Ciao and welcome to my guide to eating gluten free in Milan, Italy. Milan will forever have a special place in my heart because I lived there for nearly five months during an exchange semester.
Unfortunately, on the day I left New York for Milan, I received a call from my doctor telling me that I had celiac disease. Perfect timing, I know.
One overnight flight later, I had to figure out how to live with my new autoimmune disease. Up to this point in time, I had spent my entire life eating gluten and not paying much attention to the ingredients in my food.
Now, I had to determine what foods were unsafe for me to eat, how to cook gluten free meals, and even how to translate my new dietary restrictions to Italian. It wasn’t easy doing this all on my own, but I figured it out. For these reasons and many more, my time in Milan was the most formative experience of my entire life. You can read more about it here.
Once I got the hang of things, eating gluten free in Milan was really manageable. I discovered some awesome eateries during my five months there. For context, my exchange semester was in Fall 2017 and I returned to Milan in June 2019 for vacation.
I noticed something really encouraging during my June 2019 trip: gluten free options were much more readily available throughout Milan than they were in 2017. I think this positive trend will continue as international travelers continue to visit! Additionally, 1% of the Italian population has celiac disease, and awareness of the disease continues to grow.
When in Milan, I noticed that there are several gluten-free options in Italian grocery stores (often a tiny section of an aisle), but they are not in prime locations of the stores. Don’t expect signs telling you where in the store to find gluten-free options – you’ll likely have to scour the store, but options should be available for you.
I was lucky I lived in the particular student residence that I was assigned because it was located two blocks from my favorite gluten-free place in all of Milan (and potentially all of Italy!) as well as across the street from a natural food store. I ate at or purchased food from these two places practically daily and will outline more information for you below.
Don’t let celiac or a gluten intolerance prevent you from traveling to Milan! Milan is a stunning destination brimming with edgy fashion and lots of history. The options below will be your saving grace on a trip, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised that they are SO. MUCH. BETTER. than gluten-free eats in the US.
Since I lived in Milan for several months, I’ve also included information on what to do and see while you’re there, where to stay, and how to get around! As always, if you have any specific questions, feel free to comment, email me, or shoot me a message on Instagram. I hope you’re able to visit!
GluFree Bakery
Via Curtatone 6 | glufreebakery.it | Go for breakfast/lunch
I can’t recommend GluFree Bakery enough to anyone visiting Milan. It is SO good. This place was the biggest lifesaver throughout my semester abroad. I was genuinely so sad to go home since there isn’t a GluFree Bakery in New York! This bakery is incredible and has all of the traditional Italian eats and pastries, sans the gluten. Life. Changing. I probably ate GluFree Bakery arancini every single day I was home. The bakery had crepes, cookies, pastries, muffins, croissants, pizza, bread, and a wealth of other baked goods. They will also make GF cakes for you that are DELICIOUS. My boyfriend visited during my last week of my semester abroad and his birthday was a few weeks earlier. GluFree Bakery made a delicious chocolate cake that we devoured quickly!
All of the food at GluFree Bakery makes it stand out, but the greatest part to me was the service. When I got to Milan, I was so confused about what I should or shouldn’t eat. I initially struggled to adjust to my new celiac diagnosis. Although not all of the employees at GluFree Bakery spoke fluent English, a woman named Mari helped me all semester and became a friend as well. I became such a regular that she knew my exam schedule and my coffee and arancini order 🙂 She, as well as the rest of the staff, were always kind and welcoming. I felt so at home whenever I visited the bakery.
All in all, GluFree Bakery is a must-visit! They also have another location in Milan at Via Curtatone 6. UPDATE: it seems like they have moved solely to the Via Curtatone location.
NaturaSì
Piazza Le Porta Lodovica 3 | naturasi.it | Go for groceries
This natural food store has tofu, gluten-free veggie burgers, quinoa, gluten-free cookies, vegan options, and lots of health food items that aren’t commonly sold in Italy. The store had delicious frozen food that I would often heat up for dinner. One of my favorite items here was the pre-seasoned tofu. It was delicious! I bought it frequently and would chop it up, sauté in olive oil, and throw over quinoa and veggies. So delicious!
Think of this as the Whole Foods of Milan – it’s just smaller. The groceries and health food products are delicious and you’ll find something both healthy and yummy. I frequented one specific location near Navigli; however, the store has locations are all over the city! I honestly wish I could order NaturaSì products from the US. Their pre-seasoned tofu, GF ravioli, and more are to die for.
Nerino Dieci Trattoria
Via Nerino 10 | nerinodieci.it | Go for dinner
I loved this restaurant for dinner! It smells so good when you walk in and the staff was so friendly. I had the swordfish for dinner and it was so tasty…I ate every single bite! There are a lot of seafood options available for celiacs as well as meat and vegetables. Anyone with gluten dietary restrictions can enjoy a delicious meal here.
Be Bop Ristorante
Viale Col di Lana 4 | https://www.bebopristorante.it | Go for dinner
Be Bop has a designated gluten-free menu with appetizers, entrees, and desserts. I ate gluten-free pizza here one night and also tried their gluten-free bruschetta. The staff is friendly and I enjoyed my meal!
I haven’t eaten here, but another GF option is PanPerMe.
Things to do:
*There are a ton of things to do in Milan! These are some very initial ideas. Please send me a message on Instagram if you are looking for specific ideas. I’d be happy to help!
- See the Duomo di Milano and The Last Supper, the most famous Milanese attractions. Make sure to purchase The Last Supper tickets far in advance, especially if you are visiting in the summer
- Shop in the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II, right near the Duomo
- Finish your shopping with a visit to Il Cioccolato gelateria
- Wander the canals of the Navigli area and grab aperitivo
- Walk around Brera and visit the Pinacoteca di Brera
- Watch an opera at La Scala
- Take the metro to the Fondazione Prada and view the current exhibits
- Walk around Parco Sempione and stop at Castello Sforzesco. On the other side of the park, see the Arco della Pace
How to get around:
- Milan has an extensive transportation system. The metro is efficient and can get you from point A to point B in the city quickly. It is easy to navigate and clean
- Trams are also a great option – I took the 9 Tram frequently during my time in Milan. The 9 can bring you all the way from the Navigli area to Milano Centrale, Milan’s major train station. This isn’t as fast as the metro, but it’s a scenic way to get to the train and see various neighborhoods if you have some extra time to kill
- Walk! The city is very walkable, and I’d always stumble upon beautiful churches and scenery on my walks
- There used to be Ubers in Milan, but I believe there are only taxis now. The taxis are generally reliable, but are more expensive than the metro/tram
- Head to Porta Nuova to see Bosco Verticale and the UniCredit Tower (Italy’s tallest tower)
Where to stay:
- Many tourists will opt to stay near the center of the city, as the Centro Storico is home to many attractions. Feel free to message me if you are looking in a specific neighborhood
I hope you enjoy my gluten-free recommendations in Milan! If you happen to visit any of them or have any questions, please leave a message in the comments below 🙂
As always, if you have celiac or any other gluten-related dietary restrictions, please exercise caution when eating out at a restaurant. Make your dietary restrictions known to your server and ask if they can cook your meal on a clean, separate surface/in a designated GF pot or pan. Lastly, when in doubt, don’t eat it!
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