Eating Gluten Free in Barcelona

This blog post was originally published on April 7, 2015, and was updated on September 7, 2017.

Whether you have celiac disease or have simply chosen a gluten free diet, eating gluten free in Barcelona is no longer a challenge!

Celiac? Prefer avoiding gluten? Eating gluten free in Barcelona is not always easy, but it can be done! These days, awareness of gluten is on the rise, and supermarkets, pastry shops and restaurants are beginning to cater to those who do not consider gluten a part of their diet. Here is a comprehensive guide to eating gluten free in Barcelona, from gluten-free dishes worth tasting to cool restaurants to check out.

Please note: though awareness of gluten-free dining is on the rise in Spain, do proceed with caution! Cross-contamination is a concern in many of the small, traditional kitchens across the country, so we always recommend that those with an allergy or celiac disease consult directly with the restaurants before ordering. Here are some useful phrases in Spanish and Catalan from the Federación de Asociaciones de Celiacos de España:

• Enfermedad celiaca / malaltia celíaca = celiac disease
• Yo soy celiaco/a / Jo sóc celíac = I’m coeliac
• No puedo comer productos que tengan como ingrediente: trigo, centeno, cebada o avena / No puc menjar productes que tinguin com a ingredient: blat, sègol, ordi o civada = I cannot eat things that contain wheat, rye, barley or oats.
• Libre de gluten / Lliure de gluten = gluten-free
• Almidón de trigo / Midó de blat = wheat starch
• Soy celiaco/a y debo seguir una dieta sin gluten / Sóc celíac i he de seguir una dieta sense gluten = I’m coeliac and must follow a gluten-free diet
• ¿Esta comida contiene trigo, centeno, cebada o avena? / ¿Aquest menjar conté blat, sègol, ordi o civada? = Does this dish contain wheat, rye, barley, or oats?
• Puedo comer alimentos que contengan arroz, patatas, verduras y frutas, huevos, queso, leche y pescado / Puc menjar aliments que continguin arròs, patates, verdures i fruites, ous, formatge, llet i peix = I can eat dishes with rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, eggs, cheese, milk, and fish.
• Sin salsa por favor / Sense salsa si us plau = No sauce please!
• Gracias por tu ayuda / Gràcies per la teva ajuda = Thank you for your help!

Must-Try Gluten Free Tapas

For many people coming to Spain, one of the first things they think of as far as Spanish food goes are tapas, of course! Tapas come in many shapes and forms and are an especially popular way to eat out. However, loads of them are battered and fried, often times using bread crumbs or flour (think croquettes, fried fish or calamari). But this certainly doesn’t mean one has to avoid tapas altogether! Here are a few suggestions of delicious tapas that are 100% gluten free and undeniably delicious!

• boquerones en vinagre (pickled anchovies)
• huevos estrellados (fried eggs with ham or chorizo)
• escalivada (roasted vegetables)
• anchoas (anchovies)
• patatas bravas (fried potatoes with spicy bravas sauce)
• esqueixada (cod and vegetable salad)
• ensaladilla rusa (potato salad)
• pulpo a la gallega (octopus and potatoes)
• tortilla española (Spanish potato omelette)

That’s just to name a few, start exploring and discover the world of naturally gluten free tapas that are available!

Eating Out

While there aren’t loads of restaurants that are entirely gluten free in Barcelona, the ones that do exist are fantastic. Without a doubt, you’ll find one that suits your tastes.

• Copasetic: This really is gluten free heaven. This lovely cafe-restaurant in the Eixample has a long list of breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner eats, ranging anywhere from gluten free crepes to organic, gluten free beer.
  Address: Carrer de la Diputació, 55
• El Dinamic de BCN: Parlament street, a strip of local hidden gems, is now very gluten free friendly as well. El Dinamic opened up not long ago, and specializes in tapas as well as comfort food like pastas and stews.
  Address: Passatge de Pere Calders, 4
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• Teresa Carles: This vegetarian restaurant has something for every diet, including some particularly stellar gluten free dishes to boot.
  Address: Carrer de Jovellanos, 2
• Conesa: You may think this is too good to be true, but Conesa does on-the-go sandwiches with certified gluten-free bread! Try the classic llom i pernil (pork loin and ham) or the escalivada sandwich (roasted vegetables).
  Address: Carrer de la Llibreteria, 1
• Homo Sibaris: For the beer lovers, this classic craft beer joint has several gluten free bottles to enjoy.
  Address: Plaça d’Osca, 4
• Forn Boix: Another recent discovery, this bakery has been making bread in the Raval since the 1920s. Today, it has a special section dedicated to artisan gluten free cookies.
  Address: Carrer d’En Xuclà, 23
• Messie Pizza: Priding themselves on the only 100% gluten free restaurant in all of Barcelona, their pizzas are delicious, as well as homemade cakes and other delicious dishes at their new second location around the corner, Sense Gluten.
  Address: Carrer Torrent de l’Olla, 65

Shopping

There are a few different Barcelona supermarkets that have a wide selection of gluten-free products. Firstly, there’s Veritas, the organic supermarket with several different locations throughout the city. Meanwhile, another good option is El Corte Inglés, the mega one-stop-shop department store that lies in the center of every Spanish city. There is a supermarket in the basement that has a pretty impressive section of gluten-free glory. Not to mention all of our wonderful food markets. Why not take a journey through one right now with our lovely co-founder Lauren Alouise.