Florence tops many travellers’ Italy “must visit” lists and rightly so. From world famous artworks and frescoes to historic building and piazzas, the city is seriously beautiful.

What’s more, for gluten free Florence visitors there is a whole world of gluten free delicacies to be discovered. So whether you are on the hunt for the best gluten free pizza or looking to cool down with a coeliac-safe gelato, you have come to the right place.

Read on for my top gluten free Florence tips, covering coeliac friendly restaurants, cafes, gluten free bakeries and accommodation ideas.

Gluten Free Florence

Where to Stay

Many hotels in Florence will be able to cater for coeliac guests, however you should always let them know at the time of booking so they can advise you accordingly. Here are some suggestions, based on positive reviews from other gluten free travellers and my own visits to Florence:

  • Grand Hotel Baglioni – centrally located and excellent at catering for coeliacs.
  • Il Guelfo Bianco – family apartments with breakfast included, the hotels website actually mentions its ability to cater for gluten free guests.
  • Il Salviatino – a rather bougie resort outside Florence, if you want to go all out and stay somewhere remarkable. They can cater well for coeliac and other gluten free guests.
  • Hotel Brunelleschi – on our most recent trip to Florence we were kindly hosted by the beautiful and very luxurious Hotel Brunelleschi. The hotel cater wonderfully for coeliac and gluten free guests, even providing a gluten free mini bar. Check out my amazing breakfast in the pic below! Staff are very aware of safe preparation (my toast was prepared separately in the kitchen) and they provided a huge array of Schar products for me to choose from. The hotel itself comprises Florence’s oldest tower and is a a fantastic mix of historic buildings and modern comforts.

Cookery Courses

I often get asked by people whether I know of any gluten free cookery courses in Florence. So here’s a list of some courses that I found online. I’ve not taken any of these personally, but they are well reviewed:

Where to Eat

Grom (Via del Campanile 2)

Grom and I have had a long time love affair, starting over a decade ago when I was a hungry ERASMUS student spending a year in Padua. Since then, this excellent gelato chain has become fully gluten free. Chocolate-dipped cones, delicate biscuits and killer gelato and sorbetto flavours make this place a MUST VISIT for anyone coming to Italy. The gelato here is the best, in my opinion, and I have done some extensive taste testing in my time. Try the pistachio and fior di latte flavours and you can thank me later.

Antica Gelateria Fiorentina (Via Faenza, 2a)

Another fully gluten free gelateria, oh Florence you are spoiling us! The branding about everything being gluten free is subtle, but ask staff and they will confirm. They also have a number of lactose free ice creams available.

Ristorante Quinoa (Vicolo di Santa Maria Maggiore, 1)

A fully gluten free spot, this time a restaurant that has been accredited by the AIC (Italian Coeliac Society). The restaurant has a lovely open air courtyard that is set away from the bustling streets around it, quite a change from the city centre tourist humdrum. This is a great spot to grab lunch or gluten free aperitivo. The highlight of the food we tried was the gluten free fried chicken – delicious! They also offer dairy free and vegan options, plus gluten free beer and desserts galore.

Sgrano Gluten Free (Via dei Neri, 49r)

Oh my goodness, I WISH this fully gluten free takeaway was open when I visited Florence. The pictures of their food look insane (pizzas, filled sandwiches and more) and there are rave reviews. Seems to me that this one is a must visit! They have a few tables for dining in too, if you prefer a sit down meal.

Image credit: Sgrano

Benci Sgrano – L’Osteria Senza Glutine (Via dei Benci, 30r)

For a fuller sit down dining experience, try their sister restaurant, which is also fully gluten free.

Risotteria Melotti

Now open in Florence, I have visited their Rome restaurant and the food and experience was wonderful. The menu is fully gluten free so it was nice to be able to relax, as a coeliac. The focus is on rice-based Italian dishes, with risotto as the star, but also arancini, fried dough and a fine selection of desserts including tiramisu and tart.

SimBIOsi Gluten Free (Via de’ Ginori, 57 R)

Be sure to select the gluten free and not the standard restaurant location, to enjoy the dedicated gluten free menu. Fully gluten free, AIC accredited, with fabulous pizza, cheesecake, bruschetta and more. Vegan and dairy free options available.

Ciro & Sons (Via del Giglio, 28/r)

Feast your eyes on this burrata-topped gluten free Portofino pizza from Ciro & Sons in Florence. As soon as one of my followers on Instagram sent me a pic of her incredible gluten free pizza I knew I had to try this place! I had heard so many good things before I visited and it certainly lived up to the hype. The gluten free pizza base was EXCELLENT, definitely one of the best gluten free pizzas I have had. Ciro & Sons is safe for coeliacs as the restaurant has AIC (Italian Coeliac Society) accreditation. We were particularly impressed with the super friendly staff at this family-run restaurant. There are even gluten free desserts on offer (including homemade cheesecake), so what’s not to love.

Pizzaman

A chain of pizzerias across Florence, Pizzaman caters for gluten free customers. The gluten free pizza dough here is also suitable for vegans and is safe for coeliacs.

Mister Pizza

Yet another coeliac-friendly pizza spot, in the centre of Florence. Mister Pizza offers a gluten free option for nearly all of its dishes. The gluten free items are prepared in a dedicated kitchen area so you don’t need to fret about cross-contamination, then served on a special coloured plate for peace of mind. Some of my Instagram followers said this was the best gluten free pizza they had ever tried. Mister Pizza can also cater for dairy free and vegan customers. There are two restaurants in Florence – one in via Pietrapiana and one in Plaza del Duomo.

Ristorante Hostaria Il Desco (Via delle Terme, 23/R)

This restaurant offers an extensive gluten free menu with coeliac friendly processes (and AIC recommended) and receives many rave reviews for their seasonal Tuscan dishes. Options include homemade gluten free pasta, lasagne, homemade bread, steak and chocolate cake.

Bottega Artigiana del Gusto (Via Erbosa, 12r)

A fully gluten free bakery and cafe with all sorted of delicious food available, including fresh gluten free bread and pizzas. They also serve homemade gluten free pasta and desserts – all AIC accredited of course. It’s a bit out of the centre but is a good one to visit if you have some more time to spend wandering around Florence.

Cortese Cafe

A fully gluten free, vegan and raw bakery, which has opened since I last visited. Two locations.

Pasticceria Gualtieri (Via Senese, 18/red)

This bakery is AIC (Italian coeliac society) accredited and produces a selection of gluten free pastries, cakes and more. They also have vegan options available.

Trattoria Cammillo (Borgo San Iacopo, 57/r)

Try traditional Tuscan food at this AIC-accredited restaurant. Most of the menu can be made gluten free and they cater for coeliacs very ably.

Tosco Tacos (Via Santa Verdiana 6R)

If you’ve had enough Italian food to fill your boots, try this fully gluten free taqueria.

Dream Gluten Free (Via Bertolino 9)

A gluten free bakery and supermarket rolled into one. Offering slices of gluten free pizza, cakes and other baked goods.

Winter Garden (Piazza Ognissanti, 1)

At the St Regis, this restaurant was recommended to me by a reader, who said she had an excellent experience as a coeliac here. It is a very elegant setting, one for a fancy meal.

Others to Try

There are also a tonne of other AIC-accredited restaurants (accredited as safe for coeliacs) in Florence, which you might want to check out, including:

  • Le Botteghe di Donatello
  • Giannino in S. Lorenzo
  • Osteria Cipolla Rossa
  • Il Desco Bistrot (temporarily closed) – a reader told me their experience here was excellent.
  • Trattoria La Gratella
  • Caffetteria Raffaella – Tapinassi Bar
  • La Capanna
  • B-Roof at the Grand Hotel Baglioni
  • Antica Gelateria Fiorentina
  • Ristorante Hostaria Il Desco
  • Ristorante Bacca Rossa
  • I Tarocchi
  • L’OV L’Osteria Vegetariana
  • Bio I’ Pennatini

McDonalds

If you get fed up of pizza or Italian food (surely impossible??) and fancy a quick gluten free burger, McDonalds in Italy offers gluten free buns. It is accredited by the AIC and the buns are safe for coeliacs.

The Final Word

Like this gluten free Florence guide? Then why not discover more in the My Gluten Free Guide travel series via the links below:

I love writing these gluten free guides to help other coeliac travellers and like to keep them free of charge for all. If you have found the guide useful and would like to buy me a virtual coffee as a tip, you can do so via my KoFi account: https://ko-fi.com/myglutenfreeguide.

Thank you and happy travels! Laura xxx