Fresh back from the beautiful island of Skiathos, I am very happy to be able to share plenty of gluten free Skiathos recommendations with you.
We really loved our holiday here – from the lovely cobbled streets of Skiathos Town, to the sandy beaches with clear, calm waters. It suited our little family very well (we have two children, aged 6 and 3).
We ate out every evening (plus one lunchtime) and I had a great experience everywhere. I am a cautious coeliac and always ask a lot of questions about preparation, and I was so impressed with how well and safely restaurants were able to cater for me.
I had done some thorough research prior to our trip, so please bear in mind not every restaurant will cater for coeliacs. However, there should be plenty of choices below for you to work through.
Self Catering – Buying Gluten Free Food on Skiathos
We ate out for our evening meals then mainly had easy breakfasts at our accommodation and picnics for lunches. So I thought I would briefly cover what gluten free products I found in supermarkets on Skiathos.
The big supermarket near the airport (Sklavenitis) had a few gluten free products scattered around – two varieties of biscuits, melba toasts and pasta, although I failed to find any bread there. I did get gluten free beer though, which I highly recommend as it’s a good’un!
I finally found some gluten free bread at the Σκλαβενιτης supermarket just north of Skiathos town.
Given how tricky it was to find gluten free bread, I would recommend you bring some from home. I also struggled to find any breakfast cereals or granola, so maybe bring some of those too. I brought a couple of packets of the gluten free Warburton’s Pittas, which were great for lunch, a packet of granola and some cereal for the kids.
Eating Out – Coeliac Friendly Restaurants on Skiathos
Basilikos
I had the best chicken souvlaki here, it was cooked perfectly, all juicy and delicious with crispy chips on the side. Plus they have gluten free bread available if you want it. Oh and get the Basilikos salad, it is gorgeous!
Located right in Skiathos Town, this restaurant is set off the main tourist throng on a nice cobbled side street. We were seated in a lovely courtyard, cooled by fans, and had a great experience from start to finish.
Staff were completely clued up about catering safely for coeliacs and there was plenty for me to choose from. Dedicated fryer and no bread cooked on the grill here. Children’s meals available.
Giardino Segreto
The menu here is marked up to show gluten free options and the staff were really helpful, answering all my questions reassuringly. They have a dedicated fryer for the chips, so those are coeliac firendly, and had a good array of choices including gluten free pasta.
I went for a Greek speciality described as “Beef in Red Sauce” and it was delicious. Really well cooked with big, bold flavours and tender meat. Enjoyed seated in their lovely courtyard.
We also appreciated the speed with which they brought out our kids’ food (they offer half-size portions of all the dishes for kids). And I loved how clean and precisely organised the kitchen was – always reassuring!
Exantas
One of my favourite meals, not only because of the beautiful setting (the restaurant overlooks the beach and sea directly) but the food was also excellent. And there were plenty of gluten free choices, even…freshly baked gluten free bread!!!
Again, the staff were helpful and knowledgeable, confirming that the chips were cooked in a dedicated fryer and than my meal would be made safely. They also have gluten free pasta available.
Definitely get the bread, then the truffle cheese fries were incredible too! I had a lovely sea bass dish. They don’t offer kids’ portions but my 3 year old managed to eat most of an adult-sized seafood linguine and our daughter enjoyed the meatballs (not gf).
Bonus, they have a great wine list and offer some lovely ones by the glass.
Baracoa Beach Club
We went here for my birthday and had such a dreamy day, chilling by the sea. We ate at their restaurant for lunch and they were fab in the gluten free front.
The server recommended I avoid the fries (as while they have a dedicated fryer, it’s located directly next to one use to deep fry courgettes in batter and he said there was some splatter), so I went for a gluten free pasta dish. What arrived was gorgeous gluten free prawn linguine and I was a happy girl!
We also had a lush Greek salad, with a really soft, almost whipped, feta on top and the best tomatoes I have had in a long time. Plus they had childrens menu items available (tomato pasta was a hit).
Kioupi
A nice spot for foodies, recommended to us by our accommodation host. Recently opened, they have a daily changing menu focused on traditional Greek dishes (rather than the tourist Greek food we are used to).
You are seated in a gorgeous courtyard (although take your mozzie spray as the mosquitos are out in full force), and our food came really promptly. They kindly marked the menu up for me and there was plenty for me to choose from.
They were not able to offer half portions for kids, but my kids happily stole my food instead. I had a beef short rib with celeriac puree, which was good but nothing to write home about (but it got my 6 year old to eat celeriac, so that’s a win). I did love their tzatziki though!
I would say it’s more of a date night spot than a family friendly restaurant, but if you have foodie kids then go for it.
Paraxenos
Through a tunnel of fairy lights into a beautiful courtyard, you can see why this place is popular with us tourists!
They catered really well to my coeliac needs and my husband and I shared the fish of the day and the chicken souvlaki (dedicated fryer and no bread cooked on the grill). The souvlaki was a bit dry, but the fish was excellent. There were some gluten free dessert options, but we didn’t try any.
They have some kid meal options here, plus they make an excellent Aperol spritz! Staff were, once again, lovely and helpful – Greek people are the best.
Johnny’s
We had a nice meal here, but it did not live up to the rave reviews I had read from other tourists. The staff were LOVELY, and really really helpful, so I would give them 10/10 on that front. But choices for strict coeliacs like me were more restrictive than at other restaurants.
The restaurant menu is marked up to show which items contain wheat, but you need to ask questions about cross contamination to establish which ones are coeliac safe, and many options are then ruled out. For example, pitta is cooked on the same grill as the souvlaki etc, so that’s out. And the fryer is shared.
That said, I enjoyed a good lamb klefitico dish and some oven roasted potatoes. The desserts were not coeliac friendly (as both had ingredients with may contain warnings, the kind staff checked for me). They’ve a nice outdoor terrace and it’s worth booking in advance as this is a very popular tourist spot. Note they do not offer any specific children’s dishes or smaller portions for kids.
Other Restaurants To Consider
Below are places I have not eaten at personally, but that I found during my pre-trip research as being coeliac friendly. Plus ones that have been recommended to me by readers.
- Under the Pine Tree – recommended to me by a reader as being coeliac friendly, plus I also saw it reviewed positively on Facebook. Koukounaries.
- Nikos Restaurant – there are lots of positive reviews about this restaurant, as having good gf food and beer and awareness of cross contamination. Options including chips cooked in a dedicated fryer, gf bread, pancakes and waffles. However I also noted two reviews of people being glutened from eating the burger here, so perhaps steer clear of that option. Skiathos Town.
- Fonissa Restaurant – recommended to me by a follower, it looks rather fancy and has a nice location overlooking the water. Skiathos Town.
- Kanapitsa Taverna – a casual beach cafe recommended to me by a reader as being able to accomodate coeliacs.
- Maria’s Pizza – their website says they have lots of gluten free choices and they serve Italian food. Skiathos Town.
- La Cucina di Maria – reviews say this is the place to get safe gluten free pizza, although you need to book as they make the bases in advance. They also have gluten free pasta.
- Maistrali – one reviewer said they understand gluten free so well here that they ate at the restaurant every night for two weeks! Agia Paraskevi.
- Mouria Tavern – recommended on Trip Advisor by a reviewer saying it was coeliac friendly, with gluten free bread individually wrapped and a dedicated fryer.
- Fish Tavern Old Street – recommended to me by a coeliac follower and I also spotted a trip advisor review saying it was lovely and good for coeliac. Skiathos Town.
- Black Pepper – reviewers say this restaurant is “great for gluten free” and in a nice and quiet location. “Waiter was very informed about gf and assured fries were cooked separately…plenty of gluten free options although not labelled”. Megali Ammos.
- Ricchi & Poveri– I saw this one recommended in a Facebook group, apparently the owners are friends with a coeliac so have good understanding of the requirements. Skiathos Town.
- Gravisi – lots of lovely tables laid out along a cobbled street, this looked lovely when I passed and gf pizza and pasta were available (but ask day before to ensure they have stock). Skiathos Town.
- The View – I saw this recommended as coeliac friendly, with the reviewer saying “gluten free dishes were not a problem and everyone in the family inc kids had a very good dinner. One of the best restaurants”. Agia Paraskevi.
- Marmita – I read lots of positive coeliac reviews about Marmita, although the two most recent note gluten garnish being added (and staff realising and swapping before they ate it). But generally well reviewed for Greek cuisines with creative touches.
- Mylos Taverna – recommended as a gluten free (and coeliac) friendly spot that is ideal for plane spotting, with nice tables right next to the water. Skiathos Town.
- The Borzoi – the courtyard here looks gorgeous and people recommended it as having good gluten free options, including sushi and risotto. Skiathos Town.
- Achinos Restaurant – a rather beautiful-looking beach bar and beachside restaurant. Reviewers say the food is delicious and they can cater for gluten free. More of a date night vibe. Megali Ammos.
- Old Port House Bar – this bar says they now serve gluten free Greek beer in bottles, so it’s a nice spot to head to if you want a few gf drinks in Skiathos Town.
- Meltemi Brunch Café – I saw a couple of people recommending this as a good spot for gf sandwiches, plus as having a good range of dishes for coeliacs. Skiathos Town.
Well, there should be plenty for you to go on and to get your gluten free Skiathos research started. If you’ve any extra tips or think I should change information in this guide please get in touch laura@mygfguide.com.
While I try to keep guide information as accurate as possible, it is your responsibility to ask questions before you try any of these restaurants. Menus and processes can and do change and I cannot be held liable for any bad experiences you may have at the restaurants listed above. This is simply a guide, based on my experiences, as I wanted to share the lovely places we ate and help other coeliac travellers have a wonderful time on Skiathos.
Happy holidays!
Laura xxx
p.s. why not check out some of my other travel guides while you are here:
