Gluten-Free In New York

Hello friends!

This past month was my husband’s birthday, so we decided to take a trip to New York City for some shopping and of course–good eats!

Traveling while gluten-free isn’t always easy. It requires a lot more planning than just packing up and walking into a restuarant that sounds appealing to you. At first it can feel really annoying having to do all the extra research, but gotta look at it from a different perspective. I like to treat it like a sneak peek of the good food you find on your travels.

That is percisely what I did when prepping for our trip to New York. So today, I’d love to share my favorite places that we’ve tried on our trip. Some of these places are either gluten-friendly or 100% gluten-free (*). For anyone who is Celiac, I know that makes a huge difference.

We stayed in Lower Manhattan, so many of the options I’ll list will be in areas within 5-10 miles.

Gluten-Friendly Breakfast in New York

If you’re preparing for a long day out to explore New York, then you HAVE to get a substantial meal in your belly!

Grey Dog- 244 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012

This was one of the breakfast places we visited that was only a few minutes walking away from our hotel (CitizenM New York Bowery Hotel). This is not 100% gluten-free, but if you’re looking to fill up on an omelet with gluten-free toast, then you’ll be set.

I ended up getting an omelet with sausage, swiss cheese, and tomatoes with a side salad and gluten-free toast. It was delicious and definitely provided the needed fuel to get the morning started. Now, if you’re looking for more gluten-free breakfast options, then I would probably go somewhere else, but this is a great option if you just like to keep it simple.

View the menu -> here.

* Modern Bread & Bagel – 472 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 1002

This bakery was on my must-visit list and rightfully so. Modern Bread and Bagel is a 100% gluten-free bakery that you absolutely MUST visit if you’re in New York. Honestly, I envy the folks living there who can just walk to their shop during the week.

The shop isn’t large, but the line moves very quickly, so don’t be alarmed if you see 10+ people in line. It’s so worth it. I’ve eaten plenty of gluten-free bagles, but NOT LIKE THIS. These were the best gluten-free bagels I’ve ever had. They weren’t dense. When toasted, they had the best crunch that paired wonderfully with chive cream cheese, smoked salmon, and tomato. Honestly, I can’t stop thinking about it.

One thing I wish I have tried while in New York? The pastries! Luckily, you can order their goodies online!

View the menu -> here.

Black Seed Bagels – 170 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10012

On our last day in New York City, we made a stop at Black Seed Bagels as it was only a few minutes away from our hotel. Again–loving all these walking-distance stops for good eats!

Now, this bagel shop is not 100% gluten-free, but they do have gluten-free bagles: Plain and Everything. While I admit these are not amazing gluten-free bagels, they’re certainly not bad. I really enjoyed my sandwhich and would happily order from them again. I’m sure their regular bagels are delicious! It’s just difficult to make amazing gluten-free bagels when that’s not your speciality.

I ended up having a warm bagel breakfast sandwhich (turkey, egg, and cheddar to be exact). It definitely hit the spot. It was a little bit more dense–similar to how store-bought gluten-free bagels are, but defintely a nice way to start the day before continuing our exploration of New York City.

View the menu -> here.

Gluten-Free Lunch In New York City

There are plenty of gluten-friendly places in New York City, but we only had so much time and room in our stomach to get to it all! For this guide, I will be sharing the one place that was 100% gluten-free

* Senza Gluten by Jemiko Certified Gluten Free Cafe & Bakery- 171 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012

Peaceful. Cosy. This spot honestly took me by surprise. This was the first time in about 2 years that I got to enjoy a bread basket. Every single item in this cafe is gluten-free. They’re so serious about keeping from cross-contaminating their establishment that they kindly ask not to bring in any outdoor food or drink.

Holy smokes. Everything was so delicous! I got the Chef’s Favorite Cheese Bread which took 25 minutes to prepare, but I’m telling you–it’s worth the wait. My husband got a panini with fries. Yum!

If you’re looking for a sit down lunch spot to fuel you up for the rest of your day in New York, then absolutely stop by this cafe. No hesitation. No need to double-check and confirm if something is gluten-free. It’s all taken care of, so simply focus on enjoying your lunch in peave.

One note on this cafe–at the time we were there, they only accepted American Express cards and cash. So just be aware.

View the menu -> here.

Gluten-Friendly Dinner in New York City

When you’re getting ready to wind down for a delicious dinner, New York City makes it incredibly easy to find a gluten-friendly dinner spot. Honestly–I’m still blown away by how simple it was to find restaurants that didn’t make me feel like I was a bother.

Serendipity 3 – 225 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022

Yes–just like the movie! This New York City original is a very quirky and colorful restaurant that is perfect for all ages. The menus are honestly…comically large, but know that there are gluten-free options for you! Both appetizers and mains have a good variety that will be okay for you to eat.

Now, please keep in mind that Serendipity 3 is not 100% gluten-free. They simply have gluten-free options. If you are Celiac, I would call ahead and confirm if they have dedicated cooking spaces for gluten-free dishes.

We ended up having the queso as well as a burger (which had a gluten-free bun).

Of course, if you’re coming to Serendipity 3, you are most likely coming for their famous Frrrrrozen Hot Chocolate. And yes, friends–that is gluten-free, enjoy it in all its glory!

View the menu -> here!

BareBurger – 366 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

This was a great stop for a filling meal after walking around Times’ Square. It’s absolutely walking distance and we ended up right in the middle of their happy hour, which had some really great deals!

The burgers here are certainly unique because the proteins available are unlike any I’ve ever tried before. Normally you’d expect beef, turkey…maybe even bison, but BareBurger has more. I tried an Elk Burger! It was certainly different from a beef patty. It tasted a little gamier, but it was really tasty. It was done just how I wanted it and it came complete with a gluten-free bun and fries.

It was certainly one of the better burgers I’ve had in a while.

Again, this restuarant is not 100% gluten-free, but it is worth checking out if a tasty burger and fries are what you’re craving. I know I’d love to go back again.

Also mad props to Bareburger for serving my absolute favorite sparkling tonic–Olipop. Haven’t come across a place that does that! Nice!

View the menu -> here!

Rabbit House – 41 Essex St, New York, NY 10002

If you’re okay with spending a little more money for truly a unique experience, then I absoolutely, HIGHLY recommend Rabbit House. For my husband’s birthday, we had reservations for a six course omakase experience complete with a sake pairing.

Pointing this out–this is definitely on the more expensive side (we ended up paying about 300 USD), but it was perfect for a special occasion like Andy’s birthday. Worth every penny.

If you’re not familiar with omakase, it’s a dining experience that take place over the course of about 2 hours. It consists of small plates curated by a chef. It’s a much more intimate experience that has truly left me with such a great memory.

Chef Yoshiko Sakuma brings her love and passion for food truly to another level. It was wonderful to be able to thank her face to face for a delicious experience. On top of that, when making your reservation, you can mention that someone in your party is gluten-free and it will be accomodated. It was so nice not to have to worry about that.

Again. Worth. Every. Penny. The food was amazing! Our favorite course probably had to be the wagyu tartare as well as the Seasonal Rabbit with blue cornbread. Out of this world!!

You can view the menu -> here.

Finding Gluten-Free Food In A Large City

It’s not as difficult as it was years ago, so if you’re traveling to New York and gluten-free, you have plenty of options to pick from. The ones mentioned above are certainly not all the options, but merely the ones we got to try on our 4 day trip to New York.

I hope that you get to try some of these places out when you’re traveling. And remember–just because you may not be able to enjoy all the food you used to, you’re in for an incredible treat of discovering some amazing new places making food that is safe for you to eat!

Check Out My Reviews!

• 2021 Seattle Food Guide (Gluten-Free Options Included)
• Gaijin (Chicago) – Gluten-Friendly Okonomiyaki!
• American Cocktail Club: Signature Cocktails At Home

If you enjoyed my review, don’t forget to like the post and leave a comment. Want more content, check out my socials!

And if you’d like to support my reviews and future subscription box reviews, consider checking out my Ko-Fi page!

Want to work together? Contact me!