The Best Gluten-Free Restaurants in Madrid
Madrid is a dream destination for food lovers, full of vibrant markets, bustling tapas bars, and irresistible sweet treats. But if you follow a gluten-free diet—whether you’re celiac or simply avoiding gluten—navigating Spain’s bread and fried fish-heavy food scene can feel a bit daunting at first.
Here’s the good news: Madrid is a great city for gluten-free eating! In fact, it is ranked the No. 1 friendliest city world for gluten free diners!
With more awareness, better labeling, and an increasing number of restaurants catering specifically to diners with celiac disease, it’s never been easier to enjoy the city’s culinary scene while avoiding gluten. Whether you're looking for traditional Spanish fare or international bites, there are many safe and delicious gluten free restaurants in Madrid waiting for you.
The options for eating gluten free in Madrid are awesome! From bakeries to tapas bars, Madrid is a delicious city to visit if you avoid gluten.
Here’s everything you need to know about eating gluten free in Madrid!
Tips for Eating Gluten Free in Madrid
Spain’s awareness of gluten intolerance and celiac disease has grown significantly over the past decade. There are now many restaurants in Madrid with gluten-free menus, bakeries that skip gluten entirely, and even churros made without gluten! When dining out in Madrid, be sure to follow these tips to avoid accidentally encountering any gluten.
Tell Your Waiter if You Have Celiac Disease
Most restaurant staff know what celiac disease is and are happy to help you navigate the menu safely! Be sure to always let the waiter or bartender know if you have a food allergy so they can give the kitchen a heads up. Even dishes that you would think are gluten free might have been made in the same frier or on the same counter as dishes that do contain gluten. Letting your waiter know is always the safest bet!
If you don’t speak Spanish, consider printing out a card that you can show them such as this one. Or see below to learn some key Spanish phrases!
Always tell your waiter if you have celiac disease! They’ll be sure that the tapa they give you is gluten free and will alert the kitchen so the chefs can be extra careful about cross contamination.
Ask for the Allergen Menu
By EU law, all restaurants have to have a special menu that lists any allergens in each dish. Gluten is one of the big ones! Be sure to ask for this menu as gluten can often be hidden in sauces or part of dishes in a way you might not expect.
Be Cautious with Fried Foods
While this allergen menu will tell you if gluten is an ingredient, it won’t show the gluten symbol for dishes that might be contaminated with gluten in other ways. Cross-contamination is still something to watch out for, especially in traditional tapas bars. While many places now offer sin gluten dishes, not all have separate prep spaces.
For example, be careful with fried foods as many tapas bars don’t have a separate frier for gluten-free items. For celiac diners, the best thing to do is talk with the waiters to find out how seriously the restaurant or bar takes cross-contamination and to be sure they have a separate frier for gluten-free dishes!
Key Spanish Phrases
Here are a few essential Spanish phrases to make sure your food is safe to eat!
Soy celíaco/a – I have celiac disease. Be sure to always tell waiters this! Most people know what celiac is and also what gluten is. They will almost always be happy to help you find something safe to eat but they can’t help if they don’t know!
¿Puedo ver la carta de alérgenos? - Can I see the allergy menu?
¿Tienes opciones sin gluten? – Do you have gluten-free options?
¿Hay posibilidad de contaminación cruzada? – Is it likely that there could be cross-contamination?
For help navigating Madrid’s food scene with a food allergy, join us on a tour! All of our food tours in Madrid are fully adaptable for guests avoiding gluten and guests with celiac disease. We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy the most delicious side of Madrid, no matter what their dietary requirements are. We work very closely with the chefs, waiters and owners at the bars, restaurants and markets we visit to make sure that our tours are as safe as possible for guests with food allergies.
Gluten-Free Bakeries in Madrid
Bread and pastries are an essential part of the Spanish diet! These gluten-free bakeries don’t use any gluten in their kitchens. Whether you're craving brunch, cake, churros, or even sourdough bread, these bakeries deliver all the flavor with none of the gluten.
La Oriental
📍Calle Ferraz, 47
For classic Spanish tarts and treats without the gluten, La Oriental is the best place in town. They have a café where you can enjoy their baked goods on site with a coffee. Next door is their bakery where they make everything they sell for both the café and for deliveries across Spain.
La Oriental specializes in traditional Spanish baked goods like magdalenas (muffins), savory empanadas and seasonal pastries like rosquillas for the San Isidro festivals in May and torrijas for Easter.
The options at La Oriental include all of the Spanish classics! This is one of the best gluten free bakeries in Madrid for traditional Spanish baked goods.
Celicioso
📍Multiple locations
Celicioso is the most well-known gluten-free bakery in Madrid. It has become a must-visit for celiacs and sweet tooths alike! The menu includes cupcakes, cakes, sandwiches, and hearty brunch options. It’s a perfect stop for a late breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up—and yes, everything is 100% gluten-free.
Maestro Churrero
📍Plaza Jacinto Benavente, 2 and Carretera de San Jerónimo, 9
No visit to Madrid is complete without churros and chocolate and this is one of the few places offering gluten-free churros. These traditional treats are made in a separate fryer to avoid cross-contamination and come with a cup of thick, rich hot chocolate for dipping.
Leon the Baker
📍 Multiple locations
This is the No. 1 spot for gluten free bread in Madrid! At Leon the Baker they use sourdough starters and organic flours to craft a wide variety of bread loaves, rolls, buns and baked treats, all of which are 100% gluten free. This bakery has become so popular that they even sell their bread in the Corte Inglés supermarket.
Holy Grain
📍 Alcalde Sainz de Baranda, 18
For gluten free pastries, Holy Grain is hard to beat. Their specialties are cinnamon rolls, cookies, brownies, cakes and (most excitingly) the best gluten free doughnuts in Madrid! This bakery is close to Retiro Park making it an ideal stop for picnic supplies.
Sana Locura
📍Calle del Gral. Oraá, 49
This award-winning, gluten-free bakery has fantastic bread (you’ll want to take a loaf to go), croissants, empanadas, and more. It is a great spot for breakfast or a quick snack while exploring Madrid’s chic Salamanca neighborhood.
Best Gluten-Free Tapas in Madrid
We always say the soul of Madrid is in its tapas bars. Eating gluten free doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying the authentic Madrid tapeo! Many classic dishes—grilled meats, fresh seafood, paella—are naturally gluten-free.
Here at Walk and Eat are proud to offer celiac-friendly tapas tours. We can adapt the menu on any of our experiences for guests that don’t or can’t eat gluten. We have built very strong relationships with each of the bars and restaurants we visit and we work closely with their chefs to make sure guests with celiac disease can enjoy our tours worry-free!
As awareness about celiac disease becomes more universal in Madrid, more tapas bars are offering celiac-safe dishes or ditching gluten altogether! For a comprehensive list of gluten free restaurants in Madrid, take a look at the Find Me Gluten Free app, which has more than 60 recommended restaurants. They’ve even named Madrid the No.1 best city in the world for gluten-free diners!
Here are our top picks for the best gluten-free tapas bars in Madrid:
These fried artichokes are one of the best gluten free tapas in Madrid! At Bodegas Rivas they have a separate frier for their gluten free dishes so everyone can enjoy these tapas without fear of cross contamination.
Lalina
📍Calle Gravina 18 in the Chueca neighborhood and Plaza de la Cebada, 2 in the La Latina neighborhood
You wouldn’t know this classic Spanish tapas bar serves only gluten free tapas unless you asked! From creamy croquetas to excellent fried fish, this is one of the best places to try fully gluten free tapas in Madrid.
Bodegas Rivas
📍Calle Palma, 61
This century-old tapas bar specializes in all of the classics. While their menu is not fully gluten free they have a separate frier for their dishes that don’t contain gluten. Be sure to tell the waiter you are gluten free and they’ll let the kitchen know to be extra careful about cross contamination. Be sure to try the fried artichokes with honey!
We often visit Bodegas Rivas on our De Tapas in Malasaña: Evening Wine and Tapas Tour, which is fully adaptable for guests who don’t eat gluten!
Casa del Abuelo
📍Calle Victoria, 12
Casa del Abuelo is one of the most famous tapas bars in Madrid. They claim to have invented one of the city’s most iconic dishes: gambas al ajillo aka sizzling garlic shrimp. This tapa is naturally gluten free! To make gambas al ajillo they first heat a small clay dish of olive oil over a huge flame before adding garlic, parsley and a tiny cayenne pepper. Then the shrimp go in! Be sure to go to the original location on Calle Victoria where it is standing room only.
Gambas al ajillo are one of the iconic tapas in Madrid! This dish also happens to be naturally gluten free.
La Concha
📍Cava Baja, 7
Located on Madrid’s most famous tapas street, La Concha is a go-to spot for gluten free tapas in the city center. They are famous for their vermouth which they serve with a spritz of gin. Pair it with one of their gluten free tostas aka toasted bread piled with all sorts of tasty things! A crowd favorite is the cecina, aka smoked and cured beef, with parmesan.
Méntrida
📍Plaza Olavide, 3
Méntrida flies under the radar with their celiac-friendly tapas. This classic old bar is one of the coveted terraces in the gorgeous Plaza Olavide. They serve all the Spanish classics like fried calamari, cazón (marinated and fried fish), tomato salad and tortilla aka Spanish omelet.
Almost the entire menu just happens to be gluten free! This is a fantastic spot if you are visiting Madrid with kids as Plaza Olavide has various different playgrounds where the kids can play while you enjoy a drink and some tapas outside.
Gluten-Free Restaurants for International Food
While we always recommend trying traditional Spanish food while visiting Madrid, the city is also home to spectacular cuisine from around the world. These restaurants deliver globally inspired food and are their kitchens are 100% gluten free.
Okashi Sanda
📍Calle San Vicente Ferrer, 22 and Calle Salitre, 45
From ramen to cheesecake, Okashi Sanda serves classic Japanese food that is 100% gluten free! This is one of the few fully gluten free restaurants in Madrid that has earned a Solete Repsol, the Spanish version of a Michelin star for casual restaurants.
Grosso Napoletano Senza Glutine
📍Multiple Locations
This branch of the beloved pizza chain is 100% gluten-free! With a wood-fired oven, stretchy dough, and all the classic toppings, it’s no wonder this pizzeria has a loyal following. They have about half a dozen locations around the city that are fully gluten free. Be sure you choose a “Senza Glutine” location as they do also have locations that serve pizzas with gluten.
Honest Greens
📍Multiple Locations
Sometimes you just need a salad. When that time comes, head to Honest Greens. This informal spot took Spain by storm a couple of years ago and now has dozens of locations across the country. They specialize in salad bowls and healthy plates that feature local, seasonal ingredients. The whole menu is gluten free except the bread. Be sure to download the app to skip the line!
Waraku
📍Calle Benito Gutiérrez, 4
This traditional Japanese sushi restaurant is an ideal date spot! The entire kitchen is gluten free. From gyozas to tempuras and with all the sushi rolls, nigiris and sashimis in between this is a top choice for gluten free eating in Madrid!
Waraku is a great option for a gluten free date night in Madrid! Their menu is fully gluten free.
Madrid is an extremely delicious city for gluten free travelers. With dedicated bakeries, safe tapas bars, and creative international restaurants, gluten-free visitors can eat well and explore with confidence.
If you’re looking for more tips or to discover these flavors firsthand, join us on a food tour! At Walk and Eat Spain, we’re proud to offer gluten-free-friendly experiences that showcase the best of Madrid’s cuisine. Just let us know your dietary needs when booking, and we’ll take care of the rest—because everyone deserves to taste the magic of Spain!