• madrid, spain •
Gluten-Free in Madrid: Celebrating My 25th Birthday in Spain
Touched down in Spain for my 25th birthday
Getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease at 22 completely flipped my world upside down. As someone who grew up loving real-deal bagels and pizza, wrapping my brain around cross-contamination was a total gut punch. It adds to the complexity that I am highly sensitive and symptomatic, so a poorly prepared meal can ruin a week to follow. Back then, the thought of navigating safe meals away from my own kitchen felt daunting, and the idea of traveling internationally felt straight up terrifying. I was already a newer traveler, having only recently gotten over my fear of flying just a few months prior to my diagnosis. So, the added complexity of traveling with this new chronic illness felt especially crippling. The first few trips were challenging, some international trips harder than others (South Korea, I’m looking at you). Some places were easy, restoring confidence in my ability to travel.
Fast forward three years to my 25th birthday, landing in Spain for a massive multi-city adventure. Ethan and I had planned this trip only about six weeks in advance—which, for gluten free type-a planners like us, is very last minute!
Stepping off that plane in Madrid was such a personal milestone and a true testament to how far I’ve come. Overcoming the initial fear, learning how to advocate for my safety, and mastering the art of spontaneous Celiac travel has allowed me to stop just managing a diagnosis and start living my life to the absolute fullest. Spain happens to be one of the very best countries in the world for gluten-free dining, and celebrating a birthday traveling safely across Madrid was the ultimate proof that a Celiac diagnosis doesn't mean giving up on your biggest dreams.
Let this be your sign - life really isn’t over after your diagnosis!
It just takes a little extra work… and that’s why I’m here to give you my hard work, tears, and raw lived experience through these itineraries. I hope these make your travels easier; if I can do it, so can you! 🫶
✈️ Travel Day & Flight Logistics
Don’t come for me but this is my red-eye plane setup
Our Spain adventure began the way most international trips from New York City begin: making our way out to JFK Airport. We took the subway to Penn Station, hopped on the LIRR, and made our way onto the JFK AirTrain.
For dinner at JFK, Ethan grabbed a non-gluten-free meal while I ate the food I had pre-ordered and brought with me from TAP NYC (this place is the best, check it out if you’re in New York!). Traveling with Celiac Disease means planning ahead for long travel days. Having food with me takes the stress off of having to find something suitable at the airport, begging and pleading to food workers not to gluten me or… worse.. having the rely on the airplane meal (gasp). I personally do not trust an airplane meal without living with a dietary restriction, so I especially don’t even try with one… but that is a lecture for another day lol.
Pro tip for all these travels: always bring your own snacks and meals, or pick up extra goodies when you’re at a safe gluten-free spot to enjoy for later. It really is the best hack and makes me feel so empowered and ready for any travel delay.
Eventually, it was time to board our red-eye eight-hour flight from New York City to Madrid on Iberia Airlines. Overall, they weren't particularly accommodating when it came to providing a gluten-free meal or snacks (to no surprise). Luckily, that wasn't a huge issue since we were flying overnight anyways (and again.. I have 0 expectations in eating the meal anyways). We settled into our seats, got some sleep, and before we knew it... we woke up in Madrid! And it was officially my 25th birthday! 🎂
Early Check-In Luck & Birthday Surprises
After sleepily making our way through passport control and customs, we hopped in an Uber and headed to our hotel. We got incredibly lucky: even though it was only around 8:30 AM, our room was already ready! Being able to immediately get into our room, change, shower, and freshen up after a red-eye flight was such a blessing. It is always worth asking if the room is ready anyways to check-in, especially on long overnight red-eye flights.
Ethan also had one more surprise waiting for me: he had packed sweet birthday gifts and cards—including some Spain-themed goodies—all the way from New York City! It was such a thoughtful way to start my birthday and our trip, and it was such a sweet reminder of the love that surrounds me that has gotten me to this point of traveling stress and gluten-free. 😭🎁
Starting Our Madrid Adventure at Celicioso
Enjoying gluten free baked goods and coffee at Celicioso
Our first stop was Celicioso, a gluten-free bakery that quickly became one of our favorite stops in Madrid. Spoiler alert... we made many return trips here!
We started the morning with delicious pancakes, pastries, and coffee before heading out to explore. Celicioso specializes in gluten-free baked goods with multiple locations around Madrid. For us, having a place where we could simply walk in and enjoy breakfast without having to overthink every bite or worry about shared prep surfaces was a fantastic way to start our Madrid experience. Truly made the birthday start off so special.
Unplanned Exploration & Art Walk
One of the things Ethan and I have learned about traveling is that we don't like to pack our first day after a long-haul flight with a million activities. Instead, we leave the first day as unplanned as possible. That way, we can see how we're feeling, adjust our plans if we're exhausted, and slowly settle into the new time zone. So our main event for the day was literally just the spa and some gluten free bites. Everything else we did was simply an extra added bonus to the day.
After breakfast, we simply walked around Madrid and enjoyed the beautiful fall weather. We wandered through the city, took in the architecture, and stumbled upon an awesome free art gallery with no reservations or itinerary required.
Gluten-Free Pizza at Grosso Napoletano
Gluten free margarita pizza from Grosso Napoletano
Eventually, we worked up an appetite and stopped for lunch at Senza Glutine di Grosso Napoletano.
Grosso has dedicated Senza Glutine locations in Madrid where the official site states they serve gluten-free food, including their gluten-free Neapolitan pizzas, in a safe environment. The fact this place was 100% gluten free was such a game changed. I must admit, by the time we sat down and had the food in front of us, the jet-lag and long day of travel kind of kicked our butts.
We shared a margarita pizza, and when I tell you this place started to heal me, I mean it. The dough was so airy and bubbly, topped with an incredible sauce and fresh cheese. Simple, but healing. We actually visited two different Grosso locations during our time in Madrid—and, frankly, we are still thinking about this spot!
Birthday Spa Day at Hammam Al Ándalus
Birthday Spa Day at Hammam Al Ándalus
After lunch, Ethan and I booked a spa session at Hammam Al Ándalus Plaza Mayor. Located on Calle Atocha in the heart of Madrid, it offers a traditional Andalusian hammam experience featuring baths, massages, and relaxation pools. If there’s one thing you have to know about us, it’s that we love a good spa day. So, this felt like the perfect main event for ringing in a new year ahead and celebrating 25.
After flying overnight and running on very little sleep, getting to slow down, soak, and enjoy our massages right as jet lag was catching up to us was exactly what we needed. By the time we left, we were feeling completely refreshed. We actually specifically said it made us feel “reborn” afterwards HAHA.
Exploring the Mercado & Mercado de San Miguel
Sin gluten aisle in the local grocery store in Madrid
Next, we made our way over to Plaza Mayor and Mercado de San Miguel, stopping at a grocery store / mercado (as we like to do the first day of every trip to see what gluten-free goodies we can find!) on the way.
Now, if you're traveling with Celiac disease, this isn't necessarily somewhere we'd recommend going specifically for gluten-free food. Unfortunately, there weren't GF options that worked for us during our visit due to high cross-contamination risks, but I’m sure if you’re willing to risk it more than me, you might be able to find something good.
However, that doesn't mean it wasn't worth seeing! Sometimes when traveling with Celiac disease, you encounter places that don't have something safe to eat, but you can still walk around, check out the stalls, and enjoy the lively atmosphere. This might have been one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn since going gluten free: we don’t always need to eat to enjoy -sometimes not eating (and worrying) the food helps us enjoy and be more present! This was certainly the case for me at the Mercado de San Miguel.
Gluten-Free Birthday Dinner at LaLina
Birthday dinner tapas at LaLina Bravas, Tapas y Copas
After a full day of exploring, it was finally time for my birthday dinner at LaLina Bravas, Tapas y Copas. Ethan actually completely surprised me with making a reservation here, and when we finally got to our surprise destination I was gasping!!
LaLina's menu is 100% gluten-free and highlights a wide selection of traditional tapas and bravas, with locations in La Latina, Chueca, and Chamberí. Getting to sit down and enjoy a full spread of classic Spanish tapas without worrying about which dishes were safe was the ultimate treat and a great way to dive into the Spanish culture. The food was amazing, and it was the perfect end my 25th birthday in Spain.
By this point, we had been going for almost 12 hours post-flight, so we headed back to the hotel and crashed (after I ate some more bites of dinner in the hotel room that I took to go)!
🚆 Off to Córdoba (And Beyond!)
The next morning, we woke up early, grabbed our bags, and headed off to the train station for the next leg of our journey!
If you know my travel style, you know I like to hit all the top highlights of each location as efficiently as possible. Our time in Madrid was far from over—we would actually be returning at the end of our trip—but for now, it was time to leave the capital behind.
From Madrid, we embarked on an incredible loop through Southern Spain:
• • • [ A FEW DAYS LATER: BACK IN MADRID FOR OUR FINAL DAYS ] • • •
Arriving Back in Madrid & Late-Night GF Japanese at Okashi Sanda
Gluten free pan-fried kimchi dumplings from Okashi Sanda
After an amazing few days exploring Málaga, it was time to head back to Madrid for the final leg of our Spain adventure. We hopped on a train from Málaga and settled in for the roughly three-hour ride back to the capital.
By the time we arrived in Madrid, it was around 9:30 PM. Now, if you're from the United States, you might be thinking: isn't that a little late for dinner? Not in Spain! In Spain, 9:30 PM is practically appetizer time.
We dropped our bags off at our final hotel near Puerta de Atocha station and immediately started debating dinner options. After a little searching, we stumbled across Okashi Sanda—and boy, were we in for a treat!
Okashi is a 100% gluten-free and lactose-free Japanese restaurant in Madrid. Even arriving after 10 PM, the place was packed, but we lucked out and grabbed two bar seats. We started with pan-fried kimchi dumplings (seriously unreal and one of our favorite dishes of the entire trip!), followed by curry for Ethan, ramen for me, and finished off with a cookie topped with matcha ice cream. With full stomachs, we headed back to tuck in for our final two days.
Royal Palace Pivots & Treasury History
The next morning, we fueled up with breakfast at Celicioso Bakery (this time the cafe located in the mall closest to the Royal Palace) before making our way toward the Royal Palace of Madrid.
Here's a major pro tip: book tickets for the Royal Palace in advance! We didn't, and the line to get inside was over two hours long. Instead of standing in line, we pivoted across the street to the Royal Treasury Museum—and it turned out to be a fantastic backup plan! Zero line, and we got a fascinating look into the history of the Spanish royal family and the site's origins dating back to the 18th century. The day wasn’t turning out to be such a fail after all - more like a happy mistake that led to something better!
Naked & Sated, City Exploring & Final Pizza Feasts
Gluten free margarita pizza from Grosso Napoletano AGAIN!
For lunch, we stopped at Naked & Sated, a dedicated 100% gluten free healthy style cafe. I must admit, if you’re from the United States (and possibly other locations, I’m not sure how big Friendly’s is outside the USA to be honest) you’ll get it, it was giving Friendly’s vibes. At Naked & Sated, we split a delicious mushroom truffle with egg galette and chicken tacos. We topped off our meal with a chocolate donut - they have such an extensive donut selection, so I had to try one. We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around, taking in the sights, doing some shopping, and picking up some last minute souvenirs.
For our final dinner in Spain, we returned to Senza Glutine di Grosso Napoletano. Their gluten-free crust really is just that good that we had to go back the final day. Nothing is better than a safe, tried and true, meal the night before a big travel day. There is nothing that gives me more anxiety than being sick in the skies on an airplane during a long trip home, so I find such relief going to a dedicated (and delicious) gluten-free spot that I already know and love. I actually loved it so much that I bought an entire extra pizza (cheese-less to help with my refrigeration anxiety I would have about it going bad from the morning to when I eat it in the airport) to take on the plane with us the next day! OH my was that the HACK! Thank me later.
Saying Hasta Pronto to España
The next morning, after sleeping in and hitting a local grocery store to stock up on more GF goodies, we headed to the airport. I strategically packed my carry on tightly, I was not going home without bringing as many ‘sin gluten’ treats as possible. We ubered to the airport and ot through security, before I enjoyed my leftover gluten-free Grosso pizza in the lounge before boarding our flight back home.
💡 How to Do All of Our Madrid Favorites in One Day (An Extremely Efficient Route)
Since our full trip looped out through Andalusia (Córdoba, Seville, Granada, and Málaga) and brought us back to Madrid later on, we split up our Madrid bucket list across both ends of the vacation.
However, if you're looking to hit all of these exact spots in a single efficient path without breaking your stay into two parts, here is how you can group them geographically to make the most of your time in Madrid, Spain:
1. Morning (Gran Vía & Historic Center): Start at Celicioso for pancakes and pastries. Walk down to the Royal Palace and Royal Treasury museum (just make sure to book your Palace tickets in advance online!).
2. Midday (Sol & Plaza Mayor): Stroll over to Mercado de San Miguel to take in the bustling atmosphere. For lunch, head right around the corner to Senza Glutine di Grosso Napoletano (Plaza de Santa Ana location) for 100% celiac-safe Neapolitan pizza.
3. Afternoon (Atocha & Barrio de Las Letras): Walk down Calle Atocha for your relaxation session at Hammam Al Ándalus Plaza Mayor. Afterwards, swing by Naked & Sated for a sweet treat or explore the local shops.
4. Evening (La Latina / Malasaña Nightlife): Finish your day with a 100% gluten-free tapas spread at LaLina in La Latina, or grab late-night GF ramen and kimchi dumplings at Okashi Sanda!
→ Planning a Celiac-Safe Trip to Spain? Read our next guide on taking a Celiac-Safe Day Trip to Córdoba, or check out our full Spain Gluten-Free Travel Itinerary!
