Gluten Free Spain: The Ultimate Celiac Travel Guide
Before visiting Spain, we spent a lot of time researching gluten free restaurants, bakeries, and celiac friendly dining options.
Everything we found suggested Spain would be one of the easiest countries in Europe for gluten free travel, so we arrived feeling far less stressed than we had on some previous trips.
One tool that helped tremendously was the Find Me Gluten Free app.
Before arriving in each city, we used the app to research restaurants, bakeries, and other celiac friendly options. While we still did additional research of our own, Find Me Gluten Free made it much easier to identify highly rated spots and gave us additional confidence when choosing where to eat.
This guide provides an overview of our favorite gluten free restaurants, bakeries, and experiences throughout Spain. We’ll also be publishing more detailed guides for Barcelona, Madrid, and Seville that cover exactly what we ordered, our favorite dishes, pricing, and our full restaurant reviews.
After visiting Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Granada, and Valencia, we can confidently say the research was right.
Spain exceeded our expectations as a destination for travelers with celiac disease.
What stood out most was how often we found dedicated gluten free restaurants, bakeries, and dessert shops. Rather than searching for a single safe menu item, Julia could often order freely without worrying about cross contamination.
From burgers and tapas to pizza, pastries, and even churros, Spain offered far more gluten free options than we expected.
That’s not to say every experience was perfect, but overall, Spain was one of the easiest destinations we’ve visited as gluten free travelers.
If you’re planning a trip to Spain with celiac disease, here’s where we ate and what our experience was like.
Gluten Free Barcelona
Barcelona quickly became one of our favorite cities for gluten free dining.
Ardemos
Ardemos was one of the standout restaurants from our time in Barcelona. The restaurant specializes in burgers and comfort food, and the gluten free buns were among the best we had during the entire trip.
We enjoyed it so much that we were excited to learn there’s also a location in Madrid. It was one of those places where you quickly forget you’re eating gluten free food.
Barete
Barete ended up being one of the most memorable meals of our time in Barcelona.
The restaurant specializes in tapas, and several of the dishes we tried were excellent. The smoked Galician cured beef was particularly memorable and quickly became one of our favorite tapas dishes of the trip.
Being able to enjoy traditional Spanish tapas without worrying about gluten made Barete an easy recommendation.
Coliakí
Coliakí became one of our favorite bakery stops in Barcelona.
Having access to a dedicated gluten free bakery made breakfast and snacks incredibly easy throughout our time in the city.
The standout item for us was the sub roll. It was easily one of the best gluten free breads we had during the entire trip and honestly tasted like something you’d expect from a traditional bakery rather than a gluten free one.
It’s the kind of bakery we’d go out of our way to visit again on a future trip to Barcelona.
Celia
Another excellent gluten free bakery option in Barcelona.
The fact that we had multiple dedicated gluten free bakeries to choose from speaks volumes about how accommodating Barcelona is for travelers with celiac disease.
My Fucking Restaurant
Despite the unusual name, this ended up being our favorite restaurant in Barcelona.
The tasting menu delivered incredible value and showcased creative dishes in a fully gluten free environment. It was one of the most memorable meals of the entire trip and a restaurant we’d gladly return to.
A Cautionary Tale: La Pau
Not every experience went perfectly.
La Pau was not a dedicated gluten free restaurant, and despite communicating Julia’s dietary needs, staff attempted to serve her something that contained pasta.
Unfortunately, Julia later became sick after the meal.
The experience served as a reminder that dedicated gluten free restaurants are often the safest option and that mistakes can still happen, even in highly celiac friendly countries.
Barcelona was easily our favorite city for gluten free dining in Spain.
For a more detailed look at what we ordered, pricing, and our complete restaurant reviews, be sure to read our Gluten Free Barcelona Guide.
Gluten Free Madrid
Madrid offered another impressive collection of gluten free options.
Okashi
Okashi was one of the most memorable meals we had in Madrid.
This Japanese restaurant offers a fully gluten free menu, making it possible to enjoy dishes that are often difficult to find in a safe gluten free environment.
One of the highlights was the handmade gyozas. They’re so labor intensive that availability can sometimes be limited, but they were absolutely worth ordering if available.
Okashi is a restaurant we’d happily return to on a future visit.
Celicioso
Located inside the Gourmet Experience at El Corte Inglés, Celicioso offered gluten free desserts and baked goods in a convenient location.
While the lemon lime cupcake we tried wasn’t our favorite dessert of the trip, it’s still a good option if you’re looking for a gluten free treat while exploring Madrid.
Lalina
Lalina was one of our lunch stops in Madrid and offered gluten free options for travelers with celiac disease.
While this wasn’t one of our standout meals from the trip, we suspect we may not have ordered the restaurant’s most popular dishes. We’d be open to giving it another try on a future visit.
1902 Chocolatería
Trying churros in Spain was high on our list.
While 1902 Chocolatería is not entirely gluten free, they prepare their gluten free churros separately, making them a popular option for travelers with celiac disease.
Being able to enjoy gluten free churros in Madrid felt like a must do experience.
Madrid offered another impressive collection of gluten free options, from Japanese food and bakeries to gluten free churros.
For a full breakdown of what we ate, what we loved, and what we’d order again, check out our Gluten Free Madrid Guide.
Gluten Free Seville
Seville continued the trend of making gluten free travel feel surprisingly easy.
Mano de Santo
Mano de Santo ended up being our favorite restaurant in Seville.
The Mexican inspired menu provided a nice break from traditional Spanish cuisine, and the quesadilla was one of the standout dishes we had in Seville.
It quickly became one of the meals we talked about most after returning home.
Chök
This gluten free bakery chain appeared in several cities during our trip.
Knowing that we could rely on Chök for safe gluten free treats made exploring new cities much easier.
Gloria & Rosita’s
While not a restaurant, Gloria & Rosita’s was one of our favorite dessert stops of the trip.
The dedicated gluten free ice cream and dessert shop gave us a chance to enjoy a sweet treat without worrying about cross contamination.
Grosso
Grosso was another standout dining experience in Seville.
The chain specializes in gluten free pizza, and it was a great reminder of how easy it can be to find safe and enjoyable gluten free food throughout Spain.
Seville may have surprised us the most. Between Mexican food, gluten free pizza, bakeries, ice cream, and desserts, we found far more options than we expected.
For more details on our favorite restaurants, desserts, and exactly what we ordered, read our Gluten Free Seville Guide.
Gluten Free Granada
Granada may be best known for the Alhambra, but we found several excellent gluten free options there as well.
Chök
Another visit to Chök gave us access to more gluten free baked goods while exploring the city.
El Pescaito
El Pescaito was one of our favorite seafood restaurants of the trip and provided another excellent gluten free dining experience.
Granada was a smaller stop on our itinerary, but we still found several excellent options. From baked goods to seafood, eating gluten free in Granada ended up being much easier than we anticipated.
Gluten Free Valencia
No trip to Valencia would be complete without trying paella.
La Cigrona
One of the highlights of our time in Valencia was dinner at La Cigrona.
While not a fully gluten free restaurant, the staff were knowledgeable about celiac disease and made us feel comfortable dining there.
Most importantly, we finally got to try authentic Valencian paella, and it ended up being one of our favorite meals of the trip.
Our time in Valencia was brief, but being able to enjoy authentic paella made it memorable.
Finding a restaurant that understood celiac disease while serving one of the city’s most famous dishes was the perfect way to end our gluten free food journey through Spain.
Tips for Eating Gluten Free in Spain
Learn a Few Helpful Spanish Phrases
One thing that made traveling through Spain easier was learning a few basic phrases.
The most important phrase to know is “sin gluten,” which simply means “without gluten.”
While many restaurants were already familiar with celiac disease and gluten free dining, we still liked to confirm that our food was gluten free before ordering.
One phrase I found myself using frequently was:
“Toda la comida está sin gluten, correcto?”
Which roughly translates to:
“All of the food is gluten free, correct?”
Even at dedicated gluten free restaurants, asking a quick question like this gave us extra peace of mind.
We also found that restaurant staff were generally knowledgeable and happy to answer questions about ingredients and food preparation.
Additional Tips
- Use the Find Me Gluten Free app to research restaurants and bakeries before arriving in each city.
- Seek out dedicated gluten free bakeries whenever possible.
- Research restaurants before arriving.
- Continue asking questions, even when restaurants advertise gluten free options.
- Don’t miss gluten free churros in Madrid.
- Take advantage of Spain’s growing network of dedicated gluten free restaurants.
- Carry a few gluten free snacks for travel days and excursions.
- Whenever possible, choose dedicated gluten free establishments for extra peace of mind.
Is Spain Celiac Friendly?
Absolutely.
Based on our experience traveling through Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Granada, and Valencia, we found Spain to be exceptionally celiac friendly.
For us, the biggest difference was the combination of availability and confidence. We weren’t simply finding a gluten free option here and there. In city after city, we could find dedicated gluten free places where Julia could eat without having to navigate a complicated menu or worry about cross contamination.
Most of the restaurants, bakeries, and dessert shops included in this guide were dedicated gluten free, with La Pau and La Cigrona being two notable exceptions.
That said, celiac friendly doesn’t mean every restaurant is automatically safe. Our experience at La Pau reinforced the importance of asking questions about ingredients and cross contamination, even in a country with so many gluten free options.
Overall, Spain exceeded our expectations and is a destination we’d absolutely recommend to travelers with celiac disease.
Final Thoughts
Spain ended up being everything we hoped it would be as a destination for travelers with celiac disease.
From burgers in Barcelona and churros in Madrid to pizza in Seville and paella in Valencia, Julia was able to enjoy many of Spain’s most iconic foods without constantly worrying about where the next safe meal would come from.
What stood out most wasn’t any single restaurant. It was the confidence we felt dining throughout the country. In city after city, we found dedicated bakeries, fully gluten free restaurants, and staff who understood celiac disease.
While our experience at La Pau reminded us that mistakes can still happen, it was the exception rather than the rule.
Looking back, Spain was one of the most enjoyable food destinations we’ve visited, and it’s a country we’d happily return to.
If you’re planning a trip to Spain with celiac disease, there’s a good chance you’ll spend less time stressing about food and more time enjoying your vacation.
