As mentioned in my article on eating gluten free in Barcelona, food is plentiful and, relative to my Los Angeles home, inexpensive. Cafes, bars, restaurants abound, making it easy to grab a bite just about anywhere in the city.
Restaurants in the touristy areas of town tend to have staff that speaks fairly good English. Once you get outside those regions, you’ll discover that staff and menus tend to use a high mix of Catalan and Spanish — and menus translated into English tend to be, well, creative in their use of the language. It’s a lot of fun!
I’ve divided the list into two sections: places we actually visited and places I’d researched before leaving the States but didn’t manage to visit. So much to do in Barcelona! So little time!
The restaurants listed below vary in their level of gluten-free options and knowledge of what gluten free means. As always, ask questions and be careful (and remember that kitchens that are not exclusively gluten free have a chance of cross-contamination). I found that many online resources were thinly researched, but a guide produced by Barcelona Restaurant Association and Celiac Association of Catalonia was chock-full of restaurants and well-sourced. Here’s the link to the PDF guide; English language translation is interspersed with the Spanish version.
One thing I did, and I highly recommend this, is I created a Google map specific to our trip, using a color-coded system to mark the GF restaurants I wanted to try. This made it easy to identify nearby options as we were out exploring. It cost us about 15 Euro for a local data plan for our phone, and, given the twisty, turny streets of the older sections of Barcelona, having map capability is essential (carrying a guidebook screams “tourist” in a city famous for pickpockets and scams; a phone gives you cover since everyone on the street has one). Accessing your custom maps via phone has been made challenging by Google, but this blog post will guide you through the process.
(Looking for places to eat in gluten free in Sitges? Check out this great listing of options!)
Places We Ate
- Ànima BCN Restaurant, Vegetarian / Vegan Restaurant and Diner, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 602, 08007 Barcelona Catalonia, Spain. We were looking for the highly-recommended Heart Burger and its gluten-free buns, has morphed into Anima. We loved this place! Largely vegetarian with gluten-free options clearly marked on the menu. I had an amazing pumpkin carrot soup and tofu lollipops. My husband had pasta. They do a midday set meal, which includes appetizer, main, and dessert, plus wine, and we were very happy with every bite we took. Recommended.
- Bar Casi, Restaurant, Massens, 08024 Barcelona Catalonia, Spain. This little hidey-hole near Park Guell was just about pefect. They don’t speak much English, but, as advertised on the photo above, they make great food. Our server hand-wrote an English menu for us (good thing, since the next guests also spoke English), and another guest helped translate the fact I was celiaca. Make it clear you don’t want pan (bread). I had a chicken hot pot, which was a braised chicken and veggies dish.
- Bernie’s Diner Grill & Burger Bar Barcelona, American Restaurant, Burger Joint, and Cocktail Bar, Via Laietana, 20, 08003 Barcelona Catalonia, Spain. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit we ate here since it’s so American. And by American, I mean it’s a Spanish spin on an 50s-style American diner. We were looking for a good brunch stop, and this was the first place we saw. The Huevos Rancheros were gluten free, a little different from Mexican style, and pretty darn good! I liked the use of black beans.
- La Bodega Del Born. Born District. This is a bar with some small snacks. There is an emphasis on local wines and cavas. We loved stopping for a drink, olives, and a local scene. Stop in while shopping the artisan shops — so many things being handmade in the district, and you can see the artists at work!
- BrewDog Bar Barcelona, Bar, Casanova, 69 (Consell de Cent), 08011 Barcelona Catalonia, Spain. Since the focus is beer, it isn’t a gluten-free haven (though they indicated they had a GF brew on the menu). I enjoyed a salad. Very close to great shopping and another GF restaurant, Conesa, which was closed the day we were in the neighborhood.
- Bar Canigó, Bar, C. de Verdi, 2, 08012 Barcelona Catalonia, Spain. We loved the cheap drinks and tapas. There’s a good selection of gluten-free options on the menu (including my favorite: potato chips and a glass of Cava). Gracia neighborhood, which is a funky, artsy, non-touristy place to explore.
- Can Tresó, Mediterranean Restaurant, Astúries, 18 (Travessia de Sant Antoni), 08012 Barcelona Catalonia, Spain. This small restaurant/bar in the Gracia district is great for tapas or light meals. The GF selection is fairly limited (olives, cured meats, cheese, xips or chips), but the atmosphere is great. In the Gracia area. Largely Catalan/Spanish speaking staff and menus.
- La Llar de Foc, Ramon i Cajal, 13, Barcelona Catalonia, Spain, Spanish Restaurant. Server spoke very little English, and the English menu was a mix of English and Spanish and Catalan. The food, however, was excellent, as was the atmosphere. Definitely a great dinner choice if you’re in the Gracia area after 8:30 p.m.
- La Luna, Spanish Restaurant and Bar, Carreró de Sant Bonaventura, 7, 08002 Barcelona Catalonia, Spain. This was a great dinner place, and a good choice for gluten-free diners. The menu features meats, chicken, fish, tapas. my husband had a great curry while I enjoyed fish. Remember: dinner service starts late in Barcelona; we weren’t given a menu until right before 8 pm.
L’Arròs, Paella Restaurant, Mediterranean Restaurant, and Spanish Restaurant, Pg. Joan de Borbó, 12, 08003 Barcelona Catalonia, Spain. Definitely a joint geared toward tourists. Located near the water, close to the Columbus statue. Paellas are served individually, and we loved ours. Outdoor seating is perfect for drinks and people watching.
- Mylka, Gaming Cafe, Travessera, 29, Barcelona Catalonia, Spain. On our way to have drinks with friends, we stopped in here for tapas. I loved their Spanish tortilla and the owner was fun to speak with. A good stop on the way home from Park Guell.
- Store Cafe, Café, Travessera de Dalt, 25-27, 08012 Barcelona Catalonia, Spain. A great place to stop for breakfast on your way to Park Guell (and remember to get there early as the crowds are immense!). I had eggs, which was a perfect start to a long day of hiking and walking.
- Telefèric, Tapas Restaurant, Plaça Letamendi 27, 08007 Barcelona Catalonia, Spain. One of my favorite places to eat during our trip. I am still dreaming of the fried potatoes topped with a fried egg wrapped with jamon. The husband had the octopus (pulpo), and adored it. Close to La Pedera and Casa Batllo; the environment is fairly upscale, but casual.
Places We Didn’t Try
All the places below, based on my online research, offer gluten-free options. Since we couldn’t make it to these places, you will need to verify their menus!
- Basmati, Carrer de París, 163, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Conesa, Carrer de la Llibreteria, 1, 08002 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Copasetic Barcelona, Carrer de la Diputació, 55, 08015 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Mussol (Diagonal) Restaurant, Avinguda Diagonal, 488, 08006 Barcelona, Spain
- Out of China, Carrer de Muntaner, 100, 08036 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Patagonia Beef & Wine, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 660, 08010 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Quimet & Quimet, Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes, 25, 08004 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Restaurante Dos Terre, C/ París, 158, 08036 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Restaurant Comiols, Madrazo, 68/70, 08006 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Restaurant La Poma, Les Rambles, 117, 08002 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Restaurante Nomo, Carrer Gran de Gràcia, 13, 08012 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Ristorante Pizzeria Il Piccolo Focone, Carrer del Dos de Maig, 268, 08025 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Tijuana, Carrer del Comte Borrell, 296, 08029 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain