Best of Gluten-Free Milan: Guide by a Celiac

Milan is the capital of fashion and has plenty to see and do. I’m always surprised by how easy it is to exist as a gluten-free human in Italy. Milan isn’t any different (it may be one of my favorites?)

Eating gluten-free in Milan is easy, and there are likely more options than you’ll be able to enjoy on your trip! Every city in Italy has excellent gluten-free options.

But, if I’m being honest, Milan is home to my favorite bakery and one of my favorite restaurants. It’s the city I recommend most for gluten-free food! And I never would’ve thought that before I visited!

These are great places to eat lunch or dinner and incredible bakeries. There’s also a gluten-free grocery store that will make you wish you’d left more room in your suitcase. You’ve been warned: leave space!

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Just remember, my celiac isn’t your celiac or gluten-free journey (or anyone else’s). Some of the things I’m comfortable with, you may not be, and you may have a different experience with the restaurants than I did. I hope you do because I had a great experience! But, you do you, no judgment and no pressure. I hope to shed some insight to make your planning easier.

AIC – What It Is and Why You Love It

The AIC is the Italian Celiac Association (loosely translated). This is my favorite celiac organization! Unlike other celiac organizations, this organization certifies restaurants. They go into a restaurant to train staff, set up kitchens, and create spaces where Celiacs can eat. Plus, they re-certify locations every year.

You don’t have to worry if you see an AIC-certified sticker on a restaurant’s window. The staff has been trained and knows what it’s doing even though it isn’t dedicated gluten-free. These restaurants often have a dedicated kitchen space, but not always. No matter what, they have practices in place to keep celiacs safe.

Eating at restaurants that aren’t dedicated gluten-free can be scary. But eating at an AIC-certified restaurant is a different experience. You have to judge for yourself. I think it’s worth it. 

The AIC also has an app that you can download. It allows you to see which restaurants are AIC-certified wherever you are. It’s cheap if you’re a tourist traveling. It’s $3 for 2 weeks of access.

You can get the details here.

I’ll note below if the places are 100% gluten-free or AIC-certified.

My Top 5- Because We Don’t All Have Time to Eat Everything

1- Bistro- Restaurant + bakery items

2- GluFree- Bakery

3- Pansy- Bakery

4- Mama Eat

5- Oficina Zero- Bakery + Cafe

Gluten-Free Restaurants in Milan

Milan has some of my favorite gluten-free restaurants.  I hope you love them too!

Bistro

Bistro is heaven if you’re gluten-free! Everything is gluten-free, but you would never know. It’s so trippy that I had to double-check everything the first time I went.

The menu is massive and includes a little bit of everything: pasta, sandwiches, and a bakery. As an added bonus, other allergies are well-marked on the menu.

The sandwiches are incredible for lunch. My advice is to order a sandwich served on their focaccia bread. It is incredible.

We changed our last trip so we could come back to Bistro for the focaccia. It’s that good.

The restaurant has a unique vibe, with plants on the walls. There’s eclectic seating in little nooks and rooms throughout the building. But it’s also pretty small for how popular it is.

Get there early, make a reservation, or be prepared to wait. There is also a take-away option if you get stuck. The whole menu isn’t available, but much of it is.

The pastries are incredible, too! So, save room to have one for dessert! I’m a sucker for a pan au chocolate, but every pastry I had here was delicious.

Oficina Zero

Oficina Zero is a dedicated gluten-free bakery and cafe. I’ve eaten here for breakfast and for lunch. I included it here because I thought the lunch experience was fun and unique.

First, as a bakery, everything I’ve had here is delicious. There are plenty of rotating daily options. But this is also a bakery in a more residential part of Milan, so locals are grabbing their normal go-tos. The line was long and moved quickly, which was intimidating the first time I went. They don’t speak as much English as other places, but they speak enough to get by. Plus, it’s all SO good.

I had a much better experience when I returned because I was prepared for what it would be.

For lunch, they have pizza and a few other things that can be heated. But they also have a menu option.

So, there will be some specific meal they’ve made for lunch that day. It was a meat and a couple of sides when I went. This is something I’ve seen all over Italy and Europe.

It was a cool experience to eat lunch in the same place the locals were eating. The food was good, and I won’t forget the experience.

Oficina Zero is located very near the Milano Centrale Station. It’s easy to grab a quick treat on your way to catch your train. Just know it may take a bit longer if you’re joining the line with the locals grabbing breakfast or lunch!

Mama Eat

Mama Eat is an AIC-certified restaurant with a dedicated gluten-free kitchen.

They also have a gluten-filled kitchen.

You can order anything off the menu gluten-free (or not), and they have some dairy-free options, too.

Mama Eat also has locations in Rome and Florence. I didn’t enjoy the Milan location as much as the one in Rome. I also started branching out from my go-to orders, so that’s on me.

The pizzas at Mama Eat are incredible—truly little pizza crusts full of joy. I don’t know why I stray from what works. It’s in a more residential neighborhood and not in the city center, but the trams make it very easy to get to. Mama Eat is always worth the trip. It’s an Italian Celiac staple.

The pizzas are amazing, and the pasta is great, too. I also love their tiramisu!

Peperino (or O Peperino)

Peperino is an AIC-certified restaurant known for its pizzas. It has a separate oven for these and a dedicated gluten-free kitchen space.

Peperino is still on my must-try list. I was on my way there for dinner one night but was detoured by a train strike.

The owner is from Naples, and the region is known for its exceptional pizza. So, it’ll be on my list when I return to Milan! 

Gluten-Free Bakeries in Milan

Milan’s gluten-free bakeries are incredible. And there are so many of them you won’t make it to all of them without a big effort.

I tried to tour the gluten-free bakeries, but I still missed some! Save some time in your Milan itinerary to enjoy some baked goods. They are some of the best I’ve had anywhere in the world.

I have tried so few of the restaurants because of the bakeries. I wasn’t hungry after eating pastries all day long!

GluFree

GluFree is a melting pot of locals and tourists. It’s pretty incredible.

They have a variety of baked goods and serve some pizza slices for lunch.

GluFree has flaky croissants. You can get a plain croissant, but I’d recommend trying a filled one. When I went, they had an apricot jam-filled option. I still want another one of those.

There are also cookies and other tarts. You can’t go wrong.

They have vegan options, but you must ask them since they aren’t labeled. No worries, though; they’re very helpful.

Everything is sold by weight, so it’s harder to predict the prices before you check out.

But like most in Italy, I found this bakery to be reasonable. I never felt like I was overpaying, and I left with a backpack of goodies to snack on for the day.

Pansy Gourmet

Pansy is a relatively new gluten-free bakery in Milan. It’s more of a patisserie. Everything is gluten-free and lactose-free.

Note that this often means lactose-free milk, not dairy-free.

It’s a small shop, but it has some seating. They also serve coffee with plant-based milk!

After my visit to see The Last Supper, I was able to grab my favorite pan au chocolate and a cappuccino. It was such a simple experience, but it’s one of my favorite memories of the trip. 

The filled and regular croissants were good. I also enjoyed some little pastries and chocolates. The artistry here is very different from what you’ll find at GluFree.

Both are incredible experiences.

PanPerMe

Pan Per Me is another dedicated gluten-free bakery and pastry shop in Milan. This shop has cute outdoor seating for that European Cafe experience you can’t get in the US.

They have excellent sweets. So, pan au chocolate, croissants, and more. They publish a menu to their Facebook page with their menu items for the week. This includes lunch options as well as brunch on the weekend.

They offer various cakes as well. Pannetone is an Italian tradition for holidays that started in Milan. So, if you get lucky and see Pannetone as an option, be sure to give it a try!

As a plus, PanPerMe is a 10-minute walk from GluFree. So, try both back-to-back if you want!

Pasticceria Navotti Senza Glutine Milano

This little shop is near the Milano Centrale train station. So, it’s an easy stop-over if you’re on your way to or from the city.

Some shops offer savory options, but Pasticceria Navotti offers only sweets.

On my first visit, I popped in to get a couple of cookies and a croissant on my way to the train station.

I was hungry, and they were delicious. So, there are no photos because, for once, my phone did not eat first. So, you’ll have to trust me on that one.

Gluten-Free Bakeries That Are Still on My List

Zero Glutine Life

Zero Glutine Life is another dedicated gluten-free bakery and cafe. It’s a chain in Italy, so you may see it in other cities. But, the location in Milan is quite far from the city center. 

It’s about 30 minutes from the Duomo. There are so many other options closer to where I’ve been that I’ve never made it out. But I never want to leave off a gluten-free bakery. Just in case you want to take a tour! 

Officine Del Dolce

This is another bakery I haven’t visited. It’s a dedicated gluten-free bakery and cafe that serves coffee! It’s near the Porta Romana station. So, if you find yourself in that area, check it out! 

Gluten-Free Gelato in Milan

Grom

Grom is a staple. If I see it anywhere, I try to go. This gelato shop is 100% gluten-free. So, you can eat here safely. 

Gelato can be tough for cross-contamination since it’s usually dipped into cones. But not at Grom!

There are also several dairy-free flavors. The cones do have dairy, so get a cup if you’re avoiding dairy.

I loved the pistachio and hazelnut flavors on my last trip!

Dedicated Gluten-Free Grocery Stores in Milan

Via Della Spiga

Via Della Spiga is a dedicated gluten-free grocery store and bakery. It’s the sister store to Bistro. The bakery products they use are all baked at this grocery location. You can buy pastries, focaccia, and other breads here.

But you’ll also find snacks, flour, pasta, and more. This little shop is the best of everything. It’s worth visiting to get the focaccia and have a fun experience in a store where you can eat everything.

Milano Senza Glutine and Celiacia Milano

These are two other gluten-free grocery stores in Milan. Since I went to Spiga, I haven’t visited either of these grociers.

If you have a longer trip to Italy or fly home from Milan, visiting one of the grocery stores is worth it. You may find a treat you didn’t know you needed!

Carrefour

If you find yourself in the city center needing a snack, Carrefour could be a good option. I’ve always had luck finding snacks, even at the Carrefour Express. Look for “senza glutine”. There is usually a dedicated section of gluten-free products.

Other Advice and Tips

Check that Restaurants Are Open

Closures can be weird. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve made it to a restaurant only to find they’re closed. There are a few places to check.

First, check Google and see what you find.

Next, check that the hours match what’s on the restaurant website.

It’s not unusual for gluten-free locations to be closed on Sundays or Mondays. Or even Tuesdays! 

If there are restaurants you want to eat at, take notes of the opening hours and days. Piece your plan together early. Then you know if you must eat at specific restaurants or bakeries on certain days.

Finally, before you head out for a meal, check the restaurant’s Facebook or Instagram pages.  Sometimes, holiday closures or special early closures are only announced on social media.

Always have snacks with you just in case you have to pivot due to a restaurant closure.

Gluten-free beer is often gluten-reduced

Gluten-free beer is often gluten-reduced beer. It’s sometimes made with Barley and wouldn’t be celiac-safe. If you’re going to try a gluten-free beer, ask some questions first.

I’ve always had the house white or red wine. It’s inexpensive and always very good. 

Do You Need a Dining Card?

This is always up to you. I found that most people in Milan spoke English. The only time I had trouble was in a dedicated gluten-free location, so it didn’t matter too much.

But, if you feel better with a dining card, you should take one! Don’t let anyone make you feel weird about that. You deserve a trip that isn’t stressful, so do what you need to make that happen.

This is the brand I trust. I’ve tried other popular ones (twice) and had the staff tell me they made no sense at all. So, I’m very particular about my dining cards now! 

Dietary Cards

Dietary card with Celiac Disease specific information for restaurant staff. Made by Equal Eats

Get 10% off with this link.

I don’t always take a card with me. But Equal Eats is the only brand I’ll use now.

I like that I can custom order a card to include my sesame allergy along with celiac.

I’ve tried several others that were recommended by Celiac bloggers and they were no good.
The wait staff laughed at the translation and said it was wrong.

Enjoy the Best of Gluten-Free Milan

You’re likely trying to squeeze Milan into a one- or two-day trip since Italy has so much to see. I get it.

Make time to visit the best gluten-free places in Milan. There are fantastic options here you’ll regret missing out on!