A gluten free Michelin Star experience at Ristorante del Lago (Italy)

Dining at a Michelin star restaurant has always been a dream of mine.
As a gluten free foodie, fine dining can sometimes feel like something reserved for others – admired from a distance, but not always fully accessible.

This time, I felt like it was time to try – not just for me. I chose Christmas as the perfect occasion to gift this experience to my partner, who shares my love for great food and good wine, but whose choice is often limited because he’s carrying a gluten intolerant girlfriend around. It felt like a meaningful way to celebrate together, while stepping into an experience that our curious souls would appreciate.

When it comes to gluten free dining, I generally believe that restaurants operating at a certain level should know how to handle intolerances properly, or at least they should be competent enough to do so. Still, I always make sure to double-check. Before booking at Ristorante del Lago, I enquired and was promptly told that the tasting menu could be adapted into a gluten free version.

The experience that followed confirmed something important: a gluten free Michelin star meal is not only possible… it can be done extremely well.

Ristorante del Lago: a Michelin Star in Emilia-Romagna

Hidden among the quiet hills of Acquapartita, overlooking a peaceful mini-lake near Bagno di Romagna, Ristorante del Lago feels like a destination you intentionally travel to, not one you stumble upon by chance. I used to come to these surroundings as a child, for summer holidays with my grandparents, and I honestly had no idea that they were home to a gourmet restaurant.

But there it is: awarded one Michelin star a couple of years ago, Ristorante del Lago – a family-run restaurant born in the early 70s – has built its reputation on consistency, refinement and respect for local culinary heritage, reinterpreted through a contemporary lens by Simone (the chef and younger son of the Bravaccini family). The Michelin recognition reflects their dedication to precision, balance and storytelling through food.

Besides the food itself, one of the restaurant’s most remarkable features is its extraordinary wine cellar, that houses over 10.000 bottles. From prestigious Italian labels to carefully selected international wines (including some Greek ones such as Agiorgitiko and Moschofilero), the cellar is a true temple of oenology. Wine here is not an accessory, but an integral part of the experience, curated to elevate each course (we’ll go a bit more into detail later on!) and satisfy even the most discerning wine lovers. It’s no surprise that Andrea (the older son, who is also going to welcome you at the restaurant) was rewarded “Sommelier of the Year 2026” by the food guide Emilia-Romagna a Tavola.

The atmosphere at Ristorante del Lago strikes a balance between modern elegance and warmth. Service is attentive yet relaxed, formal without feeling stiff, allowing guests to enjoy the rhythm of the meal.

The harmony between location, cuisine, wine and service has surely turned Ristorante del Lago into a reference point for fine dining in Emilia-Romagna, and a destination worth the journey for anyone seeking an immersive gastronomic experience in a place where you wouldn’t expect it.

A gluten free gourmet experience without compromises

One of the most common fears when dining gluten free at a high-end restaurant is receiving a “simplified” or secondary version of the menu. You don’t want to have high expectations and then be disappointed, right?

Well, I can say that it didn’t happen here.

The gluten free tasting menu at Ristorante del Lago follows exactly the same structure, pacing and philosophy as the classic one. Each dish was carefully adapted to maintain textures, flavors and presentation, proving that gluten free fine dining doesn’t have to feel like an exception. Only one of the dishes was different for me – in fact, most of them were so similar that made me doubt about them being gluten free! (If you’re celiac or intolerant, you know this feeling…)

For me, this is what truly defines a gluten free gourmet experience: not just removing gluten, but preserving excellence. And by the way, most of the dishes we had were *naturally* gluten free – which makes it easier to adapt the whole menu for an intolerant guest, and also proves that eating good gluten free food is absolutely possible.

The Classic tasting menu, with and without gluten

In our case, we – well, I – chose the Classic tasting menu, with one version prepared entirely gluten free. Again: I had warned them upon booking already, but if you’re not intolerant you can chose your menu (or à-la-carte dishes) directly on site.

The menu unfolds as a coherent journey rather than a series of individual dishes, which is one of the reasons why I preferred that option instead of ordering single dishes à-la-carte. (The second one being the price: the tasting menu has a way better value-for-money – and in this specific restaurant it also has a very affordable price.) From the very beginning, it was evident that the gluten free version was designed with the same care and creativity as the standard menu.

We started with two entrées on the house: a pheasant and orange broth, and a series of finger food appetizers – most of which were identical in the two versions. They were all surprising combinations of flavors and textures, presented amazingly and to be tasted following a precise sequence that would guide you from the most delicate flavors to the strongest ones. My favorites? The black truffle tart, the deer meatball, the mini-taco and the lady’s kiss biscuit with paprika and cheese.

After that, the actual tasting menu started with three entrées, two first courses, one second course, a pre-dessert and a dessert.

Here are some details about what we got to taste:

• carpaccio of deer (very typical meat of the area) with Taggiasca olives, mixed salad and red fruits compote
• fried quail egg with Jerusalem artichoke (cream and chips) and hazelnut – here we had the chance to add fresh white truffle and OMG that smell was incredible!
• grilled endive with a cheese cream and caramelized pears

• spaghetti cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) with a tartare of salmon trout and lime zest
• open ravioli with lamb ragù and rosemary powder – this was the only dish that was different in the gluten free version (the regular menu had duck-filled pasta)
• marinated pork belly cooked for 24 hours with a cream of apples and pears and red fruits compote
• as a pre-dessert, we got a Campari sorbet with mandarin foam and extra virgin olive oil
• dessert was mascarpone cream with puff pastry, red fruits, lime zest and licorice

And then, to close beautifully, a selection of petit patisserie (picture later on together with the other sweets) – completely gluten free for both of us: crème brulée with licorice powder (delicious), a mini macaron with spices, dark chocolate filled with coffee and a raspberry gelée.

The highlights of this gluten free Michelin star experience, for me? The quail eggs with white truffle and the cacio & pepe spaghetti with salmon trout tartare. I could eat those every day.

What stood out, in general, was not only the technical execution of every dish, but the sense of rhythm and harmony throughout the meal – something that’s essential in a tasting menu and often difficult to achieve when adaptations are required.

What about wine?

For this restaurant specifically, wine is a central element – and the wine pairings during the whole experience proved it.

Something that I find very clever is that they offer you the chance to get glasses of wine or half-glasses, so that you can potentially enjoy the pairing dish by dish without getting drunk (and also without spending a fortune in drinks).

We got two full glasses of sparkling wine to start – Blanquette, which apparently is the oldest sparkling wine in the world. I loved the perlage, it was elegant and delicate, and it kept bubbling from the center of the glass like a mini-firework until the very end (which for me, very slow drinker, meant the end of the first courses).

We then shared three half-glasses: one rosé, one white (an incredibly flavorful Riesling) and one red (a Sangiovese which I loved because of its black cherry scent and aftertaste). All of them were perfectly paired with the dishes and were definitely an added value to the gourmet experience.

Gluten free Michelin star dining: why it’s so meaningful

Michelin star restaurants sometimes hesitate to fully adapt tasting menus for dietary restrictions, due to technical complexity and consistency standards. That’s why experiences like this one matter.

They show that:

• gluten free fine dining is achievable
• Michelin star cuisine can be inclusive
• dietary restrictions don’t have to limit creativity

If you’re looking for a true gluten free Michelin star experience in Italy, Ristorante del Lago proves it can be done, and done well.

And this, of course, made me even more curious to try different Michelin star restaurants, in Italy (which I have the feeling is more gluten free friendly than other countries) and abroad. And this takes us to the next paragraph…

An Abundance mindset choice – and some final thoughts

Yes, because choosing to have this experience was also about mindset.

Of course we don’t eat at Michelin-star restaurants every day (even though my foodie soul would love that!) but, as I said, I wouldn’t want it to be an isolated case. This gourmet lunch was a conscious choice, a way to step into an abundance mindset and start the new year with an energetic message of possibility, pleasure and intention.

Sometimes, allowing yourself a unique and meaningful experience is a way of aligning with the life you want to build. Not a life of excess, but one made of quality moments, shared experiences and value-driven choices.

For me, this meal represented a small but powerful reminder that the “ideal life” is not something unachievable, a dream destined to remain just that, but rather something you practice one decision at a time. This is basically the principle behind the success of tools like the vision board too.

To wrap it up, I must say that Ristorante del Lago delivered what I was hoping for: not just a one-of-a-kind Christmas gift for my boyfriend, but a great gluten free Michelin star experience characterized by respect, attention, creativity and genuine pleasure.

It’s proof that being a gluten free foodie doesn’t mean dreaming smaller, even (or especially!) when it comes to gourmet dining.

Have you ever had this kind of experience? If not, what’s holding you back? Share your thoughts in the comments, I’d be happy to talk about it!

p.s. if you’re a foodie, I suggest you to consider a trip to Thessaloniki, UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Why? Well, read this article about where to eat gluten free in Thessaloniki and you’ll understand…

F.A.Q.s about gluten free Michelin star dining (and Ristorante del Lago)