I have just come back from a fantastic trip to Italy and was amazed at how easy it was to find gluten free food.  The great thing about Italy, and Europe for that matter, is that they are so aware of dietary requirements.  Before I left for Italy I did a bit of research and came across the Italian Coeliac Society, Associazione Italian Celiachia (AIC).  On the link below you can type in the City and it will list all the AIC approved gluten free venues!   This was great for us to plan where to head for dinner to make sure I had lots of choice.  When it came to lunch we didn’t usually have wifi so it was a case of asking at the restaurant but we had no issues at all and most places were very accommodating and had gluten free options readily available.

http://www.celiachia.it/DIETA/ricercaStrutture.php?SS=95&M=1099

Almost every restaurant we went to in Rome had gluten free pasta or pizza!  Italian for Gluten Free is Senza Glutine.  I have put together a list of the places we tried or wanted to try but didn’t get the chance.  It is also worth noting that the supermarkets stock some gluten free options.  Carrefour has snacks, bread, pasta and sweet treats so is a great place for picking up supplies, particularly if you were in self catering accommodation.

I would also be interested to hear any of your recommendations too as we definitely plan to go back for another visit in the future to see other parts of the country!

Rome

Voglia Di Pizza Gluten Free

This place is amazing!  The gluten free menu is the same size as the standard menu.  They had bruschetta, pizza and even gluten free cheesecake!  We had the bruschetta to share to start and I opted for the prosciutto and mushroom pizza.  It was delicious!  The base was thin and crispy which is how I used to like my pizza before I was diagnosed so it was great.  We finished with a cheesecake to share even though I was so full.  I couldn’t resist!  It was so yummy.  We had an amazing meal and would highly recommend visiting!  It is very central and is easy walking distance from the Pantheon.

Café Ristorgimento

We stopped in by here for lunch after we had visited the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.  They were able to offer gluten free pizza, spaghetti and LASAGNA!  This was seriously exciting for me as I haven’t had lasagna in a restaurant in 17 years and it’s not something I ever make at home.  It didn’t disappoint!  The flavours were fantastic.

Pantha Rei

We found Pantha Rei whilst searching online and it comes highly recommended by gluten free diners.  The whole menu can be made gluten free so it was another one which was on the list of must visit!  We started with the prosciutto and caprese salad which was served with gluten free bread.  So fresh and tasty.  I couldn’t choose my main so my husband kindly offered for us to split the mains so I could try the pizza and the ravioli.  The ravioli is a must as I have never had proper ravioli before, only the Heinz ravioli in a tin!  The pizza base was thicker than the one in Voglia di Pizza but was still so good and the ravioli was out of this world!  We finished by sharing gluten free Tiramisu.  Very happy diners!

Pandali Bakery

This was a real highlight for me and we visited twice in the 3 days we were in Rome and was a recommendation from Baci Di Dama Gluten Free!  The entire bakery is gluten free so the choices are endless.  They had rolls, tarts, biscotti, meringues, muffins, cakes, biscuits, donuts, pizza, calzone, basically anything you can think of!  I didn’t know where to start.  We got a calzone with ham and mozzarella to go for breakfast the first day we visited and took away a custard filled donut and chocolate biscotti which I enjoyed later I the day with a glass of Prosecco.  Day 2 we stopped for lunch and shared a calzone with broccoli and mozzarella and smoked salmon sandwiches and took away some jam tarts which we enjoyed with coffee later in the day.  Pandali is a must if you are visiting rome.  I was like a kid in a candy shop.  It was just amazing to have so much choice and is conveniently located round the corner from the Pantheon!

Hosteria dei Baullari

It was pouring with rain and we stumbled across Hosteria dei Baullari.  The gluten free sign on the menu caught my eye.  They offered gluten free lasagna, pizza and beer.  I have only ever taste beer once before and this was the last time I was in Italy for a wedding but this time it was Peroni so I had to give it a try to ensure I had the full Italian experience!  I ordered the lasagna too which was really tasty.

Gelatificio Chocolat

We found this place purely by accident too.  I had struggled to find gluten free gelato all day while we were at the Vatican after being told time after time that the gelato wasn’t gluten free so had almost given up hope.  We decided to ask in Gelatificio Choclat and were told that all the gelato was gluten free!  I went for the Stracciatella and the cherry flavor.  It was great!

Fatamorgana

This chain of gelateria comes highly recommended.  According to online reviews it offers a variety of gluten free gelato flavours and even gluten free cones!  Due to the rain we weren’t able to visit which I am very sad about as I would have loved to try the ice cream cone.  Maybe next time!

Mama Eat

This restaurant was also on our list of places to visit but on our way there the heavens opened and there was a thunder storm so we decided against it as it would have meant a 30 minute walk back in the rain.  From what I can see on their website they seem to be able to make everything on their menu gluten free so it would definitely be worth stopping by.  It is located in Trastevere.

Florence

We were in Florence for a wedding so we didn’t do much exploring on our own but here are a couple of places we went to.

Tuscan Wine Time Tour

As a group we did a tour of the Chianti Vineyards with Tuscan Wine Time.  We visited 3 vineyards where we sampled 3 different wines and also the locally made olive oil.  Luckily I took my own bread with me just in case as there was no gluten free bread for me to try the olive oil in each location but we did have a delicious meal in the final vineyard which had a lovely wine pairing for each course.  We had a selection of ham and cheese which was followed by gluten free bruschetta for me and a lovely gluten free tomato pasta.  It was a great day out and I would highly recommend it.  The Tuscan countryside is absolutely beautiful.

Fuoco Matto

We went here for a group meal and it was a lovely little restaurant.  They didn’t offer a great deal of gluten free options so I am sure there are better gluten free restaurants but I had a lovely selection of meat and cheese and we shared a seafood risotto which was really yummy.  For those who are not on a Gluten Free diet it is meant to be one of the best places for pizza in Florence.

C Hotel Ambasciatori

We stayed here for 2 nights and they were great with catering for a gluten free breakfast.  I was given bread, rolls and some sweet treats too.

 

Hopefully these tips will come in handy for a trip to Italy although there is so much more we have yet to discover.  Guess that means we have no choice but to go back and sample more of the amazing food!

Ciao!