Eating gluten-free in Barcelona, Spain
What can I say? From my experience, when it comes to eating gluten-free in Europe, Barcelona comes out on top! Now that does not mean to say there isn't anywhere better, it just means I am yet to witness it!
Almost every restaurant that I visited had gluten-free bread to offer so I didn't feel as alienated as I have done in other places, say France (I love France btw and will still keep going and just go through the FOMO when I see everyone eating a baguette around me! FYI you can buy Schar sans gluten baguette's in the french supermarkets so all is not bad if you are self catering).
Not only do Barcelona offer the bread though, but it's the freshest and most sturdy I've ever witnessed (I'm sure we have all encountered gluten-free bread that falls apart or has holes in). If you've only got one opportunity to have bread in Barcelona, then you have to try the tomato bread, trust me you will not regret it!
Here is a list of restaurants that I recommend you visit whilst you are in Barcelona, I loved Paco Merlago so much, I went back again this year when I only had one night in the city - that just shows how good it is!
My partner chose to stay here because they offer a gluten-free breakfast (yes he gained some brownie-points or bread-points should I say). Every morning I was served an omelette baguette amongst the usual yoghurt, orange juice and tea and I must say it was really good! The bread was fresh, crispy and I became a big fan of omelette baguettes. So, if you're gluten intolerant/coeliac and struggling to find somewhere to eat breakfast, then Casa Gracia is your answer! It also ticks all the boxes where decor is concerned, making it an uber cool place to eat, so you better book a table.
Away from the hustle and bustle of Barcelona there is this little restaurant boasting fresh and organic produce. Not the most welcoming of places, nor overly bothered about filling tables. We had to wait a while before they apologised for seating us on a shared table (hello we are from London, what restaurants don't have shared tables?). The food was good. We both had burgers, mine being gluten-free with lactose-free cheese. Just when you think you're being naughty they accompany it with a jacket potato and some salad, so don't get excited for chips here because they don't exist on the menu. Unfortunately it lacked atmosphere and the service was very slow, but if you're passing, it's not the worst place to eat and it has a very trendy vibe filled with contemporary decor.
Tucked away on the back streets, not too far from Sagrada Familia there's this gorgeous little Italian restaurant which inside, almost feels like you could actually be in Italy! The atmosphere was nice and the service was spot on. My pizza was delicious - thin, crispy and full of flavour and personally, I think it looked way better than an ordinary one! We arrived at the restaurant before it opened (you forget the Spanish eat so late), so we spotted a bar across the street called Casablanca which serve the largest g&t's you have ever seen, ply you with buckets of popcorn and play 80's music whilst you sit in American style booths. We couldn't have planned it better if we tried!
Unexpectedly we ended up in Barcelona again recently. Some would call it a disaster (my father-in-law), I called it a bloody good disaster. After a connecting flight with Vueling from Barcelona to London got cancelled, Vueling put us up at newly renovated Hotel Sofia for two nights and what an amazing two nights it was. We happened to be away for my Birthday (again) and there are definitely worse places you could have a cancelled flight, what was not to be happy about? No work, more sunshine, shopping, good food and even more Rioja. We had just come from Seville so it wasn't as though I hadn't had enough (sun & Rioja) but very happy to have more! Instead of waiting for the shuttle to escort 100 odd angry passengers, we decided to cab it straight to the hotel, bearing in mind it was 9.30pm and after 5 hours queuing I needed a stiff drink! So by 10.30pm we were showered, dressed and sitting at the stunning bar in the hotel with a large g&t in hand. Taking advantage of our 'full board stay' we then moved on to the restaurant. To our surprise we were offered a 3-course meal and a glass of wine. They were very accommodating to my gluten and dairy intolerant needs and designed a menu to suit. I had the tuna fillet and tomato salad to start which was the best tuna salad I have ever tasted, pig cheeks (when in Spain) for my main course and fruit and sorbet for dessert. The service didn't stop there, the next morning for breakfast they had a whole basket full of gluten-free goodies from bread to cookies and the breakfast buffet on a whole was something else, this was alongside a choice of eggs and bacon! For lunch I had the tuna salad again and a wonderful plate of roasted chicken topped with sun-dried tomatoes and onions with crispy potato wedges. I was very impressed with the hotel on the whole and considering the stay wasn't coming out of our pockets they continued to treat us as paying customers and made us feel very welcome. I would highly recommend eating or staying here and I hope that I get to come back again one day!
You can't come to Spain and not have paella, as much as I was enjoying all the tapas and pintox, I do love a good paella and it was our last night so had to be done. The restaurant was a nice walk through the back streets from where we were staying in Barcelona (Casa Gracia). We were lucky enough to get the last table for two (I recommend booking), however we were early dining at 8pm compared to the Spanish who don't usually venture out until around 10pm! We ordered the seafood paella and obviously a nice bottle of Rioja for the last time...when in Spain and all! The paella was great although it didn't have, in my personal opinion the main ingredient, chorizo! The service was good and the restaurant had a nice atmosphere. They do have gluten free bread available and coeliac friendly desserts as well as vegan. I had the vegan chocolate mousse which was amazing!
We made the mistake of coming here on our first night because then it was impossible to beat. We were also very lucky to get a seat as this tapas restaurant is buzzing with a constant array of people coming through the door. They sat us at a lovely table overlooking the streets of Barcelona. The service was impeccable, bringing us two dishes at a time that complimented one another. The food was delicious, combined with great wine and the best gluten free tomato bread I have tasted!
