Dietary Requirements on a Luxury Trip

Dietary needs are not a small matter

Over five years of Wanvela trips, 38% of our clients have had some dietary requirement: halal, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, shellfish allergy, nut allergy, kosher, low-sodium, diabetic. How an operator handles this is what separates caring travel from indifferent travel.

Halal in Europe

Halal isn't as easy in Europe as it is in Japan or Asia, but Wanvela maintains a database of halal-certified restaurants in every destination.

Paris

• Noura · Lebanese halal, Champs-Élysées
• Pacha · Moroccan halal, 12th arrondissement
• L'Ourcine · French halal, Latin Quarter

Rome and Italy

• Hostaria Costa Balena · seafood halal, Rome
• Sicily Halal · authentic Sicilian, Trastevere
• The hotels we use, Hotel de la Ville, Castello Banfi, prepare halal meals in their restaurants on request, given advance notice.

Switzerland and Norway

Halal restaurants are rare, so we arrange:

• Pescetarian alternatives (fish + vegetable)
• Vegetarian alternatives
• Pre-arranged halal meals at the hotel (the hotels we use will prepare them)

Vegetarian and vegan

Europe handles vegetarian well, every Michelin restaurant in Italy, France, Spain, and Switzerland has a vegetarian menu.

Vegan is harder, Wanvela briefs restaurants a week in advance. Restaurants that work well:

• Plant-based Michelin in Paris: Eutopia (1 star), Voyages, ONA
• Italian vegan: Joia (Milan, 1 Michelin star vegan), Romeow Cat Bistrot (Rome)
• Japanese vegan: Saido (Tokyo), Sougo (Shinto temple-style)

Gluten-free

Italy is the most gluten-free-friendly country in Europe, celiac disease awareness is high, every restaurant carries GF pasta.

Wanvela briefs the chef in advance and asks for:

• Separate cooking station (to avoid cross-contamination)
• GF bread basket
• Dessert alternative

Severe allergies

For clients with shellfish or peanut allergies at the anaphylaxis level, Wanvela:

• Carries EpiPen in the photographer's kit every day
• Briefs every restaurant a week in advance
• The tour leader carries an allergy card (printed in the local language)
• We avoid Asian fusion in Europe (cross-contamination risk)

"One of our clients had a severe shellfish allergy, we briefed four restaurants in Italy two weeks ahead. The chef at La Sponda wrote her a personal menu version, not a single shellfish on her plate." - Wanvela ops manager

Japan - easier than Europe

Japan takes allergies and vegetarian needs seriously, but there are subtleties:

• Dashi (broth) is made from bonito fish, not vegetarian. Wanvela requests kombu-only dashi everywhere.
• "Vegetarian" in Japan sometimes includes fish, we are explicit: "no fish, no chicken, no meat, no bonito, no anchovy."
• Shojin ryori (Buddhist temple cuisine) is truly vegan, Wanvela schedules this in every Kyoto trip.

Kosher

Kosher restaurants in Europe are limited, Wanvela works with:

• Paris: L'As du Fallafel, Pitzman (1 Michelin kosher), Restaurant Yung
• Rome: Bel'gust, Su'Ghetto (in the Jewish Ghetto)
• Le Bristol Paris prepares kosher meals with 72 hours' notice.

Diabetic

Lower-carb options Wanvela can arrange:

• Replace pasta with vegetables or cauliflower rice
• Mediterranean style focused on fish, salad, olive oil
• Sugar-free desserts (most Michelin kitchens can manage this)
• Consistent meal timing (matters for insulin)

How Wanvela handles it

In every client trip dossier, we include:

• An allergy card printed in the local language (Italian, French, Japanese)
• The client's medication list (matters if you need ER)
• Notes on each restaurant that the chef has already been briefed
• Backup snacks matched to the diet (in case of unexpected gaps)

See how Wanvela chooses hotels or ask about trip details.