Once upon a time, the only places catering for food intolerance were faintly hippy-ish coffee shops, odd-smelling health food stores and homeopathic chemists. For those of us with a gluten, dairy or egg intolerance, eating out was awkward and limiting, while a meal at an Italian restaurant was an ordeal. We could either order a salad, and glower at our companions as they devoured thin, bubbly crusts, and long strings of mozzarella; order a pizza and pick off the toppings; or eat the entire thing and suffer painful consequences. In recent years though, this rather depressing list of options has expanded: awareness of food intolerance has grown exponentially, and restaurants have begun to accommodate those with food intolerances.

“I try and have something for everyone, because nowadays everybody’s got something”, says Sharon Kriel of Eat @ Altydgedacht. On top of the usual vegetarian options, she offers diners salmon on rye, and dairy-free meze platters from her small establishment in Durbanville wine valley.

Even some of the bigger chains though, have begun to cater for those with food intolerances.

Dominic Ribeiro, of O’Crumbs in Johannesburg, supplies Primi, Ciao Baby Cucina and Doppio Zero, and a host of stores and smaller restaurants with a variety of gluten, lactose and egg-free options. “Col’Cacchio were the first to jump on the bandwagon”, Dominic says, closely followed by Primi, four years ago. Col’Cacchio have since begun to source their wheat-free pizza bases elsewhere, but Dominic’s list of clients now also includes Pomodoro, Reubens Great Sandwich among a long list of others.

“The market is definitely growing day by day, never mind week by week.” Some establishments like Primi just order gluten and dairy-free pizza bases, while others also make use of O’Crumbs’ pasta and gluten-free breads. Dominic also hopes that other groups may be joining in the near future. “It should be more readily available very soon”, says Dominic.

In Cape Town, Kirstenbosch Tea Room chef and recipe book author, Pamela Shippel makes an extra-special effort to cater for those with food intolerances. “There are several people who keep coming back because of it”, says Pamela.

She serves a variety of wheat, dairy and egg-free options, including an indulgent wheat-free chocolate mousse cake and an egg-free caramel nut tart. “We also have an option for those with diabetes – a whole-wheat muffin sweetened with apple and dates, and served with sugar-free jam.”

Despite the regulars, and at least one gluten-intolerant customer per week, there simply isn’t enough demand for Pamela to stock some products. “We don’t carry a gluten-free bread”, says Pamela, “we would have to throw it away all the time.”

But the issue of providing for those with food intolerances is not simply one of awareness or of demand. As many will tell you, items made with rice flour or soya milk don’t always taste the same. “You get a different texture without the gluten,” Pamela explains, “you need the structure of the gluten to hold it up”.

Nevertheless, Pamela is producing several very tasty options. And with chefs and food scientists around the world working at producing better textures and flavours, it may soon be difficult to differentiate between wheat and lactose-free copies and their glutinous, milky originals.

So for those of us with intolerances and allergies, it seems watching others eat their quattro stagiones may soon be a thing of the past.

Whether you’re trying to avoid gluten, dodge lactose or give eggs the slip, take a look at this list of restaurants that cater for special dietary requirements.

Chains

Ciao Baby Cucina – Wheat-free pasta and pizza bases

Col’Cacchio – Wheat-free pizza base with 50 variety toppings, 1x wheat-free pasta per day as option with sauces

Doppio Zero – Gluten-free bread and pizza bases

Kauai – Wheat-free wraps, Soya smoothies, Egg-free Mayo

Primi Piatti – Wheat-free Gnocchi, Pizza bases

Cape Town

Bistro Allegro – inform the chef when making their booking and a dish will be created accordingly i.e. dairy, gluten or sugar free

Dear Me – Caters for those with Celiac, diabetes, lactose- or wheat intolerance, as well as vegetarians and vegans

Easy Dig – already a few gluten-free options and they’re also busy compiling new menu focusing on gluten-free dishes

Frieda’s – Great selection of rye sandwiches

Eat @ Altyd Gedacht – salmon on rye, dairy-free meze platters

Kirstenbosch Tea Room – 100% Rye sandwiches, gluten-free corn crackers. Egg and dairy-free choc chic banana muffins, wheat-free chocolate rum puddle cakes, chocolate mousse cake, Florentines, Dairy- free muffins, carrot cake, Egg-free caramel nut tart, muffins and Florentines

6 Spin Street Restaurant – Flourless Date, Almond and chocolate Torte. Can also accommodate other intolerances on request.

Tibetan Tea House – wheat-free cupcakes, egg free cupcakes and chocolate cake

Johannesburg

Adega – Dairy-free pastas without the cream base or wheat-fry with brown rice instead of pasta. They also accommodate other allergies such as shellfish with prior arrangement

Annica’s Deli – gluten and wheat-free pasta, muffin and 2 cakes

Bice -Wheat free pasta

Fruits and Roots – Wheat-free Pizza bases and egg-free carrot cake. They can also do an egg-fee chocolate cake on request

Leafy Greens Café – organic buffet on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am – 4 pm – lots of wheat, dairy and egg free options

Durban

Earthmother Café and Shop – wheat-free chocolate brownies and pasta