The Best Gluten-Free Friendly Restaurants in New York City

all of my favorite gluten and grain free eats from NYC!

Read on for my personal list, curated over the last few years, with reviews, photos, and what we ordered! I’ll keep this page updated for paid subscribers as I head back for future visits, so be sure to bookmark it!

I’ve been working on this post for about four years because, when it comes to the food scene, you can barely scratch the surface with just a day or two in New York. I wanted to have at least a couple dozen recommendations before writing this so that you’d have a variety of options across different boroughs.

One thing I’ve learned over the years that is undeniable: the food scene in New York is incredible. However, if I were to really critique it, I’d say that for those of us who eat healthy and gluten or grain-free, there are other cities that might be better (Los Angeles, Portland, Denver, Austin, and even San Diego).

What I do love about NYC—similar to my experiences in San Francisco—is the sheer variety. One night, you can have Mediterranean, the next, Japanese, and then classic New York pizza or modern American fare. The Vietnamese food is also fantastic. That said, we attempted to get Mexican one night, and as lifelong Californians, Ryan and I quickly decided that we’d save Mexican food for this side of the country.

🎭Birthday Broadway Binge!

A Few Things I Learned

I focused my restaurant search around the Theater District so we wouldn’t have a long commute before shows and wouldn’t have to eat dinner at 4 p.m. since we were still on California time and curtains typically rise at 7 p.m.

In hindsight, I wish I had expanded my search radius a bit because while there are some great spots, many Theater District restaurants cater to tourists. That said, we did find a few hidden gems! My favorite food, however, is definitely in the East and West Village and SoHo—everything I’ve ever eaten there has been so unique.

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My Yelp Bookmarks

My list below is not sorted by neighborhood, so if you’re staying somewhere specific, take a look at my updated Yelp bookmarks and head to the map view!

NYC Bakeries Bookmarks | NYC Breakfast Bookmarks | NYC Dinner Bookmarks | NYC Pizza Bookmarks

Just a note that I have not tried every place on theses lists yet. I’ve been updating it for years and check a new one off each time I go. Read on my personal recommendations

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My Recommended Restaurants

*listed in no particular order. Celiac-safe restaurants are noted, but otherwise these are shared kitchen spaces. Check out Find Me Gluten Free if you are celiac and need more 100% gluten-free restaurants than what I’ve included below

Obao

Visit Obao | Vibe: 6/10 | Food: 8/10

For our first night, we needed a late dinner after our show and ended up at Obao. I found it on Yelp, where it had glowing reviews, and I immediately noticed that every menu item was marked if it was gluten-free. That’s always a great sign—it usually means the staff is knowledgeable. While not a dedicated gluten-free kitchen, the server assured me that the items are prepared safely. We had a big group so we ordered a handful of dishes and shared them. The most memorable was the Pho, Crab Fried Rice, Short Rib Massaman, and Pork and Shrimp Bún.

Friedman’s

Visit Friedmans | Vibe 7/10 | Food 7/10

*99% of their menu can be made gluten-free

Friedman’s is a New York staple, with locations from the Upper West Side down to Tribeca—there are probably six to eight in total. They do an excellent job with gluten-free options, take special care in their preparation, and even flag gluten-free meals when they arrive at the table.