From vegan to gluten-free, this new food app will have you dining out with confidence again.

Have you ever browsed a restaurant menu fearing the worst? All those fantastic options, and yet none catering to your dietary requirements? And the last thing you want to do is make a fuss in front of your friends!

It’s something that Sydney-based lawyer, El Salem, has agonised over for so long.

“Looking for a place to eat even just for myself as gluten and dairy intolerant was a minefield,” El said. “I am also on the low FODMAP diet which is notoriously difficult to cater for, and I often have to compromise and pick things out of my meal I can’t eat.

“Searching for a restaurant would involve up to 45 minutes of internet searching, checking each menu to see if there were things I could eat, and always be unsure about the quality of what I was getting.

“I would often end up hungry at the end of a meal, frustrated I was paying extra for substitutions like gluten-free bread and vegan cheese which was often of poor quality, and just be glad I could even eat something.”

Finally, after being fed up with the lack of dietary options, El was determined to do something about it. She took a course in app building and launched the Eatwell app in September 2021. This new food app service takes away the frustration and fear about dining out for those with specific dietary needs by turning their dining experiences into recommendations for others like them.

The Eatwell app allows users to rate dining venues according to their suitability and quality for any one or more dietary requirements such as coeliac disease, vegan, halal, dairy-free and more. Other users can access these reviews when planning to visit a restaurant or cafe to know if a venue will look after their dietary needs.

Users can also filter menu items of thousands of recommended venues according to their dietary requirements.

“Eatwell’s mission is to facilitate a world where everyone can dine out with confidence and freedom in a way that works for both restaurants and customers,” El said. “The Eatwell app invites people with dietary requirements to feel part of and valued by a larger food community by sharing trusted experiences, and inviting restaurants to be part of this community is central as well.

“Restaurants should absolutely be aware of (and part of) the conversation about how their customers want to be catered for. There are an infinite amount of dietary requirements and it is hard for restaurants to know which to cater for and what to stock in their kitchen in doing so.

“There are certain gluten free and vegan substitutes consumers prefer and will avoid, as well for many other dietary needs.”

With the Eatwell app, people no longer need to feel like a hassle for their medical needs or personal choices when it comes to food. Instead, users of this foodie app can feel empowered to make choices that reflect their dietary needs and desires, while also enjoying their favourite cuisine.

On top of this, El also invites all restaurants who want to better understand their customers with dietary needs to get in touch via the Eatwell website under ‘Venue Sign Up’.

The Eatwell app is free to download on the Apple App Store and Google Play today.