A Summer Gluten-Free Guide to Florence

Hi, I’m @emiliagistri, and at 30 I found out I’m celiac. Until yesterday I was stuffing myself with carbs without a second thought; today I’m in the supermarket compulsively reading labels. But let’s not despair! Being celiac in Florence doesn’t mean giving up eating well. Sure, the first hit is brutal, because your mind goes straight to: “goodbye schiacciata, goodbye grandma’s Sunday lasagna, goodbye late-night kebab at 3 a.m.” But then you discover there are restaurants where you can feel normal and, surprisingly, eat really well too.

“Sfiga di Grano” (roughly, “wheaten hard luck”) is the guide for anyone who wants to eat out without feeling like the odd one out. In every issue of F.U.C.K you’ll find three new tips to say F.U.C.K. to bad luck (and to gluten), without giving up on flavor or good company!

1. Pizzeria Positano – Borgo Ognissanti

Freshly opened, this pizzeria has already won over the hearts of hungry Florentines — celiac and not. Here the pizza is 100% Campanian style: a soft, puffy cornicione (the raised edge), long-proofed dough, a molten center. But the best part? The entire menu is available in a gluten-free version too — and no, we’re not talking about the usual sad, last-minute alternative. We’re talking real choices: at least seven different margheritas, specialty pizzas, and reinvented classics. The place is small but cozy, and the staff is super friendly (which, trust me, makes all the difference when you order with a thousand caveats).
Extra tip: if you’re in the area on a weekend, swing by Trip per Tre too — between one beer and the next you might stumble into a bizarre raffle where a guy with an abacus hands out… racy lingerie. I know, it sounds made up. Seeing is believing.

2. Luppolo e Grano – Borgo la Croce

The name, let’s be honest, isn’t exactly reassuring. “Grano” (wheat) is that word you start seeing like Voldemort the moment you find out you’re celiac. And yet… surprise! One evening, starving and pretty much resigned to nibbling chips around Sant’Ambrogio, I ended up here by chance and discovered a place that has options for us “no-G” comrades too! Simple, honest cooking, perfect for an easy night out with friends — the kind who eat everything, order in a flash, then give you side-eye while you read the label on your Coca-Cola.
At Luppolo e Grano you can eat too without having to deliver a TED Talk about your diet, and on some nights that’s a genuine luxury.

3. FAKE – Piazza delle Cure

A place called FAKE that is anything but fake. In fact, it’s one of the rare spots certified by the AIC (the Italian Celiac Association) where you can truly relax, eat well, and drink even better. The place is seriously cool: you eat and drink surrounded by artworks, among them the murals by ZED (there’s even one in the bathroom) and pieces by emerging artists. FAKE, in fact, often hosts art shows and exhibitions, some of them devoted to the theme of gender-based violence, thanks to a partnership with the Artemisia anti-violence center. Back to the food: their burger is one of the best I’ve had in the city! Perfect for dinner, but also for an aperitivo, with the right cocktails and great company!

These are my three new addresses to jot down if you too have entered the wonderful world of “no-G.” As always: if you have other spots to recommend, tragicomic stories to share, or just want to say “I feel you, sister,” write to me. Because being celiac may be a stroke of bad luck, but at least we can laugh about it.