Gluten-free Seville: tapas, restaurants and tips for celiacs

Red Sevilla Sin Gluten

Seville is the first city I have visited with a website and a mobile app dedicated to gluten-free food. The Red Sevilla Sin Gluten network (RSSG, "Seville gluten-free network") brings together places that serve gluten-free food, mostly bakeries and restaurants. Members display this logo on their window:

However, the gluten-free offer varies a lot among the listed places. Some bakeries sell gluten-free bread without caring about cross-contamination, while some restaurants have a full gluten-free menu. The app lets you add places to Google Maps, and comment on and rate your experience. If you use it, I strongly recommend reading the comments to know whether the care taken about cross-contamination meets your needs. It is still a very good tool, much more effective than searching Google Maps directly. So I recommend it, but finding the right place will still take a bit of research.

My favorite places

To help you choose among Seville's many gluten-free options, here are places I went to and whose gluten-free food I enjoyed.

El Pasaje

There are actually three places: El Pasaje Bar, El Pasaje Tapas and El Pasaje Santa Mª La Blanca, all in the Santa Cruz neighborhood, right in the center. I went to El Pasaje Tapas, which has a dedicated gluten-free menu, and options for other dietary restrictions too. They bring gluten-free bread and crackers to go with the tapas. Try their refreshing sangria. They are part of the RSSG network.

Estragon

This restaurant is near María Luisa Park and Plaza de España (Avenida Felipe II 20, on the corner of Calle Progreso), and is also part of the RSSG network. Since my visit, the whole menu has become 100% gluten-free, with a wide choice of tapas. They also have gluten-free beer, bread and crackers. Careful, portions are generous: 3 tapas for 2 people can be plenty!

Los Tulipanes

Being half Dutch, I cannot leave out this restaurant, which specializes in Dutch food, with Spanish dishes too. I did not expect to find a "typical" Dutch restaurant, as it is not the most famous cuisine! But the atmosphere is great, and many dishes are gluten-free: frikandel, burger, sandwich and most of the tapas. They also have gluten-free Cruzcampo beer.

Milk Away

This place (Calle Carlos Cañal 5B) serves brunch with many gluten-free options: açaí bowls, salads, juices and smoothies. There are lots of vegetarian and dairy-free options too.

Hotel Patio de la Alameda

This hotel is not particularly gluten-free, but I really enjoyed my stay. Breakfast is served on the terrace overlooking the Alameda de Hércules square, very lively in the evening for drinks or dinner. They gave me gluten-free bread and small wrapped pastries (probably frozen). The staff were very understanding about my diet. And the rooms open onto a beautiful Andalusian patio.

More 100% gluten-free places

I have not tried them, but these 100% gluten-free places are recommended by Seville's celiacs:

• Señora Pan (Calle Zaragoza 64, historic center): an entirely gluten-free restaurant.
• Chök (Calle Sagasta 20): a gluten-free pastry shop, takeaway only. Careful, not all Chök shops are gluten-free; those that are say so on the window.

If you visit in May, the RSSG network organizes a gluten-free food route through Seville's neighborhoods every year.

My tips

Choose places that show allergens

These tips add to my post on eating out as a celiac (in French).

Unlike in France, allergens are very often shown on the main menu in Seville (no need to ask for the allergen chart). I recommend choosing places that do this, or that have a special allergy menu. There are so many gluten-free places in Seville that you do not need to bother with a restaurant that does not show allergens: it probably means the staff do not master the subject. This tip is specific to Seville: in other Andalusian towns, allergens on menus are less common.

Talking to the staff

Restaurant staff were usually very knowledgeable about gluten-free food. Almost every time, they understood straight away what I meant (sin gluten), and knew the gluten-free dishes on the menu by heart. It is customary to bring bread and/or small crackers to the table while you wait, and they are charged extra. Several times, I was pleasantly surprised to get gluten-free bread or crackers after mentioning my allergy.

You can show this to the waiter:

Soy celíaca (celíaco for a man). No puedo comer gluten, ni siquiera trazas.

I am celiac. I cannot eat gluten, not even traces.

Know what you want to drink

In most restaurants, they ask what you want to drink before bringing the menu. Ask whether they have gluten-free beer, it is quite common. Otherwise, enjoy a sangria, a glass of Spanish wine or a soft drink. And remember that, unlike in France, tap water is not automatically free in Spain.

Book ahead

This one is not specific to gluten-free food. Seville is extremely touristy, and very lively. There are lots of places to go out, but also lots of people going out! Book ahead if you have spotted a good gluten-free place, so you are not disappointed.

To prepare the rest of your trip, read my gluten-free travel tips. And if you go on to London or Paris, here are my guides to gluten-free London and gluten-free Paris.

Leave me a comment if you have been to Seville and this guide helped you, or if you have a place or a tip to add.