Eating out · Italian casual dining
Low FODMAP at PizzaExpress
PizzaExpress is quietly one of the better UK chains for low-FODMAP eating out. Any Classic or Romana pizza can be made on a gluten-free base from the chain's dedicated gluten-free bakery (Coeliac UK accredited, served with a purple slicer), which removes the wheat-fructan load from the biggest component of the meal. The plain tomato base has historically been made without onion or garlic — a rarity in pizza chains — though you should ask staff to confirm against current ingredient info, as recipes change. The traps: the garlic butter on dough balls, the garlic oil brushed onto several pizzas, caramelised-onion toppings like the Padana, and the house salad dressing.
✅ Safest picks
Classic Margherita on gluten-free base
GF base, a tomato sauce that has historically contained no onion or garlic, and mozzarella (low lactose in pizza quantities). This is the benchmark low-FODMAP pizza order in the UK.
💬 Order it: Ask for no garlic oil finish and ask staff to confirm the tomato base is still onion- and garlic-free on the current allergen sheet.
Gluten-free Dough Balls with plain butter
The GF dough balls come from the separate bakery, and swapping the standard garlic butter for plain butter removes the only real FODMAP issue.
💬 Order it: Say 'plain butter, not garlic butter' explicitly — garlic butter is the default. Also good as the swap-in when a salad comes with a wheat dough stick.
Fiorentina on gluten-free base
Spinach, egg, olives and mozzarella are all low-FODMAP toppings — but this pizza is normally finished with garlic oil, so the order note does the heavy lifting.
💬 Order it: 'No garlic oil' is non-negotiable on this one. Olives are fine; leave them on.
La Reine on gluten-free base, easy on the mushrooms
Ham and olives are safe; the mushrooms are the moderate element (mannitol). Ordered light on mushrooms — or without — it's a solid pick.
💬 Order it: Ask for no mushrooms (or just a few) — PizzaExpress happily removes toppings at no charge.
Gluten-free chocolate brownie
One of the few desserts here without a wheat base. There's some dairy, but a single brownie's lactose load is modest.
💬 Order it: Skip the ice cream or cream on the side if you're already carrying dairy from a cheesy pizza.
⚠️ Skip these
Good to know
- •Put any Classic or Romana pizza on the gluten-free base — it's made in a separate gluten-free bakery and removes the wheat-fructan load from the largest part of the meal in one move.
- •Say 'no garlic oil' on every pizza you order: several pizzas (Fiorentina, Soho-style pizzas and others) are finished with real garlic oil by default.
- •Ask staff to confirm the plain tomato base against the current allergen and ingredient sheet — it has historically been made without onion or garlic, which is rare for a pizza chain, but recipes do change.
- •Removing toppings is free and easy here, so order downward: pick a pizza and strip the onion, mushroom or spiced elements rather than trusting composite dishes like the pastas.
- •Swap the house dressing for olive oil and balsamic on any salad, and swap wheat dough sticks for gluten-free dough balls with plain butter.
- •The full allergen and nutrition PDF on pizzaexpress.com is detailed and current — worth a scan before you go, since it lists ingredients at the dish level.
At a different restaurant? Photograph any menu and get every dish ranked in seconds.
Scan a menu — freeMenus and recipes change; scores reflect typical preparations and published FODMAP research. Informational only — not medical advice. Always confirm ingredients with restaurant staff.