8 Gluten Free Venice Restaurants and Establishments For Your Next Trip
I visited Venice for the first time this year and had THE most amazing time traveling gluten free as someone with Celiac. Believe it or not, eating gluten free in Venice, Italy is surprisingly very easy. Contrary to the United States, there is pretty widespread general knowledge as to what Celiac Disease is and how to cook gluten free.
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 Italy 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 Venice 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 Venice, 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 Venice!
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 Venice) 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.
Gluten Free Venice Restaurants
1. Trattoria Agli Artisti Pizzeria
This adorable eatery is located in the heart of Venice’s quaint winding roads of Castello. We visited Agli Artisti for lunch on our first day in Venice where we shared some traditional Italian appetizers such as Caprese salad and a cheese board.
Aesthetically, this was one of my favorites restaurants we visited on our entire trip to Italy. It was the perfect cross between home-y and classy with Venetian influences scattered throughout in the artwork and decor. The ambience was great, the staff were friendly, and the food was yummy!
If we had bigger appetites when we had visited, I definitely would have opted for one of the delicious pizzas we saw served to several other diners around us. Agli Artisti is popular for their pizzas, so if you are in the mood for pie, this restaurant is a great option for a gluten free Venice pizzeria experience.
2. Osteria Al Pozzo Roverso
Right next door to Agli Artisti is Osteria Al Pozzo Roverso which was our second restaurant stop on our gluten free Venice trip. I had the most delicious, creamy gluten free gnocchi for dinner at Osteria Pozzo Roverso. For dessert, I tried their tiramisu which turned out to be one of my favorite desserts of my entire Italy trip.
This restaurant was intimate with a smaller seating section and modest farmhouse decor and architecture. The wait staff was friendly and accommodating to my Celiac needs- they even gave me the nickname “gluten free gal” as they served me my food!
While this restaurant was on the smaller side, the food and wine menu were large! If you are in the mood for pasta, I recommend checking this place out.
3. Ristorante Al Giardinetto Da Severino
For my final sit-down restaurant recommendation, I strongly encourage you to visit Ristorante Al Giardinetto Da Severino. This was my favorite restaurant we visited while in Venice (and not just because my friends and I had a lot of amaaazing wine here)!
This restaurant had both an indoor section and a beautiful, covered terrace garden section in the back. This half indoor/outdoor area was surrounded with beautiful greenery and colorful plants from ceiling to floor.
This restaurant was another fantastic experience as a Celiac in Venice. They even had gluten free bread for me before the meal! I had to try some Venice seafood on my visit, so I ordered the spaghetti and clam dish for dinner- which all I can say is, chef’s kiss. For dessert, I ordered panna cotta which rounded out an amazing meal at Al Giardinetto Da Severino.
Gluten Free Venice Gelaterias
4. Grom
If you are eating gluten free in Venice, 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.
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. In Venice, they have two locations on the main island.
5. Suso
Suso was the second gelateria I tried on my trip to Venice. Suso is conveniently located in the heart of Venice near the Rialto bridge. My friends and I all found the gelato at Suso to be incredibly rich in the best way.
One thing to note is that Suso is not 100% gluten free, however, I was satisfied with the cross contamination measures they took in order to make sure my gelato was safe. They have individually wrapped gluten free cones, the employees changed their gloves, and they sanitized a scoop in the back. The only risk I took was eating gelato that was scooped out of the same container as non-gluten free orders. I requested the employee to scoop the gelato from the other side of the pan (where no scoopers had touched the gelato yet) which was good enough for me, but I recommend that you do your own checks if you visit.
6. Gelato di Natura
Gelato di Natura is the only gelateria on my list that I didn’t eat at, but wanted to include for gluten free readers that aren’t sensitive to cross contamination. I popped in to this gelateria and unfortunately the employee told me that she wouldn’t recommend it to people with Celiac as there is too much cross contamination.
The good news is, most of the gelato flavors are gluten free and they have gluten free cones available for an additional euro! They have several locations throughout Venice, so this is a good place to keep in mind if you aren’t sensitive to cross contamination.
Gluten Free Venice Fast Food
7. McDonald’s
Believe it or not, McDonald’s is safe for Celiacs to eat at in Italy! However, the only option on the menu is a gluten free burger on a Schar bun that comes wrapped in plastic. The burger is heated up in the plastic wrapping in the facility so there is no risk of cross contamination.
While I wouldn’t consider this to be real fine Italian dining, I had to stop in McDonald’s and give the gluten free burger a try since it’s been many years since my last McDonald’s hamburger! If you miss the novelty of ordering at McDonald’s (like many of us Celiacs do) you should absolutely pop in on your gluten free Venice trip. Plus, the burger was surprisingly tasty for pre-packaged food.
Gluten Free Venice Grocery Store
8. Mea Libera Tutti
My final recommendation for your gluten free Venice trip is to stop by Mea Libera Tutti, a 100% gluten free grocery store located in Venice. This specialty store is only a couple aisles wide, but perfect if you are looking to pick up some gluten free snacks to keep in your bag or back at your hotel during your travels.
They carry both larger brands such as Schar as well as goods from local producers. There were so many snacks I had never seen before in any United states grocery stores and everything was so tasty. Even my non-gluten free friends were enjoying the snacks I got!
Gluten Free like Me?
It’s uber important to always travel prepared! No matter where you are going, its important to always travel with some gluten free snacks on hand!
Click here to learn more about my favorite gluten free travel snacks!
Looking for more gluten free travel inspiration? Check out my other posts!
- Gluten Free in Florence: 7 MUST Visit Restaurants and Eateries for a Delicious Trip
- 14 Delicious Gluten Free NYC Dining Options
- Gluten Free in Disneyland
Looking for More Italy Inspiration?
Check out my other itineraries and guides to seeing Italy:
- How Many Days in Venice is Enough? Itinerary + Recommendations for a 1, 2, or 3 Day Stay
- How Many Days in Florence is Enough? Hand-Crafted Itinerary for 2+ Days in the City
- How Many Days in Rome is Enough? The Perfect Itinerary for 2, 3, or 4 Days
- Ultimate Florence to Venice Day Trip: 5 Major Sites + Food Recommendations for the Perfect Day
Don’t Stop Exploring Here!
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