Italy is a country where things like pasta and pizza can seem like crucial components of the national identity, so you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s maybe not the ideal destination for gluten-free travelers. Luckily, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth! And that’s particularly true if your itinerary includes places where pizza and pasta aren’t part of the regional culinary tradition—places like Tuscany and Florence.
Sure, there are plenty of pizza places all over Tuscany, and there are a few pasta dishes that are considered typical in the region. Yes, Tuscan bread is its own cultural phenomenon, and is the backbone of several Tuscan staples. Lucikly, eating gluten free in Florence and the rest of Tuscany is far easier than you’d expect. Just check out the many options for gluten-free Florentine restaurants, pizzerias, gelaterias, and more!
Gluten-free bakeries
Italian breakfasts are famously quick, usually consisting of a shot of espresso and a pastry eaten while standing at the coffee bar. To take part in this Italian tradition without the gluten, visit one of these gluten-free bakeries:
Bottega Artigiana del Gusto
Not only is Bottega Artigiana del Gusto (Via Erbosa 12R) a 100% GF restaurant, they also have a GF market where you can pick up goodies to bring back from your travels.
Pasticceria Gualtieri
You’ll find cakes, pies, tarts, chocolate truffles, and more at Pasticceria Gualtieri (Via Senese 18R). Oh, and they also offer coffee in case you want to pair your piece of cake with some caffè!
Pasticceria Gualtieri offers delicious baked goods, along with coffee. Photo credit: Clara Alim
Gluten-free restaurants
Florence is home to a couple of totally gluten-free restaurants, which are owned and operated by the same people:
Quinoa
Quinoa is Florence’s first GF restaurant. They also serve up plenty of vegan and vegetarian options.
L’OV
L’OV (Piazza del Carmine 4R) offers 100% gluten-free and vegetarian meals.
In addition, there are several restaurants in Florence that have been certified by the Italian Celiac Association (AiC) and have adapted their beloved traditional Tuscan fare to be gluten-free:
Trattoria da Garibardi
Trattoria da Garibardi has a separate menu for those who eat gluten free, making it very easy to see your options immediately. They serve up gluten-free local fare including Florentine steak, ribollita, gnocchi, fried food, handmade pasta, and more.
Sgrano
Searching for traditional Tuscan sandwiches made with GF focaccia? Sgrano is your best bet! This local chain has a few locations around the city, where you can either pick up a ready-made sandwiches or sit down to full plates of pasta.
Risotteria Melotti
As the name suggests, Risotteria Melotti is the place to go for delicious ristotto. We highly recommend ordering the risotto al tartufo when it is in season.
Trattoria Cammillo
Trattoria Cammillo (Borgo S Jacopo 57R) is a lively restaurant with homestyle-type dishes. Their extensive menu offers everthing from fish to meat to pasta, making it a good option for a group dinner.
Hostaria Il Desco
Romantic and elegant, Hostaria Il Desco is the perfect date-night spot. And did we mention the kitchen is gluten free?! Some sample dishes include tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms, homemade gnocchi with pears and gorgonzola, wild boar with polenta, beef fillet with truffles, and more.
Follow up your meal at Hostaria Il Desco with a gluten-free dessert such as almond-studded cantucci. Photo credit: McPig
Gluten-free pizzerias
Pizza may not be traditionally Tuscan, but it’s ubiquitous in Italy (and, for that matter, the world). Being gluten-free doesn’t mean you can’t partake, though. These pizzerie in Florence are certified by AiC:
Ciro & Sons
The real (gluten-free) deal, Ciro & Sons is also certified by Naples’ pizza association as serving authentic Neapolitan pizza.
Pizza Man
A Florence chain with multiple locations, you are never too far from a PizzaMan.
Mister Pizza
Mister Pizza – not to be confused with PizzaMan – has two Florence locations. The build-your-own options make it easy to customize your own pizza.
Ristorante Pizzeria La Luna
Ristorante Pizzeria La Luna has plenty of gluten-free pizza options, which are clearly labeled on their menu. This spot also offers other dishes in case someone in your group prefers, say, pasta instead!
Gluten-free gelaterias
Gelato might seem like a safe gluten-free bet, but of course there are plenty of opportunities for cross-contamination between scoops and cones. These shops are either completely gluten-free or they’ve got gluten-free cones and know how to avoid cross-contamination:
Grom
Did you know that well-known gelato chain Grom is 100% gluten-free? The Florence location is centrally located just one block down from the Duomo.
Antica Gelateria Fiorentina
Antica Gelateria Fiorentina is a local spot that offers gluten-free options so that you can sample flavors safely and deliciously.
Traditional dishes in Tuscany that are gluten-free
As mentioned earlier, pasta doesn’t play a huge role in Tuscan history. Some of the quintessentially Tuscan dishes, however, do incorporate the region’s famously unsalted bread as a thickener. In other words, you’ll want to confirm with waiters that a dish is gluten-free—don’t assume because it’s a “soup” that it automatically is.
There are many traditional Tuscan dishes that are inherently gluten-free, though, including:
Bistecca alla Fiorentina
Florence’s famous steaks are seasoned minimally with salt and grilled over open flames.
Chestnut flour pasta and bread
Many Tuscan towns are well-known for growing chestnuts, some of which get ground into flour. Chestnut flour pasta is a typical dish in the town of Lucca, for instance, part of the region’s cucina povera (“peasant cooking”) heritage of making do with less.
Legumes
Tuscans have made beans and lentils an important part of their diet for centuries (people sometimes call them “the bean eaters” today), and modern Tuscan cuisine still features plenty of legumes. Note that sometimes those beans are combined with bread (as in traditional ribollita), so pay special attention to the ingredients in bean soups.
Risotto
As long as the broth used to make it is gluten-free, risotto can be an excellent gluten-free option. The dish is a staple in northern Italy, where pasta is a relatively recent addition to the diet, and Tuscany is one of the regions known for rice cultivation.
Truffles
These humble-looking lumps are prized for a reason, and when it’s truffle season in Florence you’ll find them on menus all over the city.
Italian Celiac Association and the AiC app
It may come as a surprise that eating gluten-free in Florence is getting easier and easier. There are a few things that help explain this:
- Dietary restrictions, including celiac disease, are more familiar all over the world.
- Food is central to Italian culture and social life, and Italians don’t want anyone to get left out.
- Italians are empathetic regarding digestion issues, so they understand the idea that someone can’t digest gluten well.
There’s also a government organization, the Italian Celiac Association (AiC), that helps ensure that restaurants they certify serve gluten-free dishes that are safe for celiac diners. You can look for their red and white stickers in restaurant windows, and there’s even an AiC app. You can buy a temporary version of the app for just a few dollars that’s good for two weeks (rather than paying to be a full AiC member), which lets you search for gluten-free restaurants and markets wherever you’re going in Italy.
Did you know? Our Oltrarno at Sunset: Florence Food & Wine Tour also has a gluten-free option! Simply indicate that you are gluten free when you make your booking, and we’ll take care of the rest. We hope to see you on tour!
