As I mentioned in my earlier blog about Rome, I am a coeliac. This makes travelling slightly more complicated for me, as I am always concerned about finding appropriate places to eat wherever I go. One would think Rome, or Italy for that matter, would not be the ideal setting for a coeliac to thrive in. It is after all the home of pizza and pasta! Nothing could be further from the truth! I was extremely happy to find numerous eateries which cater for a gluten free diet. Most servers were very knowledgable about the condition and its requirements! I felt
safe and well s
upported during my four day stay in the city, and I would definitely recommend it as a good place to eat for any coeliac foodies, such as myself! I’m just going to keep this post short with a list of places I visited,
serving gluten free food, as well as other places I found online which I didn’t have time to visit.
- Mama Eat – by far the best restaurant I have visited in Italy for gluten free dining. The waiting staff were kind, helpful and very knowledgable about coeliac disease and what it requires. The menu is full of delicious options which are usually impossible to eat gluten free! I immediately spotted the GLORIOUS arancini, and had to taste them. One word comes to mind – HEAVEN!!! DEEP FRIED, CRUNCHY, DELICIOUS HEAVEN! Also had to taste the fresh (deep fried) mozarella balls, which were also absolutely delectable. The gluten free spaghetti carbonara was perfectly cooked, as was the amazing Rotolone – a rolled pizza timbale with the crunchiest, tastiest gluten free dough I have ever eaten! If I were to tell anyone to visit just one place in Rome for a good gluten free meal, it would be this place. I have to admit to visiting twice – I just couldn’t resist this place! It’s in Trastevere, and quite easy to find. Here’s the website – there’s even an online menu so you can start the drooling from home! http://www.mamaeat.com
The delicious Arancino – stuffed with pistacchio, mozarella and ham – this deep fried gluten free treat was absolutely amazing!!!
The Rotolone – stuffed with mozarella cheese, different cured meats, and boiled eggs! Creamy and luscious, cheesy spaghetti carbonara in the background. I thought I’d died and gone to coeliac heaven!!!
- La Soffita Renovatio – this place was conveniently located only five minutes away from our guesthouse – near the Vatican city in the Piazza del Risorgimento. Once again, the staff were very polite and helpful. I was offered gluten free HOME MADE pasta, as well as a selection of gluten free breaded options from the menu. I decided to try out the pizza here and I was not disappointed. I am still regretting the fact that I did not have enough space left in my belly for the home made gluten free deserts, which were on display and looked absolutely delicious.
Enjoying delicious gf pizzas with my better half in La Soffita Renovatio 🙂 ❤
- Voglia di Pizza – located close to Piazza Navona, the Trevi fountain and the Pantheon, this casual little pizzeria was chock full of diners on a Sunday afternoon. I was once again in the mood for some serious carb intake, and ordered a pizza Capricciosa. The dough was crunchy and delicious. Toppings were sparse, very common with the traditional italian pizzerias, but it was GOOOOD to say the least, and I would recommend it to anyone visiting the area. Check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ROMA-VOGLIA-DI-PIZZA-SENZA-GLUTINE-GLUTEN-FREE-270877886258997/ Once again, didn’t try desert, but it looked DAMN GOOD!!! So save space!
Simple and delicious! Nomnomnomnom….
A few other places I knew about, but did not have the time to visit are listed below:
- Il Viaggio Ristorante – http://www.ristoranteilviaggio.it/en/ – a look at their website shows a huge variety to choose from – including pastas, pizzas and breads! I might have to visit Rome again just to go to see this place! 😉
- Le Sorelle – http://www.ristorantelesorelle.it – as far as I know, this lovely restaurant near the Spanish Steps caters for coeliacs, with pasta options as well as gluten free deserts!
- La Scaletta – http://www.lascalettaroma.it – other bloggers have mentioned this place has a good selection of gf pastas and mains.
- Sans le Ble Pasticceria – http://www.sansdeble.it – I found out about this !!!GLUTEN FREE BAKERY!!! after leaving Rome!! 😥 Try to visit! Their stuff looks amazing!
Gluten free gelato is easily found in the streets of Rome with most gelateria servers being able to give you information about the gluten free ice creams easily. Even so, here are a couple of places you should keep in mind:
- Fatamorgana – http://www.gelateriafatamorgana.com/web/
- Gelateria dell’Angeletto
- Gelateria Grom – tried the Caramello al Sale – died of happiness ❤ http://grom.it/index.php
- Come il Latte – disappointed I didn’t visit 😦
- Punto Gelato
- Gelateria Vacanze Romane – in Piazza Venezia, this little place has great ice cream and a couple of gluten free cake options also. Made for a great breakfast before walking to the Colosseum 😉
These are just a few places which are available to coeliacs when travelling to Rome!! I am sure there are many other options I have not mentioned. Rome is a big city, with lots and lots of little culinary gems to visit, so enjoy your stay and make the most of it! Remember, there’s a lot of walking involved in a visit to Rome – so you’ll be burning off those extra calories gained during your meals 😉
Bon Apetito!!!
A Maltese Wanderer 