Where to eat gluten free in Thessaloniki: my picks and tips

Thessaloniki is one of Greece’s most vibrant cultural hubs: youthful, energetic, full of history, nightlife, coffee culture, and incredible food. What many people don’t know, however, is that it’s also one of the most gluten free friendly places in the country. No wonder that I couldn’t wait to visit it – and I finally had the chance to do it for a few days recently.

In this guide, I’ll very happily share the gluten free restaurants, bakeries and food spots in Thessaloniki that I personally visited, plus some more recommendations and tools to help you eat well and worry-free.

Whether you’re a traveler with celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or you simply prefer eating gluten free, Thessaloniki – YAY! – offers far more than just salads and grilled meat (no shade to Greek classics, but we love options!). If you’re planning a trip soon, bookmark this and thank me later.

Why Thessaloniki is great for foodies – including gluten free ones

Generally speaking, the food scene in Thessaloniki is one of the most interesting in the whole Greece – in fact, in 2021 it has been recognized as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

Why? Because the city is – and has been for over 2.000 years – a melting pot of influences: Ottoman flavors, Jewish culinary heritage, traditional Greek recipes, and modern international trends. They all coexist naturally here. Street food stands next to fine dining, centuries-old bakeries share the spotlight with Asian fusion spots, and you can taste something different every single day without repeating yourself. It’s bold, creative, nostalgic and innovative all at once, which is exactly why Thessaloniki is such a paradise for curious eaters – and gluten free travelers too!

Unlike most Greek destinations, where “gluten free” means just remove the bread, in fact, Thessaloniki is surprisingly advanced when it comes to dietary awareness. Many restaurants offer separate menus or clear labeling, staff is often informed about cross-contamination, and there are even dedicated gluten-free spots – a rare gem in Greece. Also, I had the feeling that most servers speak good English, which is also not common everywhere… and it makes our gluten-free-people’s life way easier!

In Thessaloniki you’ll find:

• restaurants with gluten free options
• bakeries selling GF bread, desserts & traditional products
• international food (ramen! burgers! brunch!)
• an overall growing awareness of celiac-friendly cooking

Now that you started drooling let’s get to the important part – where to eat.

Where to eat gluten free in Thessaloniki

As I said, there are many options for celiacs and gluten free travelers in town, and we’ll mention more of them later, but here we will focus on the places I personally visited, tested, tasted – and definitely appreciated.
They may or may not be in order of preference…

Ta Tria Gourounakia

A central and beautiful spot, well-known among locals, offering a menu with International and Greek dishes with a fusion twist. The place is elegant and the service impeccable, but not in an intimidating way – you can have a very relaxed dinner here, whether you’re looking for a fancy date night or a more casual friends’ gathering.

As soon as you sit, ask for the separate gluten free menu – which is a good selection of the main one and it won’t leave you disappointed. They have everything from appetizers to dessert (which unfortunately I was too full to try, but I regretted it a bit).

What I tasted:

• entrée on the house – tomato cream with olives and olive oil, very tasty!
• grilled halloumi with mushrooms, truffle oil, yogurt and sundried tomato pesto – absolutely D E L I C I O U S
• fava with sausage ragu and caramelized onion – very very good
• beef sirloin tagliata with rocket, caseri cheese and truffle oil – huge, well cooked, soft and flavorful

You can ask for gluten free bread, which I had but I have to say that was the only minor disappointment: it could have been way better, at the same level of everything else.

All in all, I would give this restaurant a 9 out of 10. Ultra recommended, the quality of the food and overall experience was definitely high.

Ramen Tales

Yes: you can eat gluten free ramen in Thessaloniki. A great choice if you’re tired of traditional food and want a bowl of warm, umami-rich comfort. They don’t have a separate menu, but basically everything is or can be made gluten free (besides the gyoza). The basic ramen has handmade wheat noodles, so make sure to specify you want the GF one and they will be replaced by rice noodles. The soy sauce they use is tamari, so gluten free for everyone.

Could I resist the temptation of tasting ramen for the first time in my life? Of course not!

What I had:

• marinated beef tongue skewer as an appetizer – don’t be scared by the unusual meat cut: it’s delicious, an explosion of flavor, and once you’re done you will want more!
• shio ramen with chicken and beef – it was a very interesting experience, the broth was truly umami-rich and I had to drink it all even if I was full (big portion!). Absolute highlight for me was the marinated egg.

The place has a Japanese vibe and if you go during the day I recommend sitting at the window tables so you can do some people-watching while eating too. Service is also very nice and the owner was ready to answer any gluten-related question.

If you are into this kind of food, or even if you’re simply a curious gluten free foodie in Thessaloniki, pay the Ramen Tales a visit!

To Manitari

Located in Kalamaria, not far from the picturesque waterfront of Thessaloniki, To Manitari is a warm and atmospheric bistrot serving creative Greek-Mediterranean cuisine with gluten free options available – actually, a whole gluten free menu (ask for it when they sit you).

Great for slow brunch or lunch, wine and long conversations with friends. We went at the end of November and a cute & cozy Christmas vibe was already up and running. The service is also very nice, which is always a plus.

What I tasted:

• gluten free artisan bread with fava (offered as an entrée on the house) – the bread was superb, crunchy outside and soft inside, served warm… a great start
• burrata cheese with tomatinia, pesto and pickled sea fennel – what’s not to love about this classic winner?
• beef tartare with mustard on grilled bread – incredibly tasty combination between the crunchiness of the bread and the creaminess of raw meat
• roasted chicken thigh with sweet potato purée – grilled to perfection, juicy and very satisfying meat
• T-bone steak with grilled salad and baby potatoes with truffle cream – the meat was good and well cooked, but OMG those potatoes were the real stars!
• halva mousse – a dessert on the house, truly interesting for its flavor and surprisingly addictive

What else to say? I can only thank my friend Dakis (A Day Without Gluten) for taking us to this place!

Harat’s Irish Pub

If you’re craving something casual like burgers, fries, fish & chips or beer in their gluten free version in Thessaloniki – Harat’s Irish Pub (former The Dubliner) has so many gluten free options that you won’t ever feel like you’re missing out. Perfect for expat-style comfort food meals (they do brunch too!) or for fun nights out with friends.

Gluten free food is treated with attention and served on different plates so that no one – from the servers to yourself – will ever have a doubt that it’s actually gluten free.

What I had:

• gluten free pilsner beer by Voreia – I knew this beer already, because we have it in Rhodes Gluten Free too, but I never drank it at a pub like a “normal” person before!
• classic beef burger with fries – the patty is home made and good, although they overcooked mine a bit; bread is fluffy and doesn’t even look gluten free. All in all the taste was slightly more bland than what I expected.

The good thing about this pub is that the gluten free menu is absolutely extensive – so much that I didn’t know what to order. Next time I go to Thessaloniki, I will be back for fish and chips for sure.

Artokratoras

A bakery offering a lot of gluten free options – including bread, desserts, cookies of different kinds, savory products and seasonal ones (like the Christmas melomakarona and kourabiedes). They also have plenty of frozen products to take home and bake yourself (or just defrost, like the panini rolls that I got). Ideal for takeaway snacks or stocking up if you’re staying long-term.

Even though the shop is not completely GF, all the gluten free products are produced in a dedicated facility, packaged and stored in different shelves/fridges so they are safe for celiacs.

What I tasted: snickers dessert, banoffee, profiterol, tahini cookies (sugar and dairy free too), panini rolls, breadsticks with oregano.

Gatidis

Another gluten free friendly bakery you should not miss in Thessaloniki. Multiple locations across the city make it perfect for grabbing snacks on-the-go, a sandwich before your explorations or a fresh dessert.
They also prepare their gluten free options in a dedicated facility and display them in single packages that keep everything celiac safe.

What I tasted: profiterol.

More gluten free friendly places to check out

Even beyond the places listed above, the city has many more spots offering gluten free options. Unfortunately I only spent a few days in town and couldn’t try all of them, but here’s a list of some other places where to eat gluten free in Thessaloniki:

• Foodie’s Art, a 100% gluten free bakery
• rOOTS, vegetarian and vegan restaurant with GF options
• Paradosiako, a snack bar with some gluten free products (made by Gatidis, with this shop’s label)
• TGI Fridays, the famous chain of American fast food
• Armenoville, a patisserie with some gluten free options
• Lungo, a brunch place in Kalamaria that serves gluten free pinsa

How do I know that these places offer some kind of gluten free option? The answer is in the next paragraph!

Tools that make traveling gluten free much easier

If you’re exploring Thessaloniki and you’re gluten free, these resources will help you a lot:

• Find Me Gluten Free – best app for discovering nearby GF restaurants, bakeries and so on
• A Day Without Gluten, already mentioned before – the website of my friend Dakis, who is a celiac foodie living in Thessaloniki… so who can know the GF scene of the city better than him?!

In general, Find Me Gluten Free + local Facebook groups + blog posts of people who share their personal experience are always great tools to support you in your gluten free travels. You can use them to pin on your Google Maps all the places you want to try: that’s what I do and it makes my life definitely easier, especially when I don’t have much time to spend in a specific location.

Last piece of advice: when you reach your destination, remember to always – always – ask about cross-contamination and food preparation. The awareness of the staff varies and it’s always safer to double-check.

If you feel like you need a little more help planning your next trip, don’t miss my article about how to travel gluten free with no stress.

Gluten free in Thessaloniki is possible (and delicious)

If you were worried about eating safely in Greece, Thessaloniki might surprise you. With bakeries, ramen bars, pub food and traditional tavernas, this city proves you can travel gluten free without feeling limited.

Have you eaten gluten free in Thessaloniki? And maybe you’ve discovered something amazing that I missed?
Let me know in the comments and I will update the post. Sharing food joy is my kind of thing!