DAY 1: VENICE
Lunch: 1000 Gourmet Venezia
Our first meal in Venice was a pizza from 1000 Gourmet. I’d already read very good reviews from other people with celiac so I felt pretty good about it. Also, their website says that they prep their gluten-free pizzas in a separate area and cook them in a dedicated oven. How neat is that? We had the diavola and a pistachio prosciutto pizza. Both had a thick crust but a thinner middle, which we found was very common in Italy (I understand why people use forks and knives to eat the pizzas now). The meal was good and safe and the dough was pretty flavorful. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in town.
Dinner: Trattoria Al Gazzettino
This was one of the first places we visited in Venice for a meal. They are very knowledgeable about celiac disease and preventing cross contamination. The restaurant had lots of different gluten-free pastas and amazing tiramisu. It’s in a very lively part of Venice, so it is a fun dinner spot but make sure you have reservations because this place gets busy!
Treat: GROM – Il Gelato come una volta
This place is the best! It’s 100% gluten-free and you can find this gelato shop all over Italy. We visited a Grom in every city we traveled to and it always made our day. They have so many delicious flavors and the cones are made fresh. They even have crepes!
Sightseeing:
An after Hours Tour of St. Mark’s and Doge’s Palace Tour!
DAY 2: VENICE
Breakfast: Mea Liberia Tutti Sas
A small but mighty, 100% gluten-free grocery store in Venice! We stopped by here at the beginning of our trip to load up on gluten-free snacks, breakfast items, and drinks. The store is full of frozen, refrigerated, and pre-packaged goodies like breads, pastas, breakfast items, desserts, and more. The cookie section is also massive (my favorite part). The owner was very friendly and also gave us a list of his favorite celiac-friendly restaurant recommendations around town. There’s also an adorable little shop dog running around (clearly the assistant manager). One of our favorite finds from the trip. I wish there were places like this in the states!
Lunch: Al Giardinetto da Severino
An amazing Venice restaurant that was able to make almost everything gluten-free. They are an AIC-certified restaurant (Italy’s celiac association) so they’re safe for people with celiac and make sure to prepare all their gluten-free food separately. We knew this was a good place to eat because there were at least 20 gondoliers on their breaks eating here. We had bread, fresh seafood and fish, and gluten-free dessert.
Dinner: Vecia Cavana
Another amazing restaurant certified by the AIC. The entire menu minus 1 item (gnocchi) was gluten-free, including the fried foods because they use rice flour. All the servers were knowledgeable about celiac and the manager even came to speak with me. We were given gluten-free bread, crackers, and even cookies with limoncello after the meal! We ordered the fried seafood, scallops, spaghetti, and cheesecake, and everything was amazing.
Coffee: Caffè Florian
The oldest cafe in the world, built in 1720. Located in the middle of St. Mark’s Square, you’ll be paying a premium for the location, but it’s worth it for a night. They have a quartet playing classical music at night so you can sit and have a coffee (and a packaged gluten-free treat) in the lit square. This was one of our favorite experiences enjoying Venice at night.
Sightseeing:
Libreria Acqua Alta (Floating Book Store) and a gondola ride through Venice!
DAY 3: FLORENCE
Lunch: Sgrano
Dedicated 100% gluten-free eatery that serves up the Florence street food focaccia sandwich called the schiacciata. You’ll see everyone in Florence eating a sandwich like this and it’s because they’re so good. We ordered the sandwich flight and tried 4 different types. They also serve pizza and some other dishes, but come for the sandwiches!
Dinner: Ciro and Sons – Restaurant Pizzeria Firenze
The entire menu is available gluten and/or lactose-free. They have a separate kitchen for gluten-free meals and only gluten-free chefs can use it. I had their pizza, bread, and tiramisu. The pizza had the biggest ball of mozzarella I’ve ever seen and I ate it all. This place is wonderful.
Treat: GROM
Another GROM location featuring their 100% gluten-free gelato. Pro tip: get the waffle cone, because when do you find gluten-free, freshly-made waffle cones that aren’t pre-packaged? This location is right next to the city center and it’s open late so it’s the perfect after-dinner dessert (or mid day, I won’t judge).
Sightseeing:
We went on a private Tour of The Uffizi Gallery and The Accademia Museum to see the Statue of David.
DAY 4: FLORENCE
Lunch: Ristorante Quinoa
This place is 100% gluten-free and serves “American” food. I had the fried chicken strips and potato wedges, and my wife had a burger. They serve fresh bread and olive oil to start. Make a reservation if you’re not Italian because otherwise they’ll turn you away. That left a sour taste in our mouth because the place was empty when they turned away a few desperate celiacs. Italians without reservations were seated immediately, but maybe that’s just a cultural thing.
Dinner: Da Garibardi
Another delicious AIC-certified dinner spot with a lot of outdoor seating. This place has a gluten-free menu and they’re extremely well versed in safe food protocol for celiacs. They also are good with other allergies. We had bread, a traditional Florence ribeye, a cheese plate, and the best tasting pasta with boar meat sauce.
Treat: Bottega Artigiana del Gusto
This place is unbelievable. It’s 100% gluten-free and it’s part grocery store, part restaurant, and part bakery. They have so many amazing pasta options if you happen to be buying groceries. We stayed for lunch and ordered the pizza, profiteroles, cream puffs, and other baked goods. Definitely the best tasting bakery we tried in Italy, where most bakeries served very dry pastries.
Sightseeing:
Walking Tour of the City Center, Officina Santa Maria Novella, and Leather School.
DAY 5: FLORENCE
Lunch: Mister Pizza
Every pizza in this restaurant can be made gluten-free. It’s located right next to the Duomo, so the views are incredible, but it can get very busy! It’s AIC-certified so I know it’s safe to eat because they take celiac disease very seriously in their food preparation. All the pizzas can also be made lactose-free. They are able to manage other allergies as well.
Dinner: Tuscan Taste Florence
We took a private gluten-free cooking class with Chef Vary at Tuscan Taste Florence! We felt so safe here knowing how seriously Chef Vary takes celiac disease. The work space was completely sanitized and covered for the class. The equipment we used (even the pasta maker) was all dedicated gluten-free and even the ingredients like salt are all kept separately to keep them from being contaminated. Chef Vary was the perfect instructor and taught us to make ravioli and a spaghetti that turned out to be one of our favorite meals in Florence!
Sightseeing:
We visited the Piazzale Michaengelo
DAY 6: ROME
Breakfast: La Pasticciera
An adorable dedicated 100% gluten-free bakery located near the train station in a basement shop below street level. This place has a wide selection of treats. We had the cannolis, which they fill freshly when you order them, and got a bag of other treats to bring back to our Airbnb. The cannolis were delicious! Definitely a good place to visit at the start of your Rome trip.
Lunch: Pantha Rei
The entire menu can be made gluten-free and even lactose-free. Another great spot certified by the AIC so you know it’s safe. They even put bottles on the table to signify that it’s a gluten-free table. The regular pizzas are probably a frozen crust based on the look and texture, but the pastas are fresh and delicious and the fried pizza appetizer was fun and delicious. An extremely safe place to eat in a very convenient location.
Dinner: Ramè Sushi Naturale Italiano
This place is 100% gluten-free and amazing—absolutely our favorite restaurant in all of Italy. The service was impeccable. Our server curated the whole menu for us (the menu is in Italian) and every dish he selected was better than the next. We had rolls with riccota, beet chips, plantains, sushi that could feed a family of 4 (we eat a lot), gluten-free beer, and dessert, all for under 100 Euros. The fish was incredibly high quality and so fresh. It’s a 25 minute walk from the city center (or 10 minutes by taxi) but it was the highlight of our trip!
Treat: Fatamorgana Monti
Dedicated 100% gluten-free gelato shop. It’s a chain but it’s still safe and delicious. I love all their cone and flavor choices. Always a good stop at the end of your night for a “nightcap” scoop.
Sightseeing:
We visited the Cat Sanctuary and did a walking tour of City Center Ancient Rome.
DAY 7: ROME
Breakfast: Pandalì
Very small 100% gluten-free eatery with a limited menu. I ordered a prosciutto sandwich on focaccia that was delicious. They have a few other items available. The menu seems to change daily. A good spot for an easy lunch if you aren’t too picky.
Lunch: Voglia di Pizza – Gluten-Free
Wonderful place to get a quick gluten-free pizza between shopping. It’s located on a street with a lot of fashionable stores. They were able to make all the pizzas gluten-free and I felt very confident in their knowledge of celiac disease. All the gluten-free pizzas are cooked in a dedicated area and tagged with gluten-free pizza tags.
Dinner: La Soffitta Renovatio
Our favorite pizza in Italy. This place is AIC-certified so they have very clear safety guidelines for their gluten-free food. They have a separate kitchen for gluten-free food so everything on the menu can be made gluten-free. It’s also located across from the Vatican, making it an easy choice after any number of Vatican City tours.
Treat: Fiocco di neve
This gelato shop is 100% gluten-free and in a very good location near the Pantheon and other Ancient Rome sites. They were our favorite gelato shop and they had great flavors, including an Oreo flavor that was to die for. They also had signs that said they accommodated other allergies. Highly recommend this place.
Sightseeing:
We went on an Underground Coliseum Tour and a Rome walking tour.
DAY 8: ROME
Breakfast: Celiachimo Lab
100% gluten-free bakery and grocery store. This place is full of breads, packaged foods, and frozen foods, and has a bakery/eatery. We grabbed delicious baked sweets and pizza to take away, as well as a few breakfast items to keep at our Airbnb.
Lunch: New Food Gluten-Free – Ponte Sisto
100% gluten-free bakery and fast casual eatery with multiple locations. They have various baked goods, breakfast items, and lunch items available. This was the smallest bakery/eatery we visited but we enjoyed the items we bought. It’s a good place to stock up on gluten-free breakfast items for the mornings because celiac-safe breakfasts are hard to come by in Italy.
Dinner: Pizza in Trevi
There’s nothing like a restaurant with a separate gluten-free kitchen. They give gluten-free customers special placemats and dishes to notify other employees of your allergy. Almost half the restaurant was full of other gluten-free diners! All the pizzas are also available gluten-free. The downside or upside is its location near the Trevi Fountain. It gets busy!
Sightseeing:
We did a Vatican Museums Tour and a tour of the Ufficio Scavi (book only through Vatican excavations office website) – it is the best tour!
DAY 9: POSITANO
Breakfast: La Fenice
This family-owned bed and breakfast is amazing. I notified them of my celiac disease before we arrived and they were incredibly prepared. Every morning they made an incredible breakfast including a basket of packaged gluten-free breads, croissants, and crackers to accompany the fresh eggs, fruits, meats, cheeses, and more. We ate like queens at this place every morning and enjoyed fresh sandwiches and salads for lunches on a few days when we stayed around the property. It’s one of the few bed and breakfasts with a private beach. The only con is the amount of stairs at the property. We had an ocean view and our own private terrace for the most reasonable price we could find in Positano. This place is an absolute steal.
