Bonjour, Paris!

Dining gluten-free in the City of Light

I’m back from a week in Paris and still glowing from the trip. (I’m also so jet-lagged that I’ve almost fallen off my chair twice today, but je ne regrette rien!) Before I went, I was warned by a few people that eating gluten-free in Paris isn’t the easiest thing, and I will concede that’s true. Compared with Barcelona or Stockholm or London, Paris is a tough(er) town for celiacs. But it is absolutely doable — it just takes more research and prep work, and maybe a dose of patience. It’s definitely worth the trouble.

Before I left, I checked in with AFDIAG — that’s the Association Française des Intolérants au Gluten, a national organization for French celiacs. While much of the information they provide is directed at French citizens diagnosed with celiac disease, they have a free app called Gluton that’s useful for visitors to France (download for Apple iOS or Android). It lists some restaurants and bakeries that offer gluten-free options… but for the entire city of Paris, there are only 10, so it’s by no means a comprehensive list. The website and app are available in en français, and while it’s easy to create a free account (even for those with rusty French language skills like mine), you may need a translation app. AFDIAG does have a downloadable PDF with some travel information in English, and it includes the association’s membership card (in French), which can be used at restaurants.

While I was doing my pre-trip research, I came across some information that thrilled me: France has a law stating that the 14 most common allergens must be listed on restaurant menus. Since gluten is included on that Top 14 list, I thought this would make my trip easier, but in practice, the law doesn’t do much for celiacs. Few restaurants list allergens on their printed menus (though they should have the information available if you ask for it), and the law does nothing to prevent cross-contamination in hectic, crowded kitchens.

The good news is that while I was in Paris, I found a lot more places that cater to celiacs, and I ate really well. The bad news is that some gluten-free establishments aren’t open past 6pm, and it was a challenge to find much in the way of GF products in regular grocery stores. Worse, I almost got glutened at Assanabel, a restaurant that Tripadvisor lists as one of the top gluten-free-friendly dining spots in the city (fortunately I spotted the pita bread on my plate before I took a bite of the lamb kebabs).

I’ll be writing more about my experiences dining in Paris over the next few weeks, but for now, I wanted to share two exceptional places that I visited. Both are 100% gluten-free and absolutely exquisite! If you find yourself in Paris, add these to your must-visit list.

Sucré Coeur: The Montmartre neighborhood is famous for Sacré-Coeur, a spectacular 19th-century basilica filled with beautiful mosaics and other works of art. In its shadow lies Sucré Coeur at 19 rue Custine. (The name is a play on words: Sacré-Coeur means sacred heart, while Sucré Coeur is sugar heart.) This tiny spot has only a few seats, but offers an impressive array of gluten-free pastries, including cakes, tarts, brownies, and cookies.

Noglu: I visited the outpost at 69 rue de Grenelle, but this cafe also has a location at 15 rue Basfroi and a third Parisian location coming soon. It was recommended by my sister-in-law, who visited a few years back, Noglu offers classic French sandwiches like the croque monsieur as well as sumptuous pastries.

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