Gluten Free Madrid

Highlights from a World Class Gluten Free City

Hello dear friends,

I do love to travel, as I told you it’s one of my favorite sources of inspiration, and I just love the feeling of discovery. Recently we took a family vacation to Spain and Morocco. Seeing new places by yourself is thrilling but through the eyes of a child, absolutely magical.

We spent time in Madrid, Andalucia, and Tangier this time around, and here’s the part I think you’ll appreciate, we had SO MUCH AMAZING gluten free food. Spain was a lovely easy gluten free dream. Not since Italy have I experienced such an embarrassment of riches in gluten free food options!

Next Level Gluten Free is full of gluten free info you can use, like these travel recommendations, gluten free product tests to save you money, monthly live baking workshops, and recipes that are tested over and over and scientifically work! I walk you through them in an approachable way, so that you succeed in the kitchen and are way less sad at dinner time. Upgrade to a paid membership and live a more delicious gluten free life.

Today I want to share with you some of our best bites in Madrid! We only had a few days there but packed in some delicious meals! If you or someone you know is heading that way you can have a few ideas in mind (although it’s important to always double check, things can change!)

Are you heading to Barcelona instead? I went last fall and it was LOVELY. Check out the

Gluten-Free Guidebook

for a wonderful series of gluten free Barcelona recommendations!

To begin, it’s always a good idea to check out the local gluten free society - in Spain it is FACE and there are chapters in every region. You can see restaurants that are certified and get product ideas.

I always get a gluten-free translation card, a detailed one with local products and terms listed. My favorites are from Legal Nomads. I rarely needed it in Spain but did use it a few times. It’s well worth having when you need to get your message across and misunderstandings can derail your holiday!

In Spain it’s important to know that breakfast is minimal, so we mostly eat it at our apartment - we always try to stay in a place with a kitchen. Lunch is the large meal of the day, and dinner is very late. Restaurants usually don’t open until 8 or 8:30 for dinner and most people eat around 10 pm. Yes, even the kids! It’s a different rhythm of life than the midwestern US for sure!

When we got to Madrid (very jetlagged) we started off at Casa San Juan. What a wonderful first bite. This 100% gluten free tapas restaurant wowed us with the best croquetas (little fried croquettes) of the trip, the ham was wonderful, the patatas bravas (crispy potato with enticing sauces) were delightful, and there was even gluten free bread. Don’t miss this one!!!

We stopped off at Gioelia - an Italian-style gelato shop with all gluten free flavors, they pull your ice cream from fresh bins if you ask, and they have gluten free cones available. I of course had pistachio, but my son’s triple berry looked pretty enticing as well!

La Linas was a Fantastic tapas stop - they specialize in all different types of patatas bravas! The chicken curry was a favorite! We also had an array of other delectable tapas there and probably the best gluten free bread of the trip. (even though what we bought in regular grocery stores was amazingly high quality too) It was SO fluffy!

Chocolateria 1902 is a churreria with a separate kitchen on the second floor for gluten free churros. When we ordered our churros were made fresh and delivered on a black plate instead of the usual white. We dipped them in thick ganache like hot chocolate. It was HEAVEN.

Minibar is not a gluten free tapas place, but they have many tapas that are gluten free and will make the whole table gluten free if you ask them. They also offer gluten free bread to accompany. The melted cheese dish and the duck were favorites here.

Taberna La Concha is a fantastic and popular tapas bar that makes their own Vermouth. It’s difficult to get a spot but keep trying, it’s worth it! The smoked salmon toast and albondigas (meatballs) were some of our favorites here!

Helados Patagonia is a gluten free ice cream and snack shop that is not to be missed! Wonderful summery ice cream flavors and even empanadas.

Emma Y Julia is an Italian restaurant with a wide array of pizzas, pasta, appetizers and desserts that are gluten free and they have wonderful celiac-safe protocols. We enjoyed the seafood options and the carbonara!

Listen, this one may be a little controversial for some, but it made my son’s elementary school dreams come true. Burger King and McDonalds both have gluten free options certified by FACE, separate fryers, and separate prep protocols. He had been talking about trying a Whopper and a Big Mac for at least 6 months. Of course we made both happen, it was a convenient backup, plan when other options didn’t work out. He was thrilled. It’s interesting to see how in countries with high gluten free protocol knowledge this is possible to do safely! We’re certainly a long way away in the U.S.

There are SO many restaurants and bakeries in Madrid we didn’t make it to! When traveling with kids, I find its better sometimes to take the simple route they aren’t always up for yet another trek… but that just means we have to go back right?

Happy traveling

Rachel