Hi,
I am traveling with my family - 4 adult couples and two infants. We have one vegan and one person with celiacs in our group. Any suggestions for dining in Rome that will accommodate these two while allowing everyone else to eat typical Italian food? Mostly looking for suggestions around Monti, Campe de Fiori, Pantheon, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps.
Thanks!
Meghan
Italy has a large number of celiacs, so it is the country in Europe with most gluten free choices. Just tell the restaurant or shop “senza glutine”. Most places have options that do not involve gluten.
Vegetarian options are also plentiful, since the Mediterranean diet is not very rich in meat. Vegan is a bit more challenging, since that would exclude anything with eggs or dairy products. Ask around: RISTORANTE VEGANO is the Italian word.
Here is a selection of the best.
https://www.puntarellarossa.it/2017/05/08/i-migliori-vegani-di-roma-ristoranti-vegetariani/
You might inquire of the Vegan what their tolerance level is regarding the strictness of "Vegan". My point is that someone with a bit of tolerance can find some options on almost any menu; however, it is possible that pasta may be made with egg, other items may have a bit of butter, and likely, in a common kitchen, strict separation may not be followed. The other problem is that the language barrier may prevent answering of detailed questions, so if they can "go with the flow" a bit, it makes things easier.
I say this as my wife is mostly Vegetarian (does eat fish and dairy), she has learned to make do, as I refuse to limit my options based on her preference (Of course Medical or Religious reasons should be respected) and she manages just fine.
Thanks so much, this is a great resource!
Hi Meghan,
Congrats on planning your upcoming trip to Rome! Great questions about vegetarian and celiac-friendly dining choices. As a celiac, I too have been digging for recommendations and resources on gluten-free restaurant choices for my upcoming trip to Rome, Florence, & Prato.
The Puntarella Rosa link kindly provided by Roberto is a great resource for planning. Check out this link as well:
https://www.scattidigusto.it/2016/05/11/roma-migliori-ristoranti-celiachia-gluten-free/. Both links were recommended to me by someone living in Rome.
If you find a place with gluten-free dining options in the Monti area, definitely let me know. The closest I have found is Taverna Barberina right next to Palazzo Barberini. Close to Monti, but more so the Quirinale area.
For the Colosseum area, the closest place I have found is http://www.centopercento.bio/. Ran across that one last week, and it would check all the blocks you're looking for with vegetarian and GF options.
I hope this helps and happy planning!
Hi Joanna,
Thanks for the helpful information! Have you seen any of the resources from the Italian celiacs society? http://mappa.aiclazio.it/
