Gluten-Free Foodie in Italy? Sì!

On a recent trip to Rome, I had dinner with an old friend who has lived in Italy for over 30 years and was diagnosed with celiac disease over a decade ago. The advances in celiac research and availability of gluten-free products in the past decade are astounding. We had dinner at Mama Eat in Trastevere, a restaurant accredited safe for celiacs by AIC. My friend almost cried when she tasted the pizza because it was that good. The restaurant has two separate kitchens and almost everything on the menu is available gluten-free, including pizza, pasta, bread, focaccia, and cakes. The restaurant’s owner is celiac herself and has dedicated herself to creating a restaurant that can be enjoyed by everyone. There are six locations of Mama Eat throughout Italy and it opened my eyes to the options available to gluten-free travelers.

This type of care for travelers includes hotels. For example, at the Romanico Palace hotel in Rome, the breakfast room has a clearly labeled separate cabinet of gluten-free products for guests. The gelato store Grom, with locations throughout Italy, is entirely gluten-free, including regular and chocolate-dipped cones.

After Rome, we drove down to Napoli and stayed at the Palazzo Caracciolo. This is a beautifully restored palazzo that is especially proud of their gluten-free breakfast options. While in Naples, we also visited the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, which houses many of the statues and artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum. Although we did not have a chance to visit Pompeii this trip, it is well worth the time to visit and there is even a Mama Eat in Pompeii. After our museum visit, we did a walking food tour in the evening. Although our tour was not designed to be gluten-free, there are many options for gluten-free dining in Naples, including gluten-free bread to sop up the savory ragu that is a Naples specialty.

Pizza maker, Napoli

Our final stop was in Furore, on the Amalfi Coast. We stayed at the Hotel Grand Furore, a beautiful five-star small property overlooking the sea. With stunning views of the coast, a beautiful pool, and a Michelin-starred restaurant, it was an incredible stay. The service was impeccable and the hotel prides itself on paying attention to allergens and dietary requirements. They will ensure that someone with celiac has a full range of options of their delicious food and pastries. We also did a day tour of 12 towns on the Amalfi Coast, ending with a lunch in a private lemon garden in Tramonti. On the way, we stopped at Sal de Riso in Minore, a bakery featured in Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy TV series, to sample the delizia al limone, a to-die-for pastry with lemon cream. Sal de Riso offers many gluten-free selections in their shop!

Sal de Riso, Minore

Sunrise at the Grand Furore Hotel

Lunch in a private Amalfi lemon garden

Our last day in Italy, we stopped at Cantina Vesuvio, a winery located within the Mount Vesuvius National Park. After the tour, we indulged in a tasting paired with a delicious lunch on a rooftop patio overlooking the vineyards and Mount Vesuvius on one side and the Bay of Naples and the Isle of Capri on the other side. A perfect ending to a foodie's trip to Italy.

Welcome glass of fizz at Cantina del Vesuvio

The AIC created an app that travelers can download. It costs a small fee, currently $3.99, and there is an option for a short-term (14-day) membership. There are many restaurants, hotels, stores, and other vendors throughout Italy that are certified safe for celiacs through the AIC. Many also proudly display their AIC accreditation in the window of their business.

You can also look for the “Spiga Barrata” symbol on products and menus. This symbol, an ear of wheat with an X over it in a circle, is a symbol trademarked by AIC to identify gluten-free products.

Your travel advisor can help you with a translation card that you can store on your phone. Common phrases in Italian to communicate that you are celiac include “sono celiaco” [pronounced sew-no chill-EE-ack-oh] if you are a male or “sono celiaca” [sew-no chill-EE-ack-uh] if you are a female. To request something gluten-free, you would request “senza glutine” [sen-sa glue-tin-eh].

There is nothing better for a travel advisor committed to accessibility than finding resources to allow you to have your dream vacation. Your travel advisor would be happy to confirm with hotels and tour providers that your gluten-free needs will be met! Get ready to celebrate the abundance that Italy wants you to enjoy.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Italy page.