A halal sticker in the window is a start, but it does not say which dishes it covers. Some restaurants serve halal chicken but not lamb, some share a fryer with bacon, and some cook with wine. These seven questions take about a minute and cover most of the gaps.
1. "Is all your meat halal, or only some of it?"
The most useful question, because plenty of places are halal for one meat and not another. Pizza toppings such as pepperoni are a common gap; see is pepperoni halal?. If the menu mixes halal and non-halal meat, the claim should say which dishes it covers.
2. "Who certifies it?"
A certificate from a named body is the clearest sign. If you only eat meat that was not stunned, the certifier matters, because their standards differ: HMC vs HFA explains how. Ask to see the certificate, and see how to verify it.
3. "Do you cook any pork, and is it kept separate?"
If bacon or pork is on the menu, ask whether it shares a grill, fryer or utensils with the halal food. People take different views on this, and we set them out in eating at a non-halal restaurant.
4. "Is there wine or beer in this sauce?"
Wine turns up in sauces, stews and risottos, and beer in some batters. Scholars differ on how much of it remains after cooking, and many avoid it. See alcohol in food.
5. "What do you fry in?"
Some chip shops and steakhouses fry in beef dripping, and the fish and chips answer covers what to ask.
6. "Does the dessert contain gelatine or alcohol?"
Panna cotta and mousse are often set with gelatine, and tiramisu traditionally contains alcohol. See is tiramisu halal?.
7. "Can I see the ingredients?"
Allergen information is something restaurants can usually give you, and the government publishes guidance for food businesses on providing it. But allergen information covers a defined list of allergens, not pork, gelatine or alcohol, so a dish can be "free from" every allergen and still contain them. For halal, ask for the ingredients themselves, or ask staff directly.
Chains and independents
With chains, halal status usually depends on the branch, so check the one you are in. Our restaurants guide records what each chain says, with dates, and says so when we found nothing. At an independent place the owner can usually answer straight away. If the staff cannot answer clearly, choosing somewhere else is a perfectly reasonable response.
