Gluten Free Lisbon Guide

Gluten free Lisbon is a doddle once you have read my gluten free guide. You’ll be scoffing freshly baked gluten free pastel de nata and before you know it.

I fell a little bit in love with Lisbon when we visited. Its colourful streets and tiled facades are beautiful and the city’s vibrant nature is paired with historical buildings and stunning sights.

Throw some excellent gluten free food into the mix and I was one happy coeliac when we visited!

Gluten Free Lisbon

Gluten Free Lisbon Map

Here’s a handy gluten free Lisbon map to help you find places close to you while exploring the city. See below for more information on these eateries:

Accomodation

We stayed at this lovely apartment so that we could self cater some of our meals. I would really recommend it as it was a handy location, had two lovely bedrooms, great kitchen dining and lounge area and air conditioning. PLUS a swimming pool which is a bonus for those warmer days. The location was pretty handy too as it was peaceful at night and only a short walk to the sights.

Inspira Liberdade Boutique Hotel is a good hotel option if you prefer, they have a coeliac society accredited restaurant in the hotel (detailed below) so you know you’ll be well fed.

100% Gluten Free Lisbon Eateries

Despensa No.6

A fully gluten free and sugar free bakery and cafe, Despensa No.6 is a beaut little cafe, all white, pale wood and mint green interiors. it’s the ideal spot for an afternoon cake and coffee or chilled brunch/lunch date in Lisbon. It is situated close to the Roma metro station and therefore very easy to get to from the city centre.

I had some tasty tarts from Despensa and would definitely have gone back for a proper sit down lunch if we had had time. They have some dairy free and vegan options too.

Happy Cookie

A fully gluten free cookie shop, which has opened since I last visited. The cookies look really good!

Grom

Grom is part of an amazing Italian chain and they are quietly fully gluten free. It’s not obviously advertised but check with staff and they will confirm that all the flavours, waffle cones, toppings and biscuits are totally gluten free. I had a chocolate and nut topped cone with vanilla and pistachio biscuit gelato and milk chocolate gelato. Divine. You can find this one in the centre of Lisbon and remember to take all your gluten-eating pals as they will NEVER guess that it’s gluten free. Grom is just that good.

Salude Pastelaria

This fully gluten free bakery is also lactose free and refined sugar free. They’ve upgraded from a food market stall to a permanent cafe since I visited. Baked goods (sweet and savoury) and brunch options. Plus a pretty pink flower wall for those Insta shots ;).

Cafe do Rio – Craft Burgers

This eatery contacted me recently to let me know they serve fully gluten free food. The food menu is fully certified (by the Portuguese coeliac society) gluten free here, just note they do sell non gluten free beer on their drinks menu, as well as gluten free beers. Note they are bunless burgers, served with chips, they also have gluten free garlic bread and desserts.

Tapioca World

For tapioca crepes (similar to the one pictured below), this dedicated gluten free spot is an excellent choice. Ideal for a speedy lunch. They offer sweet and savoury tapioca crepes, acai bowls, salad bowls and steak.

Rice Me Deli

A lovely selection of gluten free baked goods to grab and go, including pastel de nata and pastries. They also do toasted sandwiches, crepes, eggs and toasts to go, all very reasonably priced. Note they do have a few small tables if you want to dine in.

Rice Me

The menu at this little cafe restaurant is now fully gluten free and is certified by the APC. They offer a range of dishes, including noodles, gyoza and croquettes. Open for lunch and dinner and you can get food to take away or dine in. By the Sao Sebastio Metro station.

Gelateria Sao Miguel

Another fully gluten free ice cream shop, serving up gluten free Grom gelato and with gluten free cones.

Batardas (temporarily closed Nov 2025)

A very short drive from Lisbon, this is another fully gluten free eatery to be discovered. I didn’t get a chance to visit but it appears to be a bit of a haven, without gluten free doughnuts, pastries and pizza up for grabs. Oh and pastel de nata too (note if you want a pastel in central Lisbon, scroll down to read all about Zarzuela).

APC Certified Places

The APC is the Portuguese Coeliac Society and they have certified a handful of restaurants in Lisbon as safe for coeliacs. I went to check them out.

Pastelaria Zarzuela – Bali do Cas (renamed recently)

A must visit for any gluten free travellers to Lisbon as it is smack bang in the centre. The pastel de nata custard tarts at Zarzuela are absolutely amazing. Get there in the morning for a really lovely fresh one – mine really was one of the nicest gluten free sweet treats I have ever eaten (and I have tried a lot!).

Zarzuela have a huge range of gluten free baked goods, plus savoury items that you can take away or sit down and eat in their café. It’s not a fully gluten free bakery but they have processes to prevent cross contamination and the gluten free items are obviously all stored separately. They also had a full additional allergens chart on the wall – very useful if you have more than just a gluten intolerance to deal with.

Update – since the rebrand reviews say they now offer Indonesian food for dinners too, with plenty of gluten free options (some say it is all gluten free, but I cannot find confirmation of that so please enquire).

La Trattoria

Another Italian restaurant that is able to cater for coeliacs and that has a dedicated gluten free menu. There are plenty of rave reviews about eating gluten free here, so it seems like a very good evening meal option. Note on the pizzas there is a cross contamination risk, but they offer gluten free pasta, antipasti, risotto, mains, fries and some desserts that are suitable for coeliacs.

Open Brasserie Mediterranica

In the Inspira hotel, this restaurant is fully accredited as able to cater for coeliac diners. They have strict processes in place to ensure their gluten free meals are safe. This restaurant can also cater for vegetarians, vegans and lactose intolerance.

Other Coeliac Friendly Spots

We had a good experience at the following places or spoke with staff who confirmed they could cater for coeliacs. Coeliac travellers, please always ask your own questions too when visiting just in case processes or menus have changed.

Bonjardim

This is the spot you need to visit for piri piri chicken and chips. Their chicken and chips are naturally gluten free, although when we first asked we were told they weren’t. We asked another waiter who spoke more English and he reassured it that they were definitely completely safe…a good example of how busy front of house staff can send us coeliacs into a worry spiral! We had ours to take away and enjoyed the feast in our Airbnb. A few coeliac friends of mine have eaten happily here too and recommend an al fresco dinner on the terrace.

H3 Hamburgology

This chain of burger restaurants was recommended to me as coeliac friendly by various Portuguese followers of my Instagram account. You will find them serving burgers in in loads of shopping centres across Portugal, including Lisbon. Although you seem to get served crisps instead of chips when needing gluten free, so perhaps stick with Cafe do Rio when you’ve a burger craving.

McDonalds

The great news is that Portugal McDonald’s offers gluten free burger buns that are fully coeliac safe. This includes Big Macs! Their fries are also coeliac safe, as are some other items – use one of the large screens in-store to order and you can add a filter to show you which products are gluten free. They have strict processes to avoid cross contamination.

Chez Bea Cafe

Contacted me recently to say they have a variety of gluten free buckwheat galette options and a seperate pancake machine for coeliac customers

Weeel

Perhaps not a permanent feature but we found this frozen yoghurt truck parked by Belem tower. All their froyo is gluten free and all comes in cups, so no need to worry about cross contamination from cones.

Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Baccalau

This was a random find but brilliant find when I was in Porto, however they also have a branch in Lisbon! They serve traditional pastel de bacalhau, a sort of cheese filled fishcake made with salt cod. It’s the only thing they make here so they are fully gluten free with a dedicated fryer. The guy at the till was very helpful and told me that to be extra careful they would make me one without the rice wafer on top (he said there was a risk of cross contam during the manufacturing elsewhere of the wafers.

Time out Market Gluten Free Options

I trekked around the market a bit as I couldn’t see any obvious gluten free options, despite seeing other good reviews in the past. I think the stalls here must change quite regularly. My visit was in 2019, so the below might not be very up to date, but do go and explore!

Oh and a side note for anyone with babies or young children: the Time Out Market has great nappy changing facilities and it’s right in the centre of town. Handy if you get caught out!

Confraria

I had sushi from Confraria. The menu is marked up to show gluten free choices and I explained to the staff that I was very very sensitive to gluten so they marked it as an allergy and took extra care to prep separately. Staff were extra careful preparing my food when I explained I was allergic to gluten (they didn’t understand coeliac and I didn’t have my coeliac travel card to hand so explaining it as an allergy was most effective). The guy discussed it with the chefs and they agreed they could make it on fresh boards etc. Really delicious and wonderfully fresh.

Other Gluten Free Friendly Lisbon Spots

The following places were recommended to me as able to cater for gluten free diners but I wasn’t able to check them out for myself.

Totale Pizzeria

Coeliac friendly, gluten free pizza. Be sure to let them know you are coeliac and they will ensure it is prepared safely.

Cervejaria Ramiro

Lots of good coeliac reviews, recommending this restaurant for seafood. They have gluten free bread and beer and staff are knowledgeable about coeliac disease.

Caso Serio

For gluten free, coeliac friendly tapas with plenty of options. Staff are helpful and they have gluten free beer and bread as part of their offering.

The Therapist in LXFactory

I saw this place recommended as being coeliac friendly with lots of gluten free options on the menu. Healthy fare with vegetarian and vegan options. Could be a good lunch spot.

Solar do Bacalhau

A good place to try traditional Portuguese cuisine, especially bacalhau. Staff are very accomodating to coeliacs and can explain which options on the menu are gluten free.

Maria da Mouraria – Casa de Fados

Very diligent at preparing safe gluten free meals and with gluten free bread on offer. The menu here is traditional Portuguese and appears to be a set menu format.

Palacio Chiado

A recommendation from a coeliac friend, who told me they have a dedicated gluten free kitchen space here and the food is very good. She ate here and had a good experience.

Potato Project

For coeliac friendly topped fries, to enjoy on the go. Staff can tell you which toppings to avoid, such as crispy onions, to ensure your fries are gluten free.

Tapisco

Beautiful little plates and mains at this Michelin starred establishment, with a focus on Portuguese food and many wines to choose from. Reviewers say they had a positive experience regarding helpful staff and cross contamination protocols.

Olive

For poke bowls and salads – speak to staff and they can let you know which items can be made gluten free and they have a dedicated area in the kitchen to avoid cross contamination.

Gluten Free But NOT For Coeliacs

The following options looked so good but I quickly found disclaimers on their menus saying they were not suitable for coeliacs due to potential cross contamination. I am including them here in case you are following a gluten free diet for health rather than medical reasons.

Go Natural

A great city supermarket chain for picking up gluten free products. They also have a hot and takeaway food counter with loads of gluten free options. HOWEVER, coeliacs beware as every gluten free takeaway food item has a “not suitable for coeliacs” warning. I think they are simply being overly-cautious but I did not risk trying. A shame as the food looks good – hot lunchboxes with chicken and rice, chia pudding and rich chocolate mousse. Up to you to decide whether you want to try it or not.

Supermarkets

I found most supermarkets in Portugal sold gluten free products, certainly in the main towns we visited. Here are some we went to in Lisbon (we were self catering some meals).

Biomercado

Lots of gluten free choices here. It’s an organic supermarket and they have freshly baked gluten free cake on their hot food counter.

Celerio

A health food chain with lots of gluten free products found all over Portugal.

Continente

Lots and lots of gluten free choice here. I found gluten free croissant, little Schar sweet brioche buns and all the usual gluten free groceries you might need for a self catering holiday.

Go Natural

[see above]

Miosotis

An organic supermarket with lots of gluten free product choices.

Pingo Doce

This general supermarket offers a good variety of gluten free products, although mainly scattered around the store so it took me a while to find things. I think the large branches have a dedicated section.

If you are lucky enough to be on a multi-city holiday or are travelling round Europe, have a read of some of my other gluten free Europe city guides:

• Porto Gluten Free Guide
• Rome Gluten Free Guide
• Barcelona Gluten Free Guide
• Vienna Gluten Free Guide
• Cote d’Azur and Nice Gluten Free Guide
• Budapest Gluten Free Guide

Happy travels! x

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