Gluten Free Rome: A Complete Guide (Celiac-Safe)

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Some Helpful Travel Tips for Visiting Rome and Eating Gluten Free

Before we get into specific restaurants and bakeries in Rome that we’d recommend, let’s quickly cover some things we think you should know before you travel to Rome.

The Italian Celiac Association (Associazione Italiana Celiachia) is Amazing

At a high level, the AIC educates restaurants in Italy on how to safely serve Celiacs a gluten free meal, from sourcing ingredients to separating equipment and surfaces in the kitchen.

It’s a revelation, coming from the USA where it’s essentially a free-for-all, and terms like “gluten-friendly” have somehow become a thing, and are popping up everywhere.

In Italy, it’s generally a good assumption that if something is AIC-accredited, they know what they’re doing.

The first thing you should do when you’re planning a gluten free trip to Italy is download the AIC app, which costs $2.99 to subscribe for two weeks to their database of accredited gluten free restaurants in Italy (you can extend for another two weeks exactly once, and after that you’ll have to get in touch with a local association to subscribe). 

In that app, they have an interactive map where you can see accredited restaurants in a given area, including the user ratings (though there’s not much detail behind the ratings).

I automatically disregarded any restaurant with a rating below 4.0, for what it’s worth.

It’s a lifesaver, and it’s better than FindMeGlutenFree, I think (though FMGF is also super useful when traveling). 

Get an Italian Gluten Free Restaurant Card

A lot of people in Rome, especially in restaurants, speak English. But if you don’t speak Italian and you’re worried about communicating your needs, Jodi from Legal Nomads has a solution for you that will make eating gluten free in Italy significantly easier.

She has a gluten free restaurant card in Italian that is specifically designed for gluten free travel in Italy.

It clearly communicates our needs as Celiacs, including cross-contact and specific hidden sources of gluten found in Italy.

It will cost you $9, which is nothing in the grand scheme of your trip, and it will save you tons of stress and anxiety and help you get safe gluten free food in Italy regardless of how much Italian you speak.

Head over to Legal Nomads and pick up an Italian Gluten Free Translation Card to travel safely and confidently with Celiac Disease.

I personally use these when I travel, and they have helped me confidently and comfortably communicate my needs in the face of a language barrier.

I’ve used them in Germany to eat safely (I don’t speak German, only romance languages for me!) and also down in Colombia and Mexico, and they saved me several times in situations where my 2nd grade Spanish wasn’t quite cutting it.

They are well worth the small investment to help you feel more comfortable and confident traveling with Celiac Disease.

Click here to grab one for your trip.

Be Skeptical of Any “Gluten Free” Beer (Spoiler: it’s Gluten-Reduced) 

Compared to other Italian cities, there’s a lot of gluten free beer to be found in Rome. Which I was excited about! 

Until, of course, I read the labels and saw “barley malt” on every single label. Barley, as you may know, is one of the grains that contains gluten.

Which means these beers are made with barley, then an enzyme is added to break up the gluten, which interferes with the test for gluten’s ability to detect gluten. Seems sketchy, right? That’s because it is. In both Canada and the US, you can’t call these beers gluten free.

It’s legal in the EU to label these beers as “gluten free,” and often the only way you’d know it contains barley is by looking at the ingredients.

Here’s a quick read on the difference, and why people with Celiac Disease shouldn’t drink gluten-reduced beer. Here’s another one. And I loved this open letter. 

Gelato Shops are a Minefield of Cross-Contact

The gelato goes on the cone, the scoop touches the cone, the scoop goes back into the tub, repeat as needed.

Unless you are able to communicate that you’d like a fresh scooper and a fresh container that hasn’t been opened AND they’re able to accommodate that request (most places don’t have extra tubs sitting around like some ice cream shops do in the US), then I’d stick to the 100% gluten free gelato shops, which you’ll find more information on below.

SPOILER: There are four of them!

Gluten Free Groceries are Easy to Find

Almost every single main grocery store in Italy has some sort of gluten free section, usually in a whole separate area.

The exception would be small convenience stores, which aren’t usually a great place to find gluten free bread, pasta, etc. 

Things are well-labeled, and you’ll want to look for “senza glutine” on packaged foods. Carrefour Express and Pam Local were our favorites in Rome, and they have a nice selection of gluten free items in a dedicated section at most of their locations in the city. 

Gluten Free Wheat Starch is Fairly Common in Pizza Crusts (and Other Baked Goods)

Another problematic ingredient! But, in my opinion, less-so than the gluten free beer example above. 

In Italy, and many other E.U. countries, they use an ingredient that is essentially gluten free wheat starch, which offers some nice texture benefits when it’s used in things like pizza crust.

All of a sudden, you go from only being able to do thin crust pizzas to being able to have thick, bubbly pizza crust. MAGIC!

Admittedly, I know less about gluten free wheat starch than I do about gluten reduced beer, but I will once again refer you to Gluten Free Watchdog’s take on it (she’s so much more knowledgeable than I am on this kind of stuff) so that you can use that information to make your own decision. 

However, the reason that I’m including this in its separate section is that it absolutely does matter for people with a wheat allergy! If you are eating gluten free because you have a wheat allergy, you’ll need to ask at every restaurant, particularly pizza places. 

You Should Really Follow Catalin, the Celiac in Italy

Catalin is a Celiac expat in Florence who is one of my favorite Instagram follows, and she’s super knowledgeable about eating gluten free in the city she now calls home.

She’s also a fantastic resource for planning a trip to Italy and offers a bunch of travel guides, gluten free experiences in Florence, and – crucuailly – trip planning services (which is something we don’t offer).

If you’re nervous about visiting Italy with Celiac Disease, she is a great resource (especially if you want to have a conversation with someone who lives the gluten free life in Italy on a daily basis!).

You can find here at her website The Celiac in Italy, or on Instagram @CeliacinItaly. 

Gluten Free Rome: Our Favorite Gluten Free Restaurants + Bakeries

So I have some great news: there is a TON of amazing gluten free food in Rome for you to enjoy. You’ll find everything from gluten free pizza (and lots of it), to pastries, pasta, gelato, and just about anything else you can imagine.

Like I said, you wouldn’t necessarily expect that from a city in Italy, the home of pizza and pasta, but I promise, it’s true.

We’re going to organize this guide into four sections: our favorite gluten free restaurants, dedicated gluten free bakeries, dedicated gluten free gelato shops (yes, there are a bunch – all including gluten free cones!), and grocery stores where you can find gluten free options.

While there are certainly more options in Rome, depending on your risk tolerance, this is a collection of places that we feel offer the best shot at getting safe gluten free food in Rome.

Putting my cards on the table here – I think that if you’re a Celiac traveling in Italy, you should focus on either dedicated gluten free restaurants and bakeries, or restaurants that are not 100% gluten free, but ARE accredited by the AIC.

For that reason, the restaurants you will find below are either dedicated gluten free – that means no gluten in the kitchen, so the risk of cross-contact is low – or AIC-accredited, which means that the staff has been trained on how to prevent cross-contact and how to cater to Celiac customers. In many cases, both.

Now, is this a perfect way to avoid cross-contact? Probably not perfect.

Eating out with Celiac Disease always carries some level of risk because it depends on the individual staff members following the procedures put in place.

It’s still up to you to communicate your needs to staff members and make sure they can meet your needs.

Is it an easy shortcut for finding places that are set up to serve Celiacs safely? I believe the answer is yes, which is why that’s how I’ve organized this guide and chosen the restaurants to include.

If you’re curious what our process for discovering and vetting gluten free spots looks like, you can read our gluten free FAQ. 

BONUS: I’ve personally eaten at every single restaurant on this list! Between the ten days in Rome on our two month Italy adventure a few years ago (most of that time was spent eating our way through the Eternal City) and my recent spring 2024 trip to make some updates to this guide, we’ve covered a lot of gluten free ground in Rome. Come to think of it, most of our time spent anywhere involves some sort of eating.

Our Favorite Gluten Free Restaurants in Rome

And now, let’s get to the food. 

Before going into this section, I want to point out that this is not meant to be a comprehensive list of every single place you could possibly find gluten free food in Rome.

Instead, this is a list of restaurants that are well-reviewed on the AIC app (along with other apps) AND that we had a good experience at.

That’s right, I ate at all of these restaurants (except one, which we call out below). Your experience may vary, of course, because it comes down to communicating your needs to the staff and them following the protocols they have in place to prevent cross-contact.

If you’re worried about not being able to communicate, spend the $9 on an Italian gluten free restaurant card, and you won’t have to stress about pulling up “I have Celiac Disease, is this gluten free” on Google Translate with a limited internet connection.

We’re labeling these restaurants as either dedicated gluten free or AIC-accredited, which all of the restaurants on this list are. 

Mama Eat (AIC-Accredited)

The original location of Mama Eat is in Trastevere, and they now have multiple restaurants in Rome (including that one in Trastevere, one near the Vatican, and one further north near Ponte Milvio), and I would say this is one of our favorite places to eat in Rome (especially out on the patio at the Trastevere location). 

This place IS NOT 100% gluten free, though they do have separate kitchens and equipment to prepare gluten free meals and are AIC-accredited (and are very much one of the original few spots pioneering that approach in Italy). 

We had a lovely meal here on a warm fall evening, right next to an Italian couple who clearly had been there before, which is always a good sign.

They have a full menu of pizzas, pastas, and starters, and it’s all available in a gluten free version. We got carbonara – a traditional dish from Rome made with pasta, egg, and pancetta (or other forms of fatty pork) – and a pizza to share.

Both were really good – Mama Eat’s gluten free pizza crust was our favorite we had in Rome – but the unexpected star of the show was actually the house wine, which was amazing and SO CHEAP.

We really enjoyed both the ambiance, sitting along one of Trastevere’s streets and watching the world go by, and the food (and wine), and think it makes a lovely place for an evening out in Trastevere.

2024 Update: Yep, Mama Eat is still great, even with their expansion across Italy. I had a pizza (my second favorite gluten free pizza crust in Rome) and, because I learned it was artichoke season, some carciofi alla Romana while sitting out on the patio with a nice (cheap) glass of house white wine. I also ran into Danny, a Celiac from London who had read my guide, and we had a nice chat and went to grab gelato at Fatamorgana nearby after dinner – HI DANNY, hope you’re doing well!

Mercato Hostaria (AIC-Accredited)

Normally we have a rule that we always follow when we’re traveling: never eat within a few blocks of a major tourist attraction (for an example of why, see, “Trevi, Pizza in” below). 

I was three seconds away from skipping eating at Mercato Hostaria because it is right on Campo de’ Fiori, which I’d classify as a major tourist attraction in Rome.  

However, after reading a lot of positive reviews, walking past it several times, chatting with the staff, and leaving and coming back twice within ten minutes because I couldn’t make up my mind, I decided to go for it. 

And this is a good lesson for both me and you (learn from my mistakes!) because this turned out to be the best gluten free pizza I had in Rome. 

The first thing I saw when I walked up was the prominent AIC Certification signs out front, and the spacious patio, and I decided it would be a nice place to enjoy a long lunch. 

As soon as I uttered the words “senza glutine” and “sono Celiaco,” the server swept away my plate, glass, and utensils (even the placemat!) and brought me a fresh set – including wrapped silverware and a different colored plate and glass – with a placemat that clearly stated I was Celiac (or eating gluten free). 

Immediately, I felt comfortable that they knew what they were doing. 

I had a gluten free pizza, and the crust was the best that I had on my entire trip.

They also have an extensive menu of starters, pastas, and desserts that can be made gluten free, but I was just one person, and I had more gluten free food to eat that day. 

Overall, a great central gluten free option with a lovely patio right on Campo de’ Fiori and excellent gluten free pizza. 

Cimarra 4 Pizzeria and Cocktail Bar (AIC-Accredited)

On this latest trip (in the spring of 2024), I stayed in Monti, a charming little triangle squished between the Colosseum, Centro Storico, and Termini Station.

I had bookmarked Cimarra 4 as a place to have dinner in the neighborhood (it was three blocks from my hotel, Salotto Monti). 

I would highly recommend making a reservation, because I showed up on the early end, asked for a table for one (in Italian), and was basically told “you can have this table, but we need it in one hour” (unclear if that was just a tactic to turn over the table, or because they actually had a reservation). 

Either way, make a reservation to be safe. 

Anyway, the idea here is basically the same as many of the other restaurants on this list; separate gluten free kitchen, the entire menu can be made gluten free, etc etc. 

It should be noted that there is some confusing language on their website, and their entire menu IS NOT gluten free, but can be made gluten free if needed (you have to specify that you want it “senza glutine”). 

Given the name, I would say that pizza is the name of the game here. I had a pizza Diavola and an arancini (basically a fried rice ball) to start, and the pizza was the star of the show. It wasn’t my favorite gluten free pizza I’ve eaten in Rome, but it was closer to the top of the list than the bottom. 

El Maìz – Venezuelan Street Food (Dedicated Gluten Free)

If you’ve followed us – either through this site, or on Instagram – one of the things you might know about us is that WE LOVE AREPAS. We’re suckers for a good Venezuelan-style filled arepa – which is basically a sandwich between two corn cakes.

I can honestly say that I was definitely not expecting to find arepas in Rome, and the only reason I did was that I was scrolling through the AIC app looking for more restaurants to try and stumbled upon El Maìz (which is AIC-accredited and 100% gluten free).

Within four hours, we had trekked (in the rain) out to Prati (near the Vatican) for our arepa fix, which was a lovely break from pasta, pizza, and all other things Italian.

Inside is tiny – you can see through to the kitchen, where the family behind the restaurant is hard at work – but they have a little bit of outdoor seating.

Luckily, arepas are portable, so you can take them and find a nice bench or fountain to sit at and enjoy your meal if all the seats are taken.

First thing’s first – before we get to arepas, definitely order the tostones, which were hands down our favorite item of the meal. Tostones are fried green plantains, and the version here is topped with a carrot slaw and guacamole salsa. They’re fantastic. We still talk about them.

The arepas are great too, don’t get me wrong. Their flavors are roughly the same as most Venezuelan places we’ve visited.

We’re always in for the vegetarian arepa, which usually has some form of cheese, avocado, and fried sweet plantains involved. Reina Pepiada – which is kind of like a chicken-avocado salad – is another classic that we’d recommend, and the beef pabellón with plantains is one of my go-to orders if we’re not sharing.

One other thing – the cachapas, which are a sweet corn crepe, essentially – are also worth looking at. Specifically, the queso cachapa, which weighs about a pound with most of that weight coming from the cheese stuffed inside. YUM.

Seriously though, order the tostones.

Risotteria Melotti (Dedicated Gluten Free)

As much as I hate to say it, this place was a little underwhelming. We showed up at dinner time (so 8:45 pm or so, at least in Rome) on a weekday without a reservation, and the host made a big show of seeing if he could fit us in (the place was basically empty, save a few people).

The food at Risotteria Melotti is rice-based, focusing on risotto which is a specialty of northern Italy. We split a couple of risottos and some arancini to start, and I would say the food was pretty good.

The thing we like about this place, though, is their commitment to growing and highlighting rice as an ingredient in Italy. 

When most people think of Italian food, they’re thinking about wheat-based things like pizza and pasta, which are the foods of central and southern Italy. 

But as you head north, past Milan, Italy actually gets kind of swampy, which is the perfect place to grow…rice! And that’s exactly what the Melotti family has done for generations.

Overall, this is a fun way to explore a different aspect of Italian cuisine, and it’s dedicated gluten free so it’s absolutely safe. 

Heads up: they will bring you gluten free bread to the table, which is not free (though they won’t tell you that when they bring it to you). 

Pantha Rei (AIC-Accredited)

Pantha Rei was a very pleasant surprise, because my expectations weren’t particularly high going in, knowing that you can basically see the Pantheon from their front door.

However, as soon as we entered their little courtyard nook tucked away from the madness of the piazza near the Pantheon, we settled into one of our better meals in Rome.

The outdoor seating in that little alleyway that they call home is the perfect place for a nice, romantic dinner in Rome. And, sure enough, you can see the Pantheon from the outdoor tables.

Pantha Rei is AIC-accredited, and they bring out a little gold bottle to put on your table to signify that you need gluten free food.

Then, when your food arrives, it will have a flag in it to show that it is gluten free. Always ask your server when the food shows up, just to be sure (usually, servers will say gluten free or senza glutine when they bring it, anyway).

But what about the food?

We started with an appetizer that was essentially a fried piece of dough, stuffed with zucchini flowers, anchovies, and cheese, and it was fantastic. Probably the best thing we ate that night, to be honest.

We also got a salad, because a month of solely pasta and pizza was starting to get to us, and we needed something green. The salad was huge!

For our main courses, we split a pizza and a pasta dish – cacio e pepe – that is a traditional Roman dish (we make it at home fairly often using something similar to this recipe).

The pizza isn’t great (thin crust, similar to what you’d get in the US), and we’d recommend sticking to their pastas, which were homemade and pretty outstanding.

The cacio e pepe had a twist that we’re definitely stealing and using at home – it had mint in it, which was an unexpected delight!

They also have gluten free desserts to choose from, and we went with the tiramisu, which I would say was good, not great.

Overall though, the friendly service (putting up with us trying to do everything in semi-broken Italian), ambiance, and awesome pasta dishes made it one of our favorite dining experiences in Rome.

One thing to know going into Pantha Rei is that you will pay 1-2 Euros extra for gluten free food PER DISH. I know that doesn’t feel great (they should really just have a gluten free menu with different prices, which is the same end result, but just…feels better than seeing an extra 6 Euros of gluten free upcharges).

La Soffitta Renovatio (AIC-Accredited)

La Soffitta Renovatio is kitty-corner (or across the plaza) from the southeast side of the Vatican.

Like all of the restaurants in this section, it’s accredited by the AIC, which means they have robust protocols in place to prepare gluten free meals. Your food will come out with a little flag in it to signify that it’s gluten free.

I would say that both the food and the ambiance were above average, but nothing particularly spectacular.

We would definitely eat there again – especially if we happened to be near the Vatican – but if you haven’t already been to nearby Mama Eat Lab (which is 100% gluten free), we’d recommend going there!

We got a pizza and carbonara (see a theme here?) and the pizza crust was good – not the best, but really solid – as was the pasta.

Voglia di Pizza (AIC-Accredited)

This place was around the corner from our apartment in Rome on our latest trip, and we checked in after arriving on a late flight and were hungry for some pizza, so we stopped by Voglia di Pizza.

The first thing they asked me was if I needed a gluten free menu (to which I replied “si”), and they sat us down in their nice little courtyard area.

They are AIC-accredited, and basically the entire menu can be made gluten free, from pasta to pizza. With the name including the word “pizza,” we figured that’s what we should try.

However, the pizza – which comes with a nice little flag in it to signify that it’s gluten free – leaves a little bit to be desired. It was fine, but it was certainly not the best gluten free pizza we ate in Rome (and it wasn’t even in the top three).

So if you’re in Rome for just a few days, we think you can probably do better at one of the many gluten free options above.

They’ll tell you they have gluten free beer, but it’s gluten-reduced (we covered why this is an issue above), so we recommend that Celiacs avoid it.

Pizza in Trevi (AIC-Accredited)

I know everyone loves this place and raves about it, but I’m going to keep this pretty brief and to the point.

The pizza here was some of the worst we had in Rome, the ambiance was “blah” because it’s right at Trevi Fountain, which means hundreds of people walking by your table every minute, and it was also the most expensive pizza we had in Italy.

You can, and should, do better. We generally recommend not eating within a few blocks of major tourist attractions, where you usually find high prices and mediocre food, which is exactly what is happening here.

Instead, head to Pantha Rei near the Pantheon, or Risotteria Melotti (also in the Centro Storico). If you want pizza, make the journey to Mama Eat Lab over in Prati near the Vatican, which was our favorite gluten free pizza in Rome.

New Food Experience (Dedicated Gluten Free)

So, full disclosure here, New Food Experience is the ONE gluten free restaurant in this guide that we have NOT personally eaten at. It simply came down to time, and I prioritized eating at other places. 

However, the reason I wanted to include it here is the fact that I had such a good experience at New Food Gluten Free at Ponte Sisto, which is more of a bakery setup, and this is their sit down restaurant. 

Given my positive experience at the bakery – who were telling everyone to go to their restaurant – I bet the food here is good. 

It’s in Prati, near the Vatican, and everything is both gluten free AND dairy / lactose free. 

The menu definitely skews a little fancier than most of the places in this guide, both in terms of price (you’re looking at 15-20 Euros for main dishes) and concept (grilled tuna with a prickly pear sauce).

The Best Gluten Free Bakeries in Rome

The line between a gluten free restaurant and a gluten free bakery is a little blurry in Italy, since most places on this list serve both baked goods and some sort of bigger lunch options (pizza, focaccia, etc).

However, these are the places that I think should fall under the “gluten free bakery” category, mostly because they’re all great places to get your hands on a pastry – we love cornetti filled with pistachio cream, cannoli filled with ricotta, and bomboloni filled with pretty much anything, for what it’s worth.

Le Altre Farine del Mulino (Dedicated Gluten Free)

There are two gluten free bakeries that rose to the top for us, and Le Altre Farine del Mulino is the first.

We went twice, which is saying something considering it’s not exactly in a central or convenient location – and I would say it’s 100% worth the journey. Which is really only a 10-15 minute detour from Castel Sant’Angelo or the Vatican.

They have a selection of gluten free goodies that changes throughout the day, starting with sweet pastries that make up a crucial part of a traditional Italian breakfast (the other part being un caffe), and at noon the selection moves over to pizzas, calzones, and arancini (a stuffed rice ball filled with all sorts of fun fillings).

On our second trip, we knew what we wanted – PIZZA. On the first trip, we had ordered roughly one of everything, and the pizza was the highlight.

The crust is not thick and bubbly like some other crusts we had, but it was thin and crispy and the toppings were ON POINT (which means “great”).

So the second day, we showed up at 11:00 am and I asked, in broken Italian, when we would be able to eat pizza.

Between noon and 12:30 pm was the answer, and so we ordered a cornetti (filled with ricotta, but we should have done pistacchio), an espresso, and sat down and waited for an hour until we could get our hands on that sweet, sweet pizza.

The point is, if you want pastries, go early. If you want pizza and arancini (which is also delicious), go later.

The second point is, definitely go – it’s worth it.

2024 Update: I returned again, post Vatican tour (I did this early entry tour with our favorite tour company, Walks of Italy, and would recommend it) and starving, and had a lovely savory cornetto sandwich and a slice of pizza to satiate me before the hangries kicked in. Still my favorite gluten free bakery in Rome. 

La Pasticceria (Dedicated Gluten Free)

The second part of the gluten free bakery duo in Rome that you shouldn’t miss is La Pasticciera, and we also made it here twice over the course of our ten day food-filled Rome adventure.

And, again, the selection varied based on the time of day, though the woman behind the counter remained the same.

She was very, very friendly, and spoke great English, which is always helpful in understanding what exactly everything is.

The location is convenient if you’re going to be around Termini Station, which is Rome’s main train station.

It’s just a couple of blocks north, which makes it an ideal stop either when you’re arriving or leaving Rome (though it’s a bit out of the way at other times).

The first time, we were there in the morning, so we got a cornetto (a pastry that’s kind of like a croissant, but filled with your choice of fillings like ricotta, chocolate, or pistachio cream) and a cannolo, which is a tube of fried batter also filled (this time with ricotta).

It was the best gluten free cannolo (cannolo is the singular form of cannoli, which we learned in Italy) in Rome, for sure, and the cornetto (same deal here – singular vs. plural) was really, really good.

The woman, who must have been the owner or someone deeply involved in the business, was very helpful in giving us tips on where else to eat in Rome gluten free.

The second time, we showed up around lunch and were greeted by the same smiling face.

But this time, the pastries were swapped for focaccia and pizza, which we grabbed to go and enjoyed back at our hostel for a late lunch. The focaccia, in particular, was outstanding. Thick, fluffy, and with just enough salt to satisfy my salt-tooth. Is this heaven?

Update 2024: Went back again (twice), and her cornetti con pistachio (she helpfully set aside two for me for the next day when I showed up early and found them already sold out) were the best gluten free pastry I ate on this entire three week trip to Europe. 

Pandalì (Dedicated Gluten Free)

The location of Pandalì is fantastic – it’s right in the heart of the Centro Storico, which makes it a great stop for breakfast or lunch during a day of exploring.

They are a bakery, but also have a range of ready-to-eat foods like salads and sandwiches that definitely blur the line between bakery and restaurant. 

I would break up the types of things they offer into three groups. First, breads. Second, sweets. Third, more complete dishes that you buy by weight (think pasta, calzones, arancini, etc). 

The bakery was envisioned and brought to life by Maria Fermanelli back in 2014, and after a full year closed in 2020, they are open again, and have a new vigor for testing and trying new gluten free recipes. 

They are very, very committed to creating delicious foods for Celiacs, which means every ingredient that comes through the door is vetted to make sure it is not contaminated by cross-contact with wheat at some point in the supply chain. And, of course, it has to taste good!

Update 2024: I dropped my bags at my hotel and came straight here for my first meal in Rome, and it didn’t disappoint. I had a chickpea focaccia sandwich, and an orange cake for dessert. 

New Food Gluten Free (Ponte Sisto)

New Food Gluten Free is a chain of gluten free bakeries with multiple locations in Rome, but the most convenient for you and I is their little gluten free bakery right off of Ponte Sisto in Rome, near Trastevere (here on Google Maps). 

It’s AIC-accredited, and like many of the other bakeries on this list, they’re really stretching the meaning of “bakery” by offering pastries alongside more savory lunch-y options like pizza al taglio (by the slice, a Roman tradition), focaccia sandwiches, and more. 

We had been here before on our trip to Rome a few years ago, and thought it was basically fine. Nothing terribly special, but definitely worth visiting if you found yourself nearby (which it’s likely you might, because it’s within easy walking distance of the Centro Storico and Trastevere). 

It’s very much a grab-and-go spot, and they only have one little bench out front in terms of seating. 

I showed up mid-morning on a weekday, and got a few cornetti and a few savory things to take back to my room to have for breakfast or lunch on the go. But I couldn’t resist digging into one of the cornetti con marmelada (filled with apricot jam) right then and there, and it was MAGNIFICENT. 

So good, in fact, that I returned TWO MORE times while I was in Rome, once to grab some things for dinner at the Roma game I was going to, and once to have one last cornetti before leaving Rome. 

With my visits in 2024, I would say that the first three gluten free bakeries on this list form a triumvirate (for the history nerds) of gluten free bakeries that fall into the “must-visit” category in Rome. 

Celiachiamo Lab (Dedicated Gluten Free)

You’ll also find Celiachiamo in the “grocery stores” section below, because it’s part 100% gluten free bakery, part 100% gluten free grocery store (seriously, every gluten free bread, pasta, cookie, and cracker brand, all in one place!). 

We stopped by for lunch to try the fresh baked items at their location in Prati, over near the Vatican.

It was fairly busy at lunch time, and it was pretty evident why when we walked up to the counter and saw all sorts of baked goods, from lunch items like pizza and focaccia, to sweet items galore.

We thought the food was good, but not the best we had in Rome. Still, we definitely think this place is worth a stop, both for the bakery part, and for the grocery store part. 

Starbene Senza Glutine (Dedicated Gluten Free)

This place is about 45 minutes away from the center by metro or bus, so it’s probably out of the way for almost everyone traveling to Rome.

But, if you find yourself north of the center, it’s a worthy stop.

We didn’t make it here, but are familiar with Starbene from other cities in Italy (we enjoyed the one in Lucca, which we did stop at), and follow them on Instagram and drool over all of their pictures. 

Dedicated Gluten Free Gelato Shops in Rome

Remember how I mentioned that gelato shops can be a minefield for cross-contact with gluten thanks to gluten-containing flavors and cones?

Well, you almost don’t even have to worry about it because there are so many dedicated gluten free gelato shops in Rome, and two of them have multiple locations around the city (Grom and Fatamorgana), so you’ll never be too far away from your next gelato.

When I say “100% gluten free,” I mean it. Everything – including cones – is gluten free. Yes, even the cones dipped in chocolate and covered with pistachios.

A word to the wise – you should absolutely try pistachio, bacio (chocolate hazelnut), and anything with a ricotta base (we had both a caramelized fig and a pistachio cream with a ricotta base).

Oh, yeah – these are organized in terms of our favorite places, starting with the first places we’d recommend you go. 

In Italy, we learned that there are some things to look out for to determine if the gelato you’re considering is good quality.

One of those things is tubs piled high with bright-looking gelato (warning, this actually means it might not be made with high quality ingredients), which is definitely the case at some of the places below. Grom and Fatamorgana are the real deal – we really enjoyed both. 

2024 update: I went on a mini gluten free gelato crawl over the course of my latest trip to Rome to suss out the best gluten free gelato in Rome. After a thorough investigation of gluten free gelato shops in Rome (there are so many of them!) I am making a declaration that Fatamorgana is the best in terms of both quality and range of creative flavors. I also love Grom, which you’ll find all over Europe, but Fatamorgana was the clear winner of my one-person taste test. 

Gelateria Fatamorgana

100% gluten free gelato and cones in the heart of Rome – what more could you ask for? 

They also have eight locations, great flavors, and are good with other allergies. You can find sugar, egg, or dairy free options as well.

The other thing about Fatamorgana that is noteworthy is that their flavors rotate all the time (though, of course, they still have a set of mainstays), and the gelato is fresh as can be, stored in stainless steel containers that aren’t piled high with brightly colored gelato. 

Of all the places on this list, I think Fatamorgana has the most interesting, creative, food-forward flavors. 

My favorites over my three separate trips to Fatamorgana (their Monti location was a five minute walk from my hotel) were Prince’s Kiss – a blend of chocolate and hazelnut – and ricotta and fig. You also can’t go wrong with stracciatella and pistachio. 

Grom

A list of gluten free gelato spots in any major city in Italy could never be considered complete without a mention of Grom!

Grom is an Italian gelato chain in basically every major Italian city, and it’s 100% gluten free. 

Now, sometimes, being 100% gluten free means making a trade off between taste, and “safeness.” 

Not so, at Grom! Grom is legit really, really good gelato. My older brother tried Grom a day after trying another well-known gelato chain, and Grom was the clear winner. 

They have a set of base flavors (like pistachio and hazelnut, our two favorites) along with a rotating cast of characters (like candied chestnut when we were in Italy in the fall). 

They have gluten free cones too, and by that, I mean every single cone in the place is gluten free. Yes, the chocolate-covered cones are gluten free. Yes, the ones covered in chocolate and dipped in pistachios are too. It’s all gluten free – no cross-contact here!

Fiocco Di Neve

A third dedicated gluten free gelato shop? You’ve got to be kidding me. Fantastic gelato, all sorts of 100% gluten free cones, and it’s literally steps away from the Pantheon. Sign me up for more gelato.

We actually went to Fiocco di Neve twice.

The first time we did I was hoping to get an Insta-worthy picture with my gelato cone in the foreground, and the Pantheon in the background.

So we each got a small cone (which, for the record, is still massive and one cone is plenty of gelato to share between two people), and started towards the Pantheon.

Only one problem – it was 80 degrees and the gelato started melting almost immediately. So instead of getting my picture, I got a plop of gelato on my camera and pants. Close enough, I guess?

We went back a second time – because the gelato is legit good – and had an incredible ricotta and pistachio cream flavor that I’d highly recommend, if they happen to have it.

Gelato G Italiano

Gelato g Italiano is another 100% gluten free gelato shop, this time right near Trevi Fountain. Tons of flavors, all gluten free – including the cones. They’re also AIC-accredited, and have a huge “100% gluten free” sign on the door. 

We opted for a waffle cone, and they serve the gelato in a cone with mickey ears using mini cone pieces.

The gelato is good – not the best or the highest quality, but sometimes you need a gelato fix, and the location a block from Trevi Fountain makes it hard to beat if you’re nearby on a hot summer day. 

Grocery Stores with Gluten Free Options in Rome

There are a handful of main grocery store chains in Rome, and all three of them have a variety of gluten free options. Most even have a separate aisle, so you don’t have to worry about digging through the gluten-filled bread to find the single gluten free bread option.

The best part? The price gap between gluten free and regular products is a lot smaller than it is here in the US. No $10 loaves of tiny gluten free bread in Rome!

Here are a few grocery store chains to grab gluten free food. All three have a variety of options, from breads to cookies and other treats. If you’re lucky, you’ll even find some store brand options that are even cheaper.

Look for the words “senza glutine.”

• Coop
• Conad
• Carrefour
• Pam Local

In addition to the major chains, there are actually two dedicated gluten free stores in Rome that you should absolutely visit.

MUST STOP FOR CELIACS. The first is Celiachiamo, the first dedicated gluten free grocery store in Rome. They have multiple locations, including one near the Vatican and one near Tiburtina Station. 

You’ll find a wide selection of pre-packaged gluten free groceries alongside fresh baked gluten free bread and pizza. Well worth a stop, or even a detour, for Celiacs in Rome. Check out their location at via Della Magliana 183.

The second dedicated gluten free grocery store is called l’Isola Celiaca.

They have a bunch of shops across Italy (so check them out if you’re traveling outside of Roma), including several in Rome.

Similar to Celiachiamo, you’ll find gluten free groceries, and a selection of fresh baked breads and takeaway options. Unfortunately, their locations in Rome aren’t as central as I would like, but it is worth a detour to check it out.

Between a dedicated gluten free aisle in most major supermarkets and several dedicated gluten free grocery stores scattered around Rome, it’s easy to be a Celiac in Rome.

Our Favorite Gluten Free Restaurants and Bakeries in Rome, Mapped

As promised, here is a map of all the restaurants, bakeries, and gelato shops mentioned in this guide on a handy interactive map for you to use.

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