The doorman at the office I work usually doesn’t get much past the weather as a topic of conversation until one day he gave me a menacing look and said…
“You’ve got nothing for celiacs on your blog!”
What surprised me though is when I came back down later in the day: he’d had a little note prepared with a list of the best gluten free restaurants in Barcelona.
And thus, another post is born.
Index
Know what type of gluten free restaurants in Barcelona you’re looking for? Click ahead:
1 – Spanish and Mediterranean
2 – Tapas
3 – Breakfast, sandwiches, and bakeries
4 – Ethnic food
5 – Tips for eating gluten free in Barcelona
6 – What gluten free Spanish food can I eat?
Gluten Free Restaurants in Barcelona
Restaurant Gut
€€-€€€ | Area: Gracia | Carrer Perill 13 | Metro: Diagonal (green L3, blue L5) | Website
With 90% of its Asian-influenced Mediterranean menu completely gluten free you’ll be spoiled for choice at this charming and modern restaurant.
The grilled octopus on cod brandade or eggplant and quinoa burger are a good start. Great vegetarian options as well, though meat eaters also won’t be disappointed.
El Mussol
€€€ | Area: Most neighbourhoods | Various Locations | Website
This super popular Catalan restaurant chain is famous for its local classics like croquettes, salt cod, and quality grilled meat dishes that stay true to local tradition.
These are true pioneers in the gluten free Barcelona scene having operated with a fully functioning gluten free menu since 2012, with over 30 items from starters to dessert.
L’Arrossería Xàtiva
€€-€€€ | Area: Gracia| Torrent d’en Vidalet, 26 | Metro: Fontana (green line L3) | Website
The allergen-sensitive menu here at one of Barcelona’s best ‘rice houses’ will help you enjoy top notch Spanish food without the worry. I’ve even heard of them baking gluten free bread on the spot.
Some real authentic gluten free paella here including the famous squid ink variety.
La Lluna
€€-€€€ | Area: El Gotico | Calle Santa Anna 20 | Metro: Urquinaona (various) | Website
What’s strange about this traditional Spanish joint is that it didn’t become a gluten free restaurant until about 10 years ago. Why? The restaurant is near the Coeliac Association of Catalunya and the clientele pushed things that way.
Gluten free bread and gluten free beer are just the start. What you’ll like here are the decent value 3 course specials full of gluten free items. The beef carpaccio is divine and the gluten free brownies are the cherry on top.
Il Piccolo Focone
€€ | Area: Hospital San Pau | Dos de Maig 268 | Metro: Encants (purple line L2) | Website
A classic pizzeria with a twist. Here you’ll be able to enjoy gluten free pizza because the dough is made of rice flour and potato starch (for non-coeliacs they also have traditional dough).
Also great for gluten free pasta and some top notch gluten free dessert. A bonus to this restaurant is that it’s near the famous Sagrada Familia.
Gluten Free Tapas
Tapeo
€€-€€€ | Area: Born | Carrer Montcada 29 | Metro: Jaume I (yellow line L4) | Website
Classic Spanish tapas to more modern elaborations. Barcelonians have gone wild over this tapas joint just a stone’s throw from the Picasso museum.
The wait staff here are fully prepared to help you navigate a menu of gluten free tapas options. Get the beef cheeks or the Iberian pork ribs and honey.
Rasoterra
€€-€€€ | Area: Gotico | Carrer del Palau 5 | Metro: Liceu (green line L4) | Website
This tapas restaurant ticks all the options boxes: vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, organic, 100 mile diet. Who says you can’t have a real Spanish tapas night?
Here you’ll find gluten free bread and two varieties of gluten free beer. They even write out the distance the products have to travel to get to your plate.
Breakfast, Sandwiches, Bakeries
Copasetic Barcelona
€€ | Area: Eixample | Carrer Diputació 55 | Metro: Rocafort (red line L1) | Website
Who better to trust than a restaurant owner that is coeliac herself? The gluten free pancakes, crepes, and burgers here just might be as good as any gluten filled counterparts.
The fruit and almond milk smoothies are also a highlight. A great place for gluten free in Barcelona but also the city’s best option for hangover remedy cocktails.
Tropico
€€ | Area: Raval | Marques de Barbera 24 | Metro: Drassanes (green line L4) | Website
Deliciousness is just a short walk from La Rambla. This trendy spot famous for a gluten free breakfast or brunch seeks to take eaters on a trip around the world using tropical ingredients.
Highlights include the acai bowl and the delicious, colourful dragonfruit smoothies.
Forn Boix
€€-€€€ | Area: El Raval | Carrer de l’ Hospital 20 | Metro: Liceu (green line L4) | Website
If you’re looking for a gluten free bakery in Barcelona you’ll find the best one right off the famous La Rambla. In fact, there’s a whole table of gluten-free items to choose from. So load up on your baked bread, cupcakes, and favourite pastries and go off sightseeing.
You’ll also notice individually wrapped items to discourage cross-contamination.
Gluten Free Ethnic Restaurants
Monster Sushi
€€ | Area: Gracia | Plaça de Gal·la Placídia 25 | Metro: Fontana (green line L4) | Website
This modern sushi restaurant with a bit of a Latin twist is one of Barcelona’s best restaurants before we even get to the 30 item gluten free menu. You’ll find some of the freshest fish around here.
Get all your typical nigiri combos and some creative rolls as well as some delicious kitchen menu items such as the ceviche or the monster steak.
Out of China
€€ | Area: Eixample | Carrer Muntaner 100 | Metro: Hospital Clinic (blue line L5) | Website
Walk past the Xian warrior guarding the entrance of this restaurant and step into one of the best Chinese dining experiences in Barcelona – without gluten!
From dumpling starters to fried rice and sweet and sour pork entrees you’ll hardly miss anything from traditional Chinese menus.
Tips for Eating Gluten Free in Barcelona
For starters I want to give you a very important phrase: solo puedo comer platos sin gluten.
This means ‘I can only eat gluten free dishes’. Advising your waiter in advance will avoid any problems – it should also work in English in most places.
Supermarkets
You’ll be happy to know that Barcelona’s biggest supermarket chain Mercadona has an entire line of gluten free products from pizza to chicken nuggets and beyond. If you’ve decided to get an apartment and cook this is your spot.
Most other supermarket chains will carry Dr. Schaer gluten free products as well.
Your best bet for an all around gluten free supermarket is the organic supermarket chain called Veritas (website in Spanish, use browser translate): there are around a dozen in Barcelona in virtually every neighbourhood from El Gotico to Raval and more.
Gluten Free Spanish Food
The good news is coeliacs have already got some natural culinary allies in the Spanish kitchen. You can find lots of dishes at Barcelona’s best restaurants that are naturally gluten free.
- The paella (a rice dish with seafood or meat).
- Tortilla de patatas (a type of hearty omelette with potatoes and eggs).
- The legendary patatas bravas (fried potato wedges with a spicy sauce).
- Pulpo a la gallega (boiled octopus with potatoes, paprika, and sea salt).
- Escalivada (cod and roast vegetables).
- Boquerones (vinegar marinated anchovies).
- Jamon serrano (the classic Spanish cured ham).
Hit Me Up in the Comments Below
Not satisfied with any of these gluten free restaurants in Barcelona? Drop me a line for some custom advice.
And as always – any other question you have for your gluten free Barcelona holiday or anything else about the city I am here with an answer!
Kate
it’s hard for me to find food – gluten free, only vegetarian and fish (allergy to other seafood). I’ll be there over Xmas. Any idea which area or restaurants to pick? My OH gets fed up if we trudge around for hours and I keep saying no!
Many thanks for this blog.
Ash
Hi Kate,
No problem at all 🙂
Honestly this article was written using second hand info from friends and my ex doorman so I don’t have a lot of first hand experience fo which I would pick if I had to. I’ve been to Arrosseria Xativa and Out of China and both were outstanding but they’re quite specific in their cuisine.
I hate doing this but I would check out a few of the ones that stuck out to you using Tripadvisor and make up your mind based on the reviews there.
As for areas… they’re all spaced out all over the city so there’s no gluten free area per se. Though in general you’ll probably find more refined and health conscious stuff in an area like El Born or Gracia.
Cheers,
Ash
Kathy & Larry
This website was an incredible help for me when eating gluten free in Barcelona. I had the best gluten free meal ever today at La Lluna. The service was exemplary, the food was outstanding and the three course meal cost half the price that it would in Canada. I highly recommend La Lluna!
Ash
Thank you so much! Really glad to hear 🙂
Debi
We were in Barcelona 6 years ago and had a great taxi driver named Jospeh, have us a tour with set rate. We have his taxi # and plate number any chance we could find him with that information? Coming again for 3 days in mid-Nov.
Ash
Hi Debi,
That sounds really cool but I wouldn’t know how to go about this aside from perhaps getting in touch via their suggestions, questions, and complaints form here:
https://taxi.amb.cat/taxista/queixes-i-suggeriments
Hope they can track him down for you!
Cheers,
Ash
Lindsay
Hi Ash,
Thank you for your celiac friendly restaurant list. I’ll be visiting Barcelona in early August. I am celiac AND can’t have garlic. I looooove food and an important aspect of traveling for me is exploring and enjoying local cuisine. Do you have any suggestions on how to navigate gluten-free AND garlic-free in restaurants? Any gf dishes you know off-hand where it’s impossible to remove the garlic? Any other thoughts/ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Ash
Hi Lindsay,
Of the dishes mentioned above the pulpo, tortilla, jamon, and boquerones would not include garlic.
That said, all of the restaurants on my lists should be cooking from scratch so you will be able to request they make something without garlic.
In case they don’t understand English (rare) you can simply say in Spanish: “lo puedes preparar sin ajo, por favour?” (loh poo-eh-dess preh-pah-rar seen aho pour fabor) and they’ll get you!
I don’t see this being a problem 🙂
Ash