We spent a brilliant few days soaking up the sights and culinary delights of New York in May. The amount of walking we did over the four days definitely balances out all the cake and pizza, right!?
Virgin Atlantic
We headed to New York on a direct flight from Manchester, UK. We notified Virgin Atlantic of my coeliac needs n advance and was given a gluten-free meal as a result – chicken tikka masala, side salad, fruit pot, Nairn’s crackers, cheese and a gluten-free bread cake. Unfortunately they weren’t able to accommodate for gluten-free and lactose-free travellers. If you have multiple dietary requirements I’d recommend taking your own food on board with you to avoid disappointment.
Places to eat lunch in NYC
Twenty One Grains – Diamond District, Manhattan
With so many sights to see, I wanted a casual takeout lunch to eat on the go. Twentyonegrains is a chain with lots of gluten-free lunch-on-the-go options including salads, bowls and wraps.
Tap NYC – Upper West Side & Midtown East
Gluten-free Brazilian chain offering sandwiches, açai bowls, smoothies and my favourite Brazilian soda Guarana.
Modern Bread and Bagel – Upper West Side
When in New York it feels obligatory to have a bagel, and thankfully Modern Bread and Bagel sells freshly baked gluten-free bagels. I took my salmon and vegan cream cheese bagel to go and devour in Central Park.
Gluten-free Bakeries in NYC
By The Way Bakery – Upper West Side, Manhattan
By The Way Bakery is a gluten-free and dairy-free bakery in New York. I was impressed by the variety of options they had, with plenty of cakes, biscuits and brownies on offer.
Posh Pop Bakeshop – Greenwich Village
Oh my goodness! Posh Pop Bakeshop is absolute gluten-free heaven! Cakes, cookies, doughnuts, brownies, pies and everything in between. If you have a sweet tooth, this may well be the best gluten-free bakeshop I’ve ever been to. They had plenty of dairy-free options too. The products here are not cheap, but worth every cent in my opinion.
Erin McKenna’s Bakery – Lower East Side, Manhattan
Totally vegan and gluten-free, I didn’t get chance to visit Erin McKenna’s but heard good things.
No Glu – Manhattan
No Glu is another popular gluten-free bakery and cafe in Manhattan. I didn’t get chance to try here.
Sixteen Mill Bakery – Brooklyn
Brooklyn’s vegan and gluten-free bakery. Another bakery I didn’t get chance to try.
Everybody Eats – Brooklyn
Everybody Eats in Brooklyn bakes gluten-free, nut free, soy free, and sesame free bread. It looks delicious.
Gluten-free Dinner in NYC
Friedman’s – Multiple locations including Herald Square and Hell’s Kitchen
After landing in NYC we wanted somewhere nearby to have dinner before calling it a night. Friedman’s was perfect, with loads of gluten-free options and singing waiters too. I hear they do a mean breakfast.
TLK by Tiger Lily Kitchen – Noho, Manhattan
I loved TLK so much I visited twice. Their menu is totally gluten-free, with lots of Asian-inspired dishes. We shared lots of different options as we couldn’t decide from the menu. The menu is veggie friendly too.
Rubirosa Pizza – Lower Manhattan
I really wanted a New York pizza, but being lactose intolerant at the time made it slightly tricky as vegan cheese didn’t seem to be easily available in many restaurants. Rubirosa Pizza served me a gorgeous gluten-free pizza – no cheese, just veggies which admittedly I was a little dubious about at first, but it really did not disappoint!
Nami Nori – West Village
Nami Nori provides freshly made gluten-free sushi, served like mini tacos. We ate at the bar watching the chefs whip up our order.
Bar Verde – Noho, Manhattan
Wow! We discovered Bar Verde on our final night and it has to be my favourite place we ate. The menu is entirely gluten-free and vegan! Who knew vegan food could taste this good?! It was genuinely the best Mexican restaurant I’ve ever visited, and my meat loving, gluten guzzling husband said the same.
Wild – West Village
We sat outside in the sunshine enjoying a gluten-free vegan pizza at Wild. The menu is pretty international and is completely gluten-free.
Senza Gluten – Greenwich Village
A dedicated gluten-free Italian restaurant. I didn’t get chance to visit but the reviews look great.
Risotteria Melotti – Noho, Manhattan
If you’re after a risotto, Risotteria Melotti is the place to go. It is completely gluten-free. We didn’t get around to trying this restaurant, but it was recommended by other coeliacs.
Antidote – Williamsburg, Brooklyn
A Chinese restaurant offering gluten-free options. This is not a dedicated gluten-free restaurant. We didn’t get chance to visit here as we spent most of our time in the Manhattan area.
Claro – Brooklyn
100% gluten-free Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn. We didn’t get chance to stop by here.
Springy Burger and Fries – Financial District, Manhattan
Gluten-free, no seed oils and 100% grass-fed beef. Springy sells gluten-free burgers and fries for takeout only.
Overall verdict
Overall rating
New York City is an absolute haven for coeliacs. You name the cuisine, there will likely be gluten-free restaurants offering exactly what you want. It was incredibly relaxing to be in a city where I had so much choice and felt coeliac disease was truly catered for. We really were spoilt for choice, and the only problem was having the time to fit everywhere in.
Coeliac friendly
Everywhere we went coeliac disease was well-understood and the amount of dedicated gluten-free eateries available is testament to that.
Safety
All the restaurant staff I spoke too completely understood the need to avoid cross-contamination and I had no problems during my trip.
Gluten Free Me 
Thank you Katie for your wonderfully informative GF guide to eating in NYC.
Your comment “New York City is an absolute haven for coeliacs” should read
“New York City is an absolute *heaven* for coeliacs” 😀
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