Gluten Free in Florence: 7 MUST Visit Restaurants and Eateries for a Delicious Trip

Ann-Marie

January 16, 2024

7 Gluten Free Spots You Need to Visit on Your Trip to Florence:

Eating gluten free in Florence is not only easy, but absolutely delicious if you know the right spots to hit up on your next adventure to this food-filled city. I had the most amazing time visiting restaurants in Florence as someone with Celiac on my first trip to Italy last year. Believe it or not, eating gluten free in Italy is incredibly easy. Contrary to the United States, there is much more widespread knowledge about Celiac Disease and how to prepare gluten free foods safely.

In the United States, I am so used to calling restaurants ahead of time to go over their kitchen procedures, speak to the manager, re-run through the procedures once at the restaurant with my waiter, and double check to make sure they let the kitchen know that I have an “allergy”. The process is exhausting!

In Italy, the process was as simple as asking “do you have gluten free food?” and “is it safe for someone with Celiac disease?” and most restaurant staff could give me a confident answer right away. Normally, traveling gluten free can be incredibly stressful and tiring, but in Florence it was a breeze. However, even with my increased confidence is kitchen procedures in Italy, I primarily stuck to restaurants that offered more extensive gluten-free menus and had more rigorous kitchen procedures for cross contamination.

When I visited Italy, I was travelling with two friends that are not gluten free and it was important to me to find restaurants that would not sacrifice their experience to eat delicious gluten-filled food but also would keep me safe. For this reason, most of the places on this gluten free Florence list are not 100% gluten free, but I vetted extensively to make sure they take cross contamination and Celiac disease seriously.

Another thing that was important to me was the ambience of the restaurants we ate at. Since Italy is a country for foodies, I knew we would be spending a lot of time eating! I wanted to sit in cute, Italian eateries like “normal” Italian travelers, so I researched each of these restaurants through pictures and videos ahead of time. If the ambience is something important to you too, rest assured I highly recommend the “vibes” of each of these places as well.

With all that said, after having spent a few food-filled days in this magical city, I’ve put together a list of the restaurants, gelaterias, and stores that I visited that I would highly recommend if you are traveling gluten free in Florence!

Contents hide

1 Gluten Free Italian Phrases

2 Italian Celiac Association (AIC)

9 Diadema Restaurant & Winery

10 Eating Gluten Free in Florence: The Guide to the Best Eats

Gluten Free Italian Phrases

Senza Glutine: Gluten Free

Sono Celiaco/Celiaca (male/female): I am Celiac.

In my experience, most Italians in major cities (like Florence) can speak English pretty fluently. But just in case, it’s great if you can memorize these two phrases to have in your back pocket. Typically I would start out by using my limited Italian vocabulary to explain I have Celiac, and then we would ease into English from there.

Italian Celiac Association (AIC)

For those with Celiac, the Associazione Italiana Celiachia (AIC) or Italian Celiac Association has helped accelerate the knowledge, and care for citizens with Celiac in Italy ahead of anywhere else in the world. They work diligently to disseminate information regarding Celiac Disease to improve the lives of thsoe with Celiac.

How does this affect you as a traveler? The AIC made my search for gluten free restaurants so much easier. Restaurants have the option to become AIC-accredited, which means they follow a strict set of protocols to avoid cross contamination and provide safe gluten free food for those with Celiac Disease.

Additionally they provide an app for a small monthly fee. Since Florence is a fairly large city in Italy, I found that Find Me GF sufficed for finding places to eat since there were a substantial amount of reviews. However, if you would like the additional information and added peace of mind, the AIC app is really cheap and may be worth buying for your trip.

Throughout this article, you will see me call out AIC-accredited establishments- which basically means they are Celiac-safe.

Ristorante Quinoa

Ristorante Quinoa was the only 100% gluten free establishment I visited during my stay in Florence, and let me say, it did not disappoint! This partially indoor/outdoor restaurant felt like an garden oasis from the hustle and bustle of Florence. When you step in, you are greeted with beautiful greenery everywhere.

Not only was the ambience incredible, but the food was too! We started out by getting a Flan and Fondue appetizer because I hadn’t seen that option anywhere else while eating gluten free in Florence on my trip. Then, for dinner I decided on a fried chicken dish because how often can you find gluten free fried chicken when out to eat? Meanwhile, my non-gluten free friends tried out some gluten free pasta dishes that they gave their stamp of approval.

And don’t forget dessert! Since dinner was so good, we knew we couldn’t skip trying their sweet treats. When I say the chocolate cake is the best cake I have had since becoming gluten free, I am not exaggerating. If you visit Ristorante Quinoa you have to eat the chocolate cake, I don’t make the rules!

I must mention that our wait staff was fantastic too. All of the waiters were friendly and were making jokes with us throughout the night.

I must add that this was the only 100% gluten free restaurant we visited in Florence, however it was my non-gluten free friends’ favorite stop regardless.

100% gluten free restaurant in Florence: Ristorante Quinoa

Hostaria Il Desco

If you are looking for a warm, intimate, Tuscan kitchen vibe in the heart of the city- Hostaria Il Desco is an excellent gluten free Florence choice. The exposed brick, rounded doorways, and wine every which way you look is the epitome of Florence dining.

Hostaria Il Desco is not a fully gluten free restaurant, however it was AIC-accredited (read above) so I felt very confident that the kitchen and staff were well informed on Celiac Disease and cross contamination procedures. I opted for a simple Spaghetti and Mozzarella dish for dinner that hit the spot after a busy Florence itinerary that day. And of course we had to try dessert while we were there! I had a delicious Cheesecake topped with fruit.

Definitely do not skip Hostaria Il Desco if you are eating gluten free in Florence!

Eating gluten free in Florence at Hostaria Il Desco

Ciro & Sons

If you are in the mood for some of the best gluten free pizza in Florence, add Ciro & Sons to your itinerary! We visited this restaurant on our last night in Florence and it was the perfect way to end our trip.

Ciro & Sons is not 100% gluten free, but it is AIC accredited and has options for all different types of diets which is especially great if you are traveling with a larger group. They offer gluten-free, lactose-free, vegan, and vegetarian options in addition to your traditional pizza.

The weather was beautiful while we were visiting so we decided to sit in their outdoor section alongside the street. It was aesthetically decorated with fairy lights and greenery which made for a very pretty evening dinner.

We started off by ordering a meat and cheese board (because of course you need to fill up on meat and cheese before ordering pizza…right?!). Then, I ordered the Tropea pizza for my main course which I would’ve easily mistaken for a regular pizza if it weren’t for the gluten-free label on my plate because it was so good. And what is dinner without dessert? I ordered the crème brûlée which was the perfect ending to this yummy Italian dinner.

Eating gluten free in Florence at Ciro & Sons

Mister Pizza

Another fantastic pizza option for those eating gluten free in Florence is Mister Pizza! We ended up ordering Mister Pizza for takeout, but they have indoor and outdoor seating right in Piazza del Duomo. You cannot ask for a better view than that of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the third largest church in the world) right beside you.

This is another AIC-accredited restaurant with a vast array of different gluten free options safe for those with Celiac Disease.

Since Mister Pizza’s location is central to the hustle and bustle of the Duomo, be prepared to wait for a table if you don’t have a reservation. Every time we walked by Mister Pizza during our trip, it was completely packed. However, that’s just a testament to how good it was!

Mister Pizza in Florence — Source: Happycow

Cortese Cafe 900

Cortese Cafe 900 was a gem of a find on my journey of eating gluten free in Florence. Not only is it 100% gluten free, but the restaurant does not use refined sugar and milk and is completely vegan.

I was hesitant to try this place, because what kind of bakery doesn’t have gluten, milk, or refined sugar? But rest assured, everything looked and smelled so dreamy in this quaint little cafe right of Piazza di Santa Maria Novella.

I settled on a Mango Cheesecake, but if I had a larger appetite I definitely would have tried some of the mouth-watering chocolate options they had on display.

Eating gluten free in Florence at Cafe Cortese 900

Grom

If you are eating gluten free in Florence, you have to stop at Grom for some gelato. Grom is 100% gluten free which means gluten free gelato and cones without any concern for cross contamination. I found this to be a massive stress relief as its pretty difficult for many gelaterias to prevent cross contamination if they aren’t completely gluten free.

There are so many different flavors to choose from, but my favorite was the Crema Come Una Volta which roughly translates to “Cream Like it Used to Be”. This is one of their “classic” flavors, and it is simply just good, old-fashioned gelato.

Grom is a chain throughout many major cities in Italy, so I visited them several times on my trip to Italy in Venice, Florence, and Rome and they never disappointed.

Diadema Restaurant & Winery

My final recommendation for must-visit gluten free spots in Florence is Diadema Restaurant and Winery. We visited this restaurant as part of our Vespa/Wine tour that we booked out of Florence. This was hands-down the best experience during our trip to Italy. If you are interested in exploring the Tuscan countryside atop a Vespa, you can read on more in my Florence Itinerary article.

Diadema Restaurant was the only restaurant in Florence that I visited that wasn’t AIC-accredited. However, I spoke to the wait staff at length about their cross contamination protocols and they were incredibly knowledgeable of Celiac Disease and assured me that they would be able to prepare my food safely away from other foods. There was another woman in my tour group that had Celiac as well, and both of us felt comfortable with the kitchen protocols.

I am so glad that I stumbled on this experience, because the experience eating here was almost magical. They served us gluten-free bread, caprese, bolognese, and tiramisu alongside some of the best wine straight from their winery next door.

Since Diadema is outside the metro region of Florence, you would either need a car (about a 30 minute drive but well worth it) or to book a guided tour like I had of the winery. The trip out to the winery is so worth it though. Tuscany is absolutely beautiful and the restaurant is situated atop the rolling hills of the countryside with beautiful views of the vineyards. Definitely stop by this hidden gluten free Florence restaurant if you can.