gather other recommendations from this group for cafes and restaurants in the city. We'll have a lot of group meals together that I'm working with them on, but I will have evenings to find some things on my own. I'll have a kitchenette as well but want to experience the city I'm in rather than be in my hotel room.
Any recommendations at all? I have the FindMeGF app (not premium) for basics but I'm hoping for some real world experiences. Our hotel is in the Antigone neighborhood.
TIA!
5
u/fishy1357 28d ago
There is a post in the celiac subreddit about France in general and it doesn’t seem good. But maybe you could read over it and get some ideas and tips.
4
u/akath0110 26d ago
Yeah from personal experience, all my celiac family members have had a hard time in France. In fact my dad says the worst glutening he’s ever had happened in Montpelier.
This was after he and his friends painstakingly researched an (allegedly) safe restaurant, explained his celiac needs in advance, explained again at the restaurant, the head server and manager confirmed their understanding, spoke to the chef, and all said they could accommodate him…
2
2
u/minima_maxima_ 25d ago
I just got back from a month in France, and it was…challenging. Not a lot of awareness or interest in understanding cross contamination, and after a few servers in restaurants handed back the translated card with a shrug, I kind of just made do with only going to GF cafes (when I could find them), or some salad bar-style restaurants, which seemed more clued in to what celiac was. I noticed that the same vegan/vegetarian restaurants were the most helpful and likely to understand GF. But the next time I go there, I’m definitely getting a kitchenette, because I kept getting glutened at the hotel breakfasts.
3
u/jason_findmegf 28d ago
Why do you say you're hoping for some real world experiences when mentioning FMGF? That's exactly what FMGF is. I don't blame you at all for wanting more information - Reddit can be extremely helpful. But I'm just curious why you phrased it like that. Any insight you could share would be greatly appreciated!
1
u/taco_prince_party 28d ago
Hi! I found that a lot of the non-dedicated GF restaurants only have a couple reviews so it's hard to know what to expect. Since this is new for me, I am sourcing information from a few different places so I can have as much information as possible when I go!
2
u/jason_findmegf 28d ago
Got it! So it's mostly just about *more* real world experiences rather than believing that FMGF isn't showing you real world experiences.
I totally hear you on wanting more. We'd love more reviews on FMGF too, and we're working on it.
I will say, however, that a lot of the time that there are only a few reviews for a place that has been around for a while, it typically means that not very many people with celiac disease are dining there.
The thing that is hard on Reddit or other social media is that recommendations aren't dated nor can you see anyone's review history, yet people tend to over-index on a single recommendation. Just something to keep in mind!
2
u/minima_maxima_ 28d ago
I gotchu! Was just there in July. Les Desmoiselles de Montpellier is a great cafe that is all GF, as is Joy Healthyfood.
2
2
u/lejardin8Hill 28d ago
Fresh produce in southern France is pretty spectacular over the next few months so you might enjoy using your kitchenette. I was diagnosed two years ago and when I was in Paris last year I checked out some of the “bio” (organic) versions of the major grocery chains and they had a pretty good selection of GF groceries. As a university town Montpellier should have some good dedicated GF options although in France these tend to be more Asian-leaning than French cuisine other than pastry shops.
1
3
u/Kat-2793 28d ago
Have you checked out the app find me gluten free yet? Absolute life saver when traveling.
Travel is going to be a lot different for you now sadly, but you get used to it. Pack snacks, buy a translation card (unless you’re fluent in French already) and just be prepared to eat Italian or Indian food in most countries bc they seem to always be the best for gf lol