Where to Eat Gluten Free in Valencia, Spain

After visiting Valencia twice I thought it was time to finally share my gluten free Valencia guide! As a celiac I know it can be intimidating to travel new places, especially if you don’t speak the language, so I hope this guide can set your mind at ease.

I ate extremely well in Valencia. This included everything from dedicated gluten free restaurants to smaller hole-in-the-wall tapas places and wine bars. As someone who is quite sensitive to gluten, I avoid cross contact so all my recommendations below should be safe for celiacs.

I hope my guide can help you have an amazing and gluten free trip to Valencia!

Gluten Free Map of Valencia

I created this map of gluten free options to help you navigate your way around Valencia. You can download it to your phone and use it yourself!

My Recommended Gluten Free Spanish Translation Card

You’ll need a translation card in Valencia if you don’t speak any Spanish.

This is my recommended gluten free Spanish card. It’s written by a celiac who traveled extensively in Spain, is translated professionally twice, and unlike most other cards on the market it also discusses cross contact.

For the price of a couple coffees, it’s definitely worth it to save yourself from getting glutened!

This is a VERY useful symbol to know. It is the FACE certification, from the Spanish celiac association. If you see it on a restaurant that means it has passed standards to be safe for celiacs.

Dedicated Gluten Free Bakeries in Valencia

I was shocked at the number of truly world class gluten free bakeries in Valencia. I ended up returning to my three favorites multiple times because they were just so good. I’ve included those below, as well as a few other gluten free bakeries to be aware of.

Sana Locura Bakery

Sana Locura Bakery is conveniently located in the old town area of Valencia, and is one of the best 100% gluten free bakeries I’ve ever visited! The pastries are truly world class. I especially loved the almond croissant.

I ate here multiple times for breakfast, and my secret tip is to ask them to make a “Valencia breakfast” which is toasted bread with crushed tomatoes, olive oil, and salt (serrano ham optional). It’s not on the menu but they will offer it if you ask and it’s a great traditional breakfast!

Celicientos

Celicientos was my personal favorite gluten free bakery in Valencia. It’s located on the far side of the park, but easy to get to if you rent bikes (which is what we did!).

The breakfasts here are affordable and this was the first place I tried the traditional Valencia breakfast of tomato and olive oil on toast. It blew my mind!

I also ordered a dulce de leche croissant which is very rare as a celiac to be able to eat a filled croissant. My gluten-eating partner, Dan, also loved his breakfast here. He said he couldn’t even notice that it was gluten free!

Carlotes Cafe

Carlotes Cafe is a small gluten free bakery in the trendy Ruzafa neighborhood. This place is more of a takeaway spot, since there is nowhere to sit.

However, it’s really worth a visit for their incredible sandwiches. You can choose three toppings (I tried, and recommend, the sun dried tomatoes, goats cheese, and serrano ham combination). This is then heated up inside a crispy gluten free baguette, all for an affordable price.

The baked goods here did not impress me quite as much but I was spoiled at the previous two bakeries.

Our Airbnb was just two doors down from Carlotes Cafe, which was extremely convenient and meant I ate here multiple times!

gluten free croissant and two paper coffee cups

More Gluten Free Bakeries in Valencia

Yes, there are even more gluten free bakeries in Valencia. Sadly, I did not have time to visit them all even with a full week in Valencia.

For your travel planning purposes, though, here are the other gluten free bakeries in Valencia:

Restaurants with Gluten Free Options

LALOLA

Lalola is a delicious tapas restaurant that is mostly gluten free. They advertise having a gluten free kitchen, and when we asked the waiter he said the entire menu was gluten free. However, as I discovered, they also serve normal bread!

So my recommendation is to be very careful and be sure to tell them you’re celiac. They will bring out gluten free bread heated up in a plastic wrap and it’s really good.

As for the tapas itself, the menu is extensive and delicious. We ate here twice and my highlights were their spin on patatas bravas, the serrano ham platter, the goats cheese with fig jam, and the Valencian tomato salad.

I recommend making a reservation in advance on their website if you can because they get quite busy.

Papita de Leche Takeaway

Papita de Leche is a small Venezuelan takeaway stall, located right in the heart of Valencia’s old town. They are certified by FACE, which is the Spanish celiac association. This made me feel confident eating here!

I am unsure if this stall is 100% gluten free. On one of our (multiple) visits, the staff told me it was totally gluten free. However, it’s not marked dedicated gluten free in reviews or apps, so I’m not sure.

Saying that, it seems like pretty much everything on the menu can be made gluten free. This includes empanadas, taquenos, and even churros. The churros in particular are AMAZING and we returned three nights in a row for them!

Okashi

Okashi is a 100% gluten free and lactose free Japanese restaurant in Valencia, in the Ruzafa neighorhood! They also have lots of vegan options.

Yes, I know it seems a bit odd to eat Japanese food on your trip to Valencia, but it is so rare to find a gluten free Japanese restaurant that I had to indulge.

Now, don’t expect sushi here. However, they have pretty much every other Japanese dish there is. We ate takoyaki, gyozas, katsudon, and ramen! The food is very salty, but other than that I loved it.

overhead shot of bowl of gluten free ramen from okashi in valencia

CLANN BAR TAPAS

Clann Valencia (called CLANN BAR TAPAS on Google Maps) is a nice tapas restaurant that is safe for celiacs.

They do not have any certification, but they did tell me that everything on the grill is gluten free and the bread is handled separately in the kitchen. Overall I found the staff here knowledgeable and I had a great meal with friends!

Vidrio Vacio de Novi Sad

Vidrio Vacio de Novi Sad is a cute wine and tapas bar in the Ruzafa neighborhood. We passed by it so many times on our way to our Airbnb that one day we decided to go in for a drink.

The menu marks allergens, like all restaurants are legally required to in Spain, and a number of items are gluten free. I found the owner, who speaks fluent English, to be very chatty and friendly and she had a good understanding of gluten free.

We ended up splitting some cheese, ham, and wine and it was a lovely night – and surprise gluten free find! You won’t find this one on any of the gluten free apps (yet) but I highly recommend it.

Arroceria El Rek (El Palmar)

If you want really good paella in Valencia, then everyone tells you to visit El Palmar. This is the small town in the Albufera wildlife preserve, where you can take a boat ride and see the sunset.

Within El Palmar there are dozens of paella restaurants, but I had luck at Arroceria el Rek. All their paella is naturally gluten free. They also offer gluten free bread, noodles, and can fry the patatas bravas separately to make it gluten free. There was also a beautiful patio overlookig the lagoon so it was really peaceful and the best location.

It’s an easy €1.50 hour-long bus from Valencia to reach El Palmar. The bus leaves on the hour every hour and you just tap a contactless card when you get on the bus to pay.

sarah with paella by the bay in el palmar

McDonald’s

Yes, Spain is one of the lucky European countries where you can get gluten free McDonald’s! I will say that it feels less safe in Spain than some other countries, because the gluten free bread does not come wrapped in plastic.

For my own anxiety, I checked with the staff each time that it could be cooked on a clean surface, and also that the fries were fried in separate oil. It’s a treat to have gluten free McDonald’s as a celiac!

La Intolerante (100% Gluten Free)

La Intolerante is a small stand within Ruzafa Market, that is completely gluten free. Unfortunately you won’t find baked goods or hot meals here, but it’s a good spot if you’re looking to stock up on gluten free products like pasta or bread.

More Gluten Free Restaurants in Valencia

I did not have time to visit every gluten free restaurant in Valencia during my trip. This was partly due to wanting to enjoy a relaxed vacation with tapas and wine, and focus less on dining at every possible gluten free restaurant.

To make this gluten free Valencia guide as complete as possible, here is a list of the other notable gluten free restaurants:

El Miracle (100% gluten free)
Naked and Sated (100% gluten free)
Berguna (100% gluten free)

A Gluten Free Paella Cooking Class in Valencia!

If you’re looking for a gluten free cooking class in Valencia, then I highly recommend the class we took with My First Paella. We booked on Get Your Guide and I messaged to let them know I am celiac.

The class is completely gluten free except for a small cake at the end. They informed me the cake is made off site, so there is no risk of cross contact in the kitchen. I was super impressed with the staff and the class itself was a hoot.

After a guided visit to Ruzafa Market, we had unlimited sangria (!!), a wide variety of tapas, and made the paella all together. It was so much fun! Definitely add this to your list if you’re looking for a fun half-day activity in Valencia.

Book the gluten free cooking class here.

sarah dan and teacher of my first paella cooking class in valencia

Grocery Shopping

Spain has some good gluten free options in certain grocery stores. In particular, I always find lots of Schar products at Carrefour and Supermercadona.

Skip Lidl and Aldi in Spain for gluten free products, unless you’re only going after naturally gluten free fruits and vegetables.

Where to Stay in Valencia If You’re Gluten Free

Both the old town and Ruzafa neighborhoods are great for visitors. Personally, I’ve stayed in Ruzafa on both my visits to Valencia and really love the trendy, local vibes. Both times I stayed in Airbnbs close to Ruzafa Market (which also means close to 100% gluten free Carlotes Cafe).

More accommodations I recommend for gluten free travelers in Valencia:

YOURS Boutique Stay: Beautiful modern apartments (with kitchens!) located in the Ruzafa neighborhood, and with an average 9.4 stars rating!
Only You Hotel Valencia: A stunning hotel centrally located in Valencia’s old town. Some rooms have kitchens, and it’s a 1-minute walk to Berguna Gluten Free and just a few minutes from Sana Locura and Naked & Sated. An average 9.2 star rating!
Apartamentos Wallace: A collection of modern apartments right in the heart of old town Valencia. Equipped with everything you could need, walking distance to many gluten free restaurants (it looks like the same exact building as Berguna Gluten Free!), and a 9 star rating!

Gluten Free Valencia: Final Thoughts

Valencia is a wonderful city to visit in Spain and it’s really underrated, in my opinion. It’s also startlingly good for gluten free travelers, and has improved so much since my first visit years ago. Seriously, the gluten free restaurant to population ratio is off the charts!

Combined with the fact that Valencia is really walkable/bikable, packed with fun things to do, and an easy flight from other major European cities, I say that you need to add Valencia to your gluten free city break bucket list stat!