Dine Options is an independent blog about eating out with dietary needs. Whether you are vegan or vegetarian, live with coeliac disease or a food allergy, keep halal or kosher, or follow a low-carb or diabetes-friendly way of eating, a meal out should be something to look forward to rather than something to manage. Our aim is to make that a little easier.
What we cover
We write practical guides for diners: how to read a menu with your needs in mind, which questions to ask staff, what food labels and allergen rules actually mean, and how different cuisines and types of restaurant can work for different diets. We also cover the wider picture, from festivals and cinema trips to travel and hosting, because dietary needs do not stop at the restaurant door.
How we choose topics
We start with the questions diners ask most often and the situations that cause the most uncertainty: a busy kitchen, an unfamiliar cuisine, a group booking, a new diagnosis. We try to cover each topic once and properly, rather than repeating the same advice in different words.
How we check facts
Every fact, figure, rule and date in our guides comes from a source we have read, and we link to the key ones so you can check them yourself. We rely on official and expert sources wherever possible, such as government food agencies, national health services, recognised charities, universities and established reference works. If we cannot verify something, we leave it out.
We do not invent statistics, studies, quotes, experts or reviews, and we do not name individual restaurants unless we have good reason to. General guidance stays useful for longer, wherever you happen to be eating.
Health and safety
Our guides are general information, not medical advice. Where a topic touches on health, such as allergies, coeliac disease or diabetes, we stick closely to what reputable health bodies say and encourage readers to follow the advice of their own doctor, allergy clinic or dietitian.
Contributed articles
Some articles on Dine Options are contributed by third parties. Our editorial team reviews every contribution for usefulness and accuracy before it is published, and our Disclosure page explains how contributed articles are handled.
Get in touch
If you spot something that needs updating, or have a topic you would like us to cover, our Contact page explains how to reach us. We read every message.
The Dine Options editorial team