Gluten Free Paris: A Celiac Friendly Guide to Eating in Paris

Finding safe gluten-free food in Paris was one of our biggest concerns before visiting.

As a traveler with celiac disease, Julia can’t simply avoid gluten. Cross contamination is a serious concern, which meant we spent a lot of time researching bakeries, restaurants, and cafés before our trip.

After spending a week exploring the city, we found some fantastic gluten-free options, encountered a few challenges, and learned a lot along the way.

If you’re planning a gluten-free trip to Paris, here’s what worked for us, what didn’t, and where we’d happily eat again.

Copains: The Best Gluten-Free Bakery We Found in Paris

Without question, our favorite gluten-free find in Paris was Copains.

In fact, we visited multiple times during our stay.

Copains is a completely gluten-free bakery that offers an impressive selection of baked goods. During our visits, we found chocolate croissants, cookies, bread, and even lunch items like sandwiches and focaccia.

For travelers with celiac disease, there’s something incredibly reassuring about walking into a bakery and not having to worry about cross contamination.

One thing we especially appreciated is that there are multiple Copains locations throughout Paris. Even though we had several locations to choose from, we found ourselves returning to the same bakery again and again because we enjoyed it so much.

By the end of the trip, the staff recognized us when we walked in. On our final visit, they even gave us a Copains tote bag to take home, which was an incredibly thoughtful gesture and a nice way to end our time in Paris.

Whether we needed breakfast, a snack, or something to take with us for the day, Copains consistently delivered.

If you’re planning a gluten-free trip to Paris, this would be one of the first places we’d recommend.

Breakfast at Carette

Another highlight was Carette.

While the café is famous for its hot chocolate, it also worked well as a breakfast stop for us.

Julia enjoyed gluten-free hot chocolate along with fresh fruit, making it an easy and enjoyable way to start the day before a busy morning of sightseeing.

Combined with visits to Copains, we never really struggled to find breakfast options in Paris.

Su Misura

One of our favorite meals in Paris was at Su Misura, a completely gluten-free Italian restaurant.

Finding a fully gluten-free restaurant is always exciting when traveling with celiac disease, and Su Misura did not disappoint.

The restaurant specializes in homemade organic gluten-free pasta and also offers pizzas, gnocchi, risottos, and other Italian favorites.

For dinner, Julia ordered the Bolognese, while I went with the Carbonara. Both dishes were excellent and easily one of our favorite meals of the trip.

What we appreciated most was being able to order freely from the menu without worrying about cross contamination. Instead of carefully questioning ingredients and preparation methods, we could simply enjoy the meal.

The desserts were equally impressive. We finished the evening with a homemade molten chocolate cake and a lemon tart, both of which were completely gluten-free.

Between the homemade pasta, desserts, and peace of mind that comes with dining at a dedicated gluten-free restaurant, Su Misura quickly became one of our favorite gluten-free finds in Paris.

For anyone visiting Paris with celiac disease, this is a restaurant we’d strongly recommend.

Brasserie Les Deux Palais

Another positive experience we had was at Brasserie Les Deux Palais.

From the moment we arrived, our server was friendly, knowledgeable, and seemed to understand the seriousness of celiac disease.

One thing we appreciated was that gluten-free items were clearly marked on the menu, making it easier to identify safe options.

The restaurant also had a dedicated gluten-free fryer, which is something we don’t always encounter while traveling.

Because we visited earlier in the day, Julia opted for an omelet with fried potatoes rather than one of the larger lunch or dinner options.

Between the knowledgeable staff, clearly marked menu, and dedicated fryer, it ended up being one of the more confidence-inspiring gluten-free dining experiences we had in Paris.

Au Bourguignon du Marais

One of my favorite meals of the trip was at Au Bourguignon du Marais.

As the name suggests, the restaurant is known for its traditional beef bourguignon, which I couldn’t resist ordering.

Unfortunately, the restaurant’s signature dish could not be prepared gluten-free, so it wasn’t an option for Julia.

However, the staff were able to accommodate her with a steak and potatoes, giving her a safe meal while still allowing us to enjoy dinner together.

While it wasn’t a dedicated gluten-free restaurant, it was a good example of something we encountered several times in Paris. Even when gluten-free versions of a restaurant’s most famous dishes weren’t available, many places were still able to provide a safe alternative with a little flexibility.

A Cautionary Tale: La Baguette du Relais

Unfortunately, not every gluten-free experience went as smoothly.

One evening, we ate dinner at La Baguette du Relais.

The restaurant offered gluten-free bread, and we clearly communicated that Julia has celiac disease.

Despite those precautions, Julia became very sick after the meal.

While we can’t say with absolute certainty what happened, we believe cross contamination may have occurred.

We noticed that sauces were being poured onto sandwiches over a shared sauce container, allowing excess sauce to drip back into the container below. If gluten-containing sandwiches were prepared the same way, cross contamination could easily occur.

Again, we can’t confirm that this was the cause, but it’s the most likely explanation we could identify afterward.

The experience served as a reminder that offering gluten-free bread doesn’t necessarily mean a restaurant fully understands the precautions required for diners with celiac disease.

Gluten-Free Food at Disneyland Paris

One day of our trip was dedicated to Disneyland Paris.

Compared to Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort in California, we found gluten-free dining significantly more challenging.

We knew this might be the case, so Julia packed several gluten-free snacks before we arrived at the park.

During the day, we were able to find gluten-free macarons in Disney Village, and later in the evening she had gluten-free popcorn.

While Disneyland Paris does offer some table-service restaurants with gluten-free options, one of the locations we were interested in trying was closed during our visit, and another had no reservations available.

Because we wanted to maximize our time in the parks, we didn’t spend much time searching for additional options.

For dinner, I grabbed a Mickey-shaped pizza. Since we anticipated that gluten-free options might be limited, Julia had packed a few snacks before we arrived at the park.

Throughout the day, she supplemented those snacks with the gluten-free macarons we found in Disney Village and gluten-free popcorn later in the evening.

It wasn’t exactly the Disney dining experience we had hoped for, but it worked well enough to get us through the day until we returned to Paris.

Travelers with celiac disease can certainly visit Disneyland Paris, but we found it required considerably more planning and flexibility than Disney destinations in the United States.

If you’re interested in the rest of our experience, be sure to check out our article on One Day at Disneyland Paris: Is It Enough?

Tips for Eating Gluten-Free in Paris

After a week in Paris, here are a few things we’d recommend:

• Visit dedicated gluten-free bakeries whenever possible.
• Make reservations in advance, especially for fully gluten-free restaurants.
• Carry a few gluten-free snacks with you throughout the day.
• Don’t assume that gluten-free bread automatically means a restaurant understands cross contamination.
• Research restaurants before arriving rather than trying to find safe options on the fly.
• Take advantage of dedicated gluten-free businesses like Copains whenever you can.

Is Paris Celiac Friendly?

Overall, we found Paris to be more celiac-friendly than we expected.

The biggest surprise was the number of dedicated gluten-free businesses we encountered, particularly Copains and Su Misura.

At the same time, our experience at La Baguette du Relais reminded us that it’s important to stay cautious, even when a restaurant offers gluten-free substitutes.

For us, the key to success was balancing dedicated gluten-free establishments with a little advance planning.

We also found it helpful to carry gluten-free snacks while sightseeing, particularly on longer days spent at museums, attractions, and Disneyland Paris.

Final Thoughts

Before visiting, we expected gluten-free dining in Paris to be challenging. While there were certainly a few obstacles along the way, we ended up finding more safe and enjoyable options than we anticipated.

Between dedicated gluten-free bakeries like Copains, fully gluten-free restaurants like Su Misura, and a little planning ahead, Paris proved to be much more celiac-friendly than we expected.

If we returned to Paris tomorrow, our first stop would probably be Copains.

Having a completely gluten-free bakery with fresh pastries, breads, sandwiches, focaccia, and snacks available made exploring Paris much easier and far less stressful.

We’d happily return and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Paris to other gluten-free travelers.