With the growing number of food allergies these days, it’s hard to keep track which restaurants are the most helpful and sensitive towards dietary restrictions and which places are best for each of us and our friends to have a safe meal. To find out the best gluten-free restaurants and foods in New York City, we thought it would make the most sense to tap into expert Jackie Aanonsen from @GlutenFree.FollowMe whose website www.glutenfreefollowme.com ranks 1,000 gluten free friendly eateries in the city. See below for 10 of her favorite 100% gluten-free which are guaranteed safe for those with celiac.
- Senza Gluten – Senza Gluten is one of my all-time favorites for lunch, brunch, and dinner. I’ve had pretty much the entire menu, and they truly have it all! Their French toast, fluffy pancakes, and truffled egg in the hole are my favorite brunch dishes. I always get the vegetarian flatbread pizza for lunch, and I love Chef Jemiko’s lobster tail dinner entree. Lastly, you can’t call it a complete meal without at least a bite of their warm molten chocolate cake! Located in Greenwich Village.
- Risotteria Melotti – Risotteria Melotti’s menu is based around rice, and I never thought rice could taste so good! Their homemade rice cakes which take the place of a typical bread basket are delicious. You must get the rice arancini (stuffed rice balls filled with tomato sauce & mozzarella) and polenta fries with homemade ketchup and spicy mayo. They serve over a dozen different types of risotto – I urge you to try as many as you can! Located in East Village.
- Colors Restaurant – Colors was first formed by 9/11 survivors and is now run by a nonprofit. Their menu changes seasonally, but thankfully the buttermilk fried chicken with potato puree and spicy honey is always on the menu. It was the first time I had fried chicken in years, and I couldn’t believe it was gluten free. Their desserts change frequently which gives you even more of a reason to keep returning! Located in NoHo.
Color’s Fried Chicken
- Hu Kitchen – Hu Kitchen center is a veggie-oriented fast casual eatery, and I love their mission of getting back to the way humans ate before “industry ruined food.” You feel so clean after eating here. My go-to dishes are the prepared veggies and the carrot cake whoopie pie. Located in Union Square.
- Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC – Erin McKenna has such delicious desserts that you won’t believe that everything is also dairy free, egg free, and soy free. I love her cupcake tops (aka equal amounts of cake and frosting) and unique donuts such as red velvet and Samoa. Located in Lower East Side.
- Jennifer’s Way Bakery – Jennifer Esposito created Jennifer’s Way after enduring an overwhelming celiac journey. Everything is made without gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugar, and peanuts, and tastes amazing. I’m so glad that Jennifer is such a wonderful celiac advocate for all of us! Located in East Village.
- By The Way Bakery – By The Way Bakery is an old-fashioned bakery where everything is made by hand and from scratch in small batches. All of their treats are gluten free, dairy free, and kosher. If you like chocolate as much as I do, then you must get “The Schnibbles” which is an over-the-top Devil’s Food chocolate chip mini cake! Located in Upper West Side.
- NoGlu NY – NoGlu opened in 2012 in Paris as the city’s first gluten free restaurant, and I’m so glad that they recently opened their first Manhattan location. They offer many French pastries and cakes, along with a variety of bread, quiches, and salads. Located in Upper East Side.
NoGlu Cupcake
- Tu-Lu’s Gluten Free Bakery – Tu-Lu’s has such delicious mini cupcakes that you want to keep popping ‘em until you try them all! They also offer other baked goods such as brownies, donuts, paninis, muffins, loaves of bread, cookies, and cakes. Located in East Village.
- Inday – Inday is a fast casual Indian-inspired eatery where good karma is served daily! I get their “not rice” aka shredded cauliflower “rice” every single time because it’s that good. I also love their dosa waffles made of fermented basmati rice & lentils and topped with your choice of smoked salmon, lemon yogurt, tomato chutney. Don’t leave without trying their pure desserts: avo cocoa and cardamom yogurt. Located in Flatiron.
Inday’s Avo Cocoa