Gluten Free in Portugal

[Aparecium]

We'll be staying in Cascais with a couple of day trips, probably Sintra and Lisbon. Mostly self-catering and planning to eat out once a day. Not coeliac, intolerant. Needs to eat non-gluten ingredients but can cope with cross-contamination.

Any tips?

Hi,
I've got a sulphide allergy and it wasn't a massive problem in Lisbon and the surrounding area - I realise that's not the same as gluten free but most places we went to were conscious of food intolerance and allergies.

The second time I visited I had some cheap business cards printed in Portuguese that described my allergy and the sort of foods that caused a problem. It got round the language barrier and the fact that I produced a reasonably formal printed card did help ensure people took it seriously. It also meant waiters could take the cards to show chefs etc if needed.

I ordered them from Amazon. It might be worth considering as it was a massive help and took away a lot of the stress. Most places were very heloful and prepared to adapt food to enable me to eat it.