waco crepes
Location: Kyoto, Japan
“The crepes here are amazing! This is must try in Kyoto. Everything is gluten-free and there are many vegan options as well. They have both sweet and savory crepes — we had banana chocolate with vegan matcha whipped crepe and it was so good. Consistency of the crepe is probably the best gluten-free I have ever had! Wish I could eat this again!”
Koma Gallery Cafe
Location: Kyoto, Japan
“Can’t say enough good things about this place! Everything we saw on the menu was gluten-free, including sandwiches and a display case full of different pastries. The food was SO good, as were our matcha lattes, and the best part was the private courtyard with an incredible view of Hōkan-ji Temple. Must try!”
Utsuwa to Cafe Bar Mokumoku
Location: Kyoto, Japan
“This is a cute little vegan and gluten-free cafe in a great part of the city. They have treats you can take away and also have lunch (quiche, small meals, etc.) There’s a few tables and seats to sit and they also have some crafts for sale.”
Cafe & Bar Maru
Location: Kyoto, Japan
“Dedicated gluten-free restaurant in downtown Kyoto! Menu is clear and they have a number of Japanese dishes to choose from. We got the Japanese curry and fried chicken and the chicken was a big fave of mine! We did have to wait in line for a bit so I’d try to make a reservation on their website ahead of time.”
Honke Nishio Yatsuhashi – Shinkyogoku Store
Location: Kyoto, Japan
“This is a store with packaged food in Nishiki Market – gluten-free items are pre-packaged and staff are knowledgeable! They have Chiffon Cakes (I haven’t tried these but I’ve heard they’re great) and Yatsuhashi – mochi-like sweets. We got the banana chocolate and the matcha, and I absolutely loved the banana chocolate one!”
KYOTO ENGINE RAMEN
Location: Kyoto, Japan
“Love this place! Their menu is very clearly marked with gluten-free and vegan options, but they also have regular ramen and both, pork and chicken options, to go in the ramen. When you tell them you are gluten-free they take it seriously, put a gluten-free card in front of you and tell you your meal is gluten-free when they bring it out — love this! Ramen is delish but my favorite part was their dumpling soup! It was incredible — don’t skip out on this one! They also have gluten-free beer which I thought was great. Also located in Osaka!”
Genji-soba
Location: Osaka, Japan
“This place was delicious! Loves that they have both a gluten-free soba noodle option marked on the menu AND a celiac-friendly version to avoid cross-contact. Soba noodles and tempura were both delicious!”
OSAKA ENGINE RAMEN
Location: Osaka, Japan
“Love Engine Ramen! We also visited in Kyoto — Osaka’s Engine is bigger, very similar menu, but they have regular dumplings (gyoza) instead of dumpling soup. Dumplings were delish, highly recommend! Also had their ramen here and the black miso one is the best! So much flavor. We loved their ramen when having it in Kyoto too, and gluten-free beer is also great.”
OKO – Fun Okonomiyaki Bar
Location: Osaka, Japan
“Such a unique spot! This restaurant serves gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan Okonomiyaki, along with regular versions. They have clear protocol posted all over the place — the gluten-free version is cooked on a separate grill and they are careful to avoid cross-contact. They also only use gluten-free soy sauce. We got two versions and loved both! Note this place is extremely popular and I recommend getting there before they open and lining up, as there will likely be a line already.”
Hokkaido Sapporo Ramen
Location: Shibuya, Japan
“Amazing ramen! They have a full gluten-free menu, includes a couple different kinds of ramen, gyoza, and fried chicken. They also have a separate vegan menu. You order on a tablet outside and the waiter confirmed without me asking that mine were gluten-free when they served it. It’s a small place and you can’t make a reservation so go early/expect you may need to wait! It’s also cash only or you can use your train card.”
GEN-TEN Gluten-free Bakery Shibuya｜玄点 渋谷グルテンフリー専門店
Location: Shibuya, Japan
“Dedicated gluten-free cafe in Shibuya station — what a treat! A little difficult to find, but so exciting. Their square brown rice breads are delicious and also was so happy to find the Taiyaki (round fish pastries). My favorite was the square pizza bread with cheese and a slice of tomato on top! Worth the effort to find them!”
Gonpachi Nori-temaki Harajuku
Location: Shibuya, Japan
“Clearly marked gluten-free menu here and they immediately knew what I was talking about, and brought over gluten-free soy sauce. Someone else was eating there who was gluten-free, which is always a good sign! Great vibes, great food and appreciate the knowledgeable staff!”
Okomedoki Rice Burger
Location: Shibuya, Japan
“Chicken burger is clearly marked gluten-free on the menu and I confirmed with the cook. Not the most amazing food, but it was nice to have the option and appreciate the knowledgeable staff!”
Tokyo DisneySea
Location: Urayasu, Japan
“The allergy menu option at DisneySea can be ordered at basically any restaurant in the park. We chose to order it ahead of time on the app, and I got the Japanese curry with rice. It wasn’t the most incredible thing in the world, but it was great to have a clear option. There are also some popcorn flavors that are gluten-free—I trusted the allergy guide (see attached picture) that others shared on a gluten-free Facebook group, but it’s always possible that the ingredients could change, so if you’re worried, I would ask the workers at the popcorn cart for the allergen booklet.”
