Is paella safe for celiacs? The rice is, and the traditional Valencian rice dishes are built on ingredients with no gluten in them, but the risk sits in the pan, the stock, the fried starters and the bread that arrives with everything. Gluten free paella in Valencia is therefore a matter of choosing a kitchen that treats the dish as a protocol. The local celiac association, ACECOVA, marks approved venues with its own seal, and the wider Spanish system is explained in Spain’s national certification marks, so this page stays with the Valencian details.
Gluten free paella in Valencia, one portion at a time
Arrocería Ricepaella, at Calle del Músico Peydró 4 in Ciutat Vella, serves every rice dish and its cheesecake under the ACECOVA seal. Dishes come as single portions, cooked with rice from the Valencia Denominación de Origen, and the menu includes two plant-based versions: rice with cherries and vegetables, and rice with vegetables from the local huerta, which changes with the season.
Casa Carmela, in Malvarrosa, is a classic of Valencian paella with an agreement with ACECOVA, bread without gluten and the ability to adapt even breaded dishes. LaLola, in the center, is a rice restaurant recommended to celiacs by the same association. At any rice place one question settles the pan: “¿Pueden usar una paellera limpia?” (Can you use a clean paella pan?)
Horchata, fartons and the Fallas churros stall
Horchata de chufa, made from tiger nuts, is naturally vegan and free of gluten. The trap is the farton, the long, fluffy pastry made with wheat flour that is dunked in it. Baking Free, at Carrer de Gil Roger 1, bakes a version for celiacs under the ACECOVA seal, along with rustic bread, rolls, baguettes, panquemado, monas de Pascua and roscón de reyes. Horchatería Dolz, at Avinguda de Blasco Ibáñez 84, appears on a list of venues with options for celiacs.
In March 2022, during Fallas, the city and ACECOVA opened the first mobile stall of churros and buñuelos made without gluten, at Calle Jesús 41. The city council had to change the rules that previously blocked such sales from street stalls.
A city with its own lab
Gluten free paella in Valencia also rests on a municipal agreement: the city council has worked with ACECOVA for more than twenty years, and the association represented 2,560 families in 2023. A municipal laboratory checks that products labeled “sin gluten” are actually safe, with special attention to small producers, who most often bake next to wheat. That explains the weight of the seal.
Santa Amalia, at Carrer de Santa Amàlia 2 in La Saïdia, is a bakery and pastry shop with the ACECOVA seal where nothing contains gluten, from bread to croissants and brownies, and it also caters. El Obrador del Celiaco, at Carrer d’Aparicio Albiñana 2 in Campanar, has worked without gluten or lactose since 2017, baking bread, cakes, donuts, cookies and cheesecake. Sana Locura, at Carrer del Convent de Santa Clara 12, belongs to the FACE Restauración Sin Gluten network and is built on sourdough, pastries and Argentine empanadas. A different association mark, the Basque EZE, appears at pintxo bars in San Sebastián, where safety depends on a conversation at the counter. For dessert, ArteSana Gelat, at Carrer de la Fusta 61, is an ice cream shop where everything is free of gluten, with lactose-free and vegan options.
Gluten free paella in Valencia and the restaurant that came first
El Miracle, at Carrer de Campoamor 42 in Algirós, was the first fully gluten-free restaurant certified by ACECOVA in the Valencian Community. The kitchen is Mediterranean with Syrian touches, and the menu carries vegan and vegetarian options alongside croquetas, crêpes and desserts. It ranked first in the Celicidad list in 2021 and again in 2025.
For breakfast and lunch without sugar or wheat, Berguna Gluten Free, at Calle Moratín 13, has vegan options. A kitchen where the whole card is vegan and free of gluten is Pötstot in Barcelona, and vegan restaurants in Barcelona are collected separately.
Addresses, opening hours and menus change often, so check the venue’s website or social profile before going. People with celiac disease should confirm that the chosen dish is prepared without contact with gluten, especially at rice restaurants that also serve breaded dishes.
