Gluten Free Dining and Spanish food in general

Thank you for writing this report. I am intolerant to gluten, and we are planning a trip to Madrid and Barcelona sometime in the next year and a half. Your information is helpful. Any restaurant in Madrid in particular that you would recommend for GF dining?

We found our hotels in Barcelona and other northern areas of Spain catered quite well for gluten free. For example gf bread rolls and muffins provided on request at breakfast and often wrapped separately. And quite a bit of gf food available in supermarkets - a good selection of Schar products and others.

Maybe I'm reading this wrong but what is the issue?

We have plenty of gluten-free options in Spain actually Spain is one of the best gluten-free countries in Europe. Is your issue that you didn't understand what was in each tapa? Most tapas are actually gluten free. As for vegetables not sure where you got that information but there are plenty of vegetable dishes in Spain. I don't know what that cab driver was on but actually Spain is the vegetable garden of Europe. Most of Europe's fruit and veg comes from Spain, mainly grown in the Almeria region, which you probably missed in your journey south. Perhaps you only relied on touristy restaurants? Restaurants that cater mainly to locals have a reputation to keep so they often use fresh local produce, honestly it's probably cost effective for them too.

I can´t believe that a taxi driver told you that Spain, the orchard of Europe, told you that. We have hundreds of vegetable dishes, most of our meals have veggies on them and there are huge extensions of fields of vegetables in many places of Spain, we do not get everything imported!!! Tapas is just an option in the south as a light aperitif, but it´s not a main meal, it´s something we have BEFORE a proper lunch or a proper dinner, but very rarely it´s a meal. And restaurants offer salads, stews with vegetables ("menestra") and many other options that have vegetables on them, we just do not put them on the side of the plate as they do in other countries, but they are included no doubt. We love veggies, and to say that our dishes do not have them is quite odd. Furthermore, "Spanish" food is very differente from region to region, so talking in general will not be very accurate, either.

Spanish food is mainly naturally gluten free. In the south you get a lot of grilled fish with sautéed vegetables, for example. I think you were probably just unlucky with the restaurants you went to. The food on Spain is generally very good and cater for allergies and intolerances well with clear menu information.

Your experience doesn't tally with mine which consists of trips to Spain annually, often several times a year. My wife is intolerant to gluten and she has never experienced any problems with finding something to eat and we're often in the south or in Mallorca. I have no idea what your cab driver was talking about, in the UK much of our fruit and vegetables come from Spain and a visit to a Spanish supermarket will demonstrate that there's no scarcity of fruit and vegetables, far from it.

Most Spanish dishes are naturally gluten free anyway as the primary carbohydrate is typically potato or rice and if you eschew any accompanying bread. I've never experienced any difficulty finding vegetables and salads in any restaurant and there are endless vegetable tapas. Thinking back to some of the restaurants I've visited I can envisage how easily it would be to eat a wholly plant based diet and not be limited by choice or variety.

Evidently you had a disappointing experience but your assessment is not accurate and you're doing a disservice to those seeking advice on eating gluten free in Spain.

I think it may be choice of restaurants. When someone says all they saw was tapas, they were likely out early and eating, well, at tapas bars. Many restaurants do not open until many tourists are back in the hotel getting ready for bed. Complicating it further for Spain, I see on here a trend to stay someplace with a big buffet breakfast, then all but skip lunch, and try to eat sometime between 6 and 8 in the evening. That is just not the way you want to eat in Spain, you will be frustrated.

I get it that many on here do not want to eat at 10 at night, but you would have more options if you had a very light coffee and something right away in the morning, a stop at 9 or 10 for something a bit more at a cafe, then focus your main meal about 1 or 2. Then in the evening something light, maybe at a tapas bar, maybe waiting for a restaurant.

Of course in many tourist areas, you have options at any hour, and if you get to areas heavy with expats, lots of seafood, Italian, and pizza places that open for the early crowd.

I do get the sentiment that there is a lack of vegetables, especially if you are looking for a plate of steamed or roasted vegetables, that can be hard to find, they tend more to be served with a meat or fish, maybe pureed in a soup, or as a salad, sometimes just a plate of tomatoes. My non-meat eating, somewhat health conscious wife also points out that there is a good chance the vegetables will be battered and fried, or served mixed with jamon.

I've been to Spain twice and had a totally different experience. For one-saying there are no vegetables in Spain simply because you didn't see it on the train is mildly funny. There are plenty of vegetarian tapas-peppers de padrones, patatas bravas-asparagus and salad.

And there are gluten free dishes in most tourist restaurants in Spain. There is a whole webpage with restaurants in Cordoba and Granada. https://www.happyceliac.com/gluten-free-granada/

Finally, that cabbie probably was taking the piss out of you by telling you there are no vegetables available in Spain.

I may suggest people do more research before making a trip if they are GF or vegetarian as a wealth of information is available.

Even the breakfast room in our hotels in Granada and Seville had roasted vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, etc.) and cold sliced vegetables.

In response to those who have sought to discredit my observations as far as gluten free food and vegetable scarcity in Spain, please do your own research using knowledgeable sources. There has been a record breaking heat and water shortage across Europe, (reported in ALL the newspapers) especially in Spain, in 2023. Even in September/October, when temperatures usually cool, the weather was eye wateringly hot and dry. This impacted crops and severely cut down on the usual size of the annual harvest. I'm sure in the past Spain had great vegetable growing weather, but now the only thing that grows well is olives that don't require as much water. This weather pattern is expected to continue and probably get worse. Before booking a flight to Spain, you may want to do a reality check, not listen to blustering people that obviously love tapas and beer more than good healthy food. As far as gluten free food, I would love to get a list of restaurants that had gluten free food that didn't include salty Jamon, fried steak or broiled salmon.

JC of Portsmouth, are you sure you don't work for the Spanish tourism board :)) Which celiac lives on potato and rice. But you're British so I can understand. You are funny.

@GB,

I am not a celiac, but have friends who are, or members of their families are. Things are not perfect for them, but in the last few years when we have gone out, the worry of finding acceptable gluten free meals is almost gone.

I live in the north of Spain, La Rioja, so I will not comment on what things are like down south, but I know here that we have not had any real problems with the produce supply. Prices have gone up, but that is true everywhere and for most things. In fact more than the drought, the hail storms and flooding did more damage to the production.

You said "I think you could also do some of your own research before going." I think you could apply that to yourself. I did a quick google search for gluten free on Calle del Laurel, and it seems that there are lots and lots of celiac groups that report on their experiences in the different bars and restaurants. This is just one example.

In Navarra they are very proactive about food labels on the menus. This menu, for example, has 15 food warning labels. And you might notice no salmon, there is very little ham, and no fried steak.

In La Rioja many restaurants also label their dishes. Here we can see many gluten free dishes. Except for the Iberian Ham Croquettes there is no ham. You've got salmon but no fried steak. This is a menu from a typical Asador, and they also list many food warnings.

GB, your info is not accurate. Spain is a huge producer of all kind of vegetables and fruits, serving most of Europe as one of the main sources of these two produces. Most restaurants indicate in their menus the allergenes in their meals, so it´s very easy to go "gluten-free" in Spain. And salmon is not very common (it may be it´s the only fish eaten in the US??), we much prefer other kind of fish, Spain is one of the biggest consumer of fresh fish in the world. You probably went to the wrong places in the South (tapas, again, is not a meal for us, and those in Granada and Seville have nothing in common with those in the rest of Spain), as of course olives is not the only thing that grow there (and yes, olive fields have been very much affected by the drought, contrary to what you say). I live in the Basque Country, where it rains often, so our vegetable produce has not (as in all northern Spain) been affected by the scarcity of rain. Spain is very, very diverse.

... intriguing conversation, although I must admit it strikes me as rather peculiar when someone brings up the "scarcity of vegetables" (apologies for the amusement). As others have pointed out earlier, Spain is renowned as one of the orchards of Europe. While this year and the previous one have seen a decrease in production due to the drought, there's still an abundance of vegetables and fruits available both in the local market and for export.

Regarding gluten-free options, I can't help but wonder if this individual may have frequented the wrong establishments. With the exception of perhaps the excessively touristy spots, most restaurants offer a diverse range of dishes, many of which are gluten-free. It's worth noting that vegetables play a significant role in the various cuisines of Spain.

This apparent "lack" of vegetable dishes in restaurants may be a cultural difference. Spanish cuisineS (in plural) use plenty of vegetables, but we do not put them on the plate as a side or accompanying dish, but rather "inside" what´s been cooked (for example, all our stews have plenty of veggies and garlic...but pureed or in cut small portions). It´s like our taxes...all are included on the price, but in the US they are clearly stated apart and you´re more conscious of them :):):):) A very good choice of salads, most of them with (olive or sunflower) oil, vinegar and salt, avoiding those horrible sauces that are served in other countries.

It's sad that the OP has resorted to snide insults rather than graciously accept the responses from people who have a greater experience of dining and the food in general in Spain. My issue was that the information provided by the OP was aimed at coeliacs who are seeking advice about eating in Spain and it is wholly inaccurate.

My advice would be to take note of the information provided by people who have been travelling to Spain for decades or who live there over someone who spent six weeks there and seemingly made some poor restaurant choices.

Having spent a good deal of time in Spain, in large cities and many small towns, walking the Camino Frances and the Portuguese Camino, have met so many people who were eating gluten free and they did not have a difficult time finding things to eat.
The Spaniards go out of their way to provide items for them in main dishes.
Am wondering about the put down of potatoes and rice, since they are the main carbs for billions of people around the world. Personally, I prefer them over pasta or bread.

Spain grows a good portion of the veggies for the EU.

Sorry you had poor experiences with the places you ate at, but I wouldn’t characterize an entire nation’s cuisine based on the experiences from one trip. I hope you return to Spain and give it another chance. Others on this forum, or a little research before a trip, should help you find restaurants that have foods to meet your dietary restrictions.

the sense of repetition in Spain's indigenous food dining scene.

That is very true. After a week or two in a given region, outside of big cities you barely need a menu.

I'd also say that while vegetables are indeed plentiful in Spain, I do not find them especially plentiful on restaurant plates. Many dishes are served without vegetable sides, unlike in neighboring France, for instance, and ordering a full plate of a vegetable dish is not necessarily convenient.

After a week or two in a given region, outside of big cities you barely need a menu.

True for anywhere in the world I'd say, and also not to mention particular dining establishments too have their routine menu items that are expected by local patrons 😉

Whether you're in an izakaya in Osaka, a deli in NYC, a tapas bar in Madrid, or a brasserie in Paris.

I thought Bourdain was referring to the Basque Country as the most awesome food scene in the western world...but of course, I´m probably wrong. He did say, though, that "You could make the argument that there is no better place to eat in Europe than the city of San Sebastián. There are more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita here than anywhere on Earth, but even the everyday joints are superb".

And, again, in most Spanish cuisines we do not put the vegetables aside, but mixed with the preparations, so you may feel there´s no veggies...but sure they are there!

It seems only Anglophone countries (i.e. USA, UK, Australia, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand), and Nordic countries (i.e. Denmark, Greenland, Norway, Sweden and Finland) are averse to opening restaurants here.
Wonder why that is?

Likely because for many migrants the easiest way of securing employment is to open up your own restaurant/eatery. For people from western countries there are often better employment opportunities.

Thank you so much everyone for giving me some "food for thought." Your comments were mostly kind and thoughtful and I appreciate that. We definitely will return to Spain and will probably stay in Madrid and northern Spain next time. One last note here before signing off. Spain has so much to offer and the people are wonderful, warm and kind. My post was not a broad brush opinion of the whole country. Mainly Granada and Seville, and believe me we traipsed the whole of the two cities looking for good gluten freen food. Obviously the heat and frustration may have affected our experience, and isn't everything about personal experience. I can only say to all fellow travelers... go see for yourself and make your own assumptions. Thank you again everyone and Happy Travels wherever you go.

I'd like to just kick in here and say that I've traveled in Andalucia with a GF companion, and we had absolutely NO trouble finding delicious food for her over our two-week stay. Or for ourselves, including vegetables, fruits, and delicious salads. It is our favorite food in the world.

If you are gluten intolerant and considering travel to Spain, please don't eliminate Andalucia based on GB's experience.