I love Sardinia and had a brilliant time discovering gluten free Sardinia on our recent holiday. Coeliacs, add this one to your travel wish list, it’s a good’un!
The island is a stunning holiday destination, with plenty to see and do, beautiful beaches and delicious food. I honestly felt so relaxed and like a “normal” holidaymaker when we were there.
Restaurants catered so well for me and I even got to try gluten free versions of Sardinian specialities.
There is good awareness of coeliac disease and notably how to safely cater for gluten free diets. When asking questions in restaurants (whether there was a shared fryer, did they use fresh water to cook the pasta, would they keep my food separate), I always received strong reassurance from the staff.
My favourite response was “cooking gluten free pasta in the same water as normal pasta? Anyone who does that must be MAD!!!”.
My Gluten Free Sardinia Guide & Map
In this guide I’ll run you through a few key Italian phrases to set you up. Then you’ll find coeliac friendly restaurant recommendations, gluten free bakery tips and supermarket suggestions.
Then a round up of coeliac friendly hotels on Sardinia, in case you are wanting some ideas on where to stay. Plus some beach recommendations in the relevant sections, as lots of you asked me for tips.
Finally, you’ll find the interactive map at the very bottom of this page. This should help you to easily find gluten free eateries near you when you visit Sardinia.
If you find my gluten free Sardinia helpful and use it for your holiday, please consider buying me a virtual coffee on Kofi :). These guides take me a longgggg time to write!
And if you have any edits or additions, please email me [email protected] or contact me on Instagram/Facebook @myglutenfreeguide.
Thank you! Laura xxx
Coeliac Italian Phrasebook
It helps to have a couple of Italian phrases up your sleeve when visiting Sardinia. I speak Italian so was able to ask lots of questions, but really do not worry if you don’t. English is also quite widely spoken, but it helps to be prepared.
Learn these and you’ll at least be able to communicate some key basic phrases if you are in a total jam.
Sono celiaca = I am coeliac (female) [pronounced “sono cheh-lee-a-cah“]
Sono celiaco = I am coeliac (man)
Senza glutine = gluten free [pronounced “sen-zah glue-tin-eh”]
Take an Italian language coeliac travel card, print off a few hard copies that you can give to restaurant staff if you are nervous about their processes. But really, the Italians know their stuff when it comes to catering for us.
Gluten Free Sardinia Bakeries, Restaurants and Cafes
I’m going to break this section down by location, to make it easy to reference. There are quite a few dedicated gluten free bakeries across the island. Plus a number of AIC (Italian coeliac society) accredited restaurants, which are a great place to start if you are nervous about eating out.
Then there are also a tonne of coeliac friendly, non-accredited restaurants, with good processes in place to ensure gluten free dishes are properly gluten free.
Please double check at all restaurants before dining. Processes and menus may have changed since I visited/researched them, so please just use my guide as a starting point for your own research.
Alghero
A beautiful little town, we stayed just outside Alghero for the first half of our trip. We loved it (and it was a very convenient base) and found plenty of places for gluten free food. Here are some Alghero gluten free friendly restaurant recommendations:
Aragon Ristorante Pizzeria – my top pick and a restaurant you should definitely visit during your stay in Alghero. This AIC-accredited restaurant is amazing for coeliacs. Nearly every dish on the menu can be made gluten free and they have pasta, wonderful pizza and a HUGE dessert selection.
Staff were awesome (both on the gluten free front and in keeping our boistrous 1 year old entertained) – we ate here once and dine in and then also got takeaway pizza from them. Try the Siciliana pizza, cor it’s delicious! We also loved their fish dishes and cheesecake dessert.
Al Vecchio Mulino – we tried to go to this restaurant but they were fully booked. However, they did confirm to me that they can cater for coeliacs.
Dèmodè Bistrot – a casual spot that has rave reviews for its gluten free offering. We checked it out one evening, meaning to go back another night, but didn’t get a chance to. Which I now regret as I had read such good things about it. Apparently nearly the entire menu can be made gluten free.
Gelateria K2 – they have gluten free cones here. I didn’t get an ice cream as they were so busy I didn’t think they’d have time to scoop from a fresh tub for me (to avoid paddle cross contamination). But if they are quieter when you visit it could be worth an ask.
Ichnos Express – north of the centre, this restaurant offers gluten free pizzas and gets great reviews.
La Pergola Ristorante Pizzeria – also north of the centre, this restaurant apparently has a good gluten free offering. Reviewers mention a dedicated oven for gluten free pizzas, gluten free bread and other dishes available. As well as gluten free beer.
Pizzeria L’Antica Fortezza – we had a very nice meal at this casual pizzeria. We sat outside (note next to the road, we were happy though to have a breeze and to watch the rally cars go by…a big event was on during our stay). We had gluten free pizza cooked in a dedicated oven. Also deep fried calamari cooked in a gluten free fryer, which was absolutely delicious.
Ristorante Di Pesce Gioberto – another restaurant we dined at, where I found there were wonderful with gluten free. There was gluten free pasta available, plus they had deep fried options that were coeliac friendly.
The food was very good (we had oven roasted fish, hand cut chips, fried calamari, plus gluten free pane carasau and breadsticks), but the service was excellent.
The owner was so reassuring and was very clear with the kitchen staff that I was coeliac and that they should ensure my food was fully gluten free. Book an outdoor table if you can – it’s only a small place tucked away in Alghero’s historic centre.
Ristorante Nautilus – this seafood restaurant has a terrace overlooking the harbour. Gluten free options available.
Villasole – just outside of Alghero, this restaurant has a full coeliac friendly menu available, simply book in advance.
Bon Bons Pasticceria Dolci Sardi – I didn’t visit this mixed bakery, but read that they have some gluten free almond-based products. Worth popping in if you are nearby to see whether they’ve anything good.
Bosa
A quaint, colourful town straddling a river, overlooked by a hilltop castle. Bosa is a perfect lunch spot or for a few hours of wandering around. It was VERY hot when we went, so we didn’t do a huge amount of exploring, but enjoyed a very tasty lunch.
Sa Nassa – we had lunch at this traditional fish restaurant, which was packed with locals. They were very reassuring about being able to cater gluten free for me.
We ate an excellent seafood risotto (the best we tried during our Sardinia trip), some divine monkfish dish and some seafood starters. Plus they brought us gluten free pane carasau (a Sardinian cracker-like bread).
Ristorante Pizzeria al Gambero Rosso – this restaurant looks like it has a really good gluten free offering, including gluten free pizza bases made with gluten free caputo flour (aka amazing gf pizza flour). We popped by but it was such a hot day we headed for a riverside restaurant instead. But for an evening meal this would be a good call.
Their Facebook proudly showcases their gluten free offering and they state they can cater safely for coeliac diners. They have an oven used exclusively for gluten free pizza.
Sas Covas – I saw a few reviews praising this restaurant for its gluten free options, which include pizza and pasta.
Trattoria Le 2 Piazze – I passed this restaurant and saw the menu was marked up with the crossed grain symbol. Showing the gluten free options clearly. It’s located in a nice square just off the main pedestrian street.
Budoni
We considered staying in Budoni, as a resort that isn’t too far from Olbia airport and has some nice sandy beaches. If you do visit, here are some places to eat.
La Volpe – this restaurant is AIC accredited, so they will have good processes in place for coeliacs and a good selection of gluten free dishes. Reviewers mention that it is very family friendly, with an outdoor play area and garden so the kids can have a run around.
Pizzeria d’asporto Ciky – reviews mention that this place offers great gluten free pizza, using homemade dough.
Ristorante Mama’s – a lovely-looking restaurant with gluten free options.
La Tavernetta – this beach side restaurant has gluten free options, including pizza.
Il Geloviola – north of Budoni in San Teodoro, this ice cream shop is AIC accredited and should have good processes for coeliacs.
Ristorante Pizzeria Symposium – just outside Budoni, lots of reviews sing the praises of this restaurant for its gluten free pizza. We nearly stayed right next to it, as I found some nice looking apartments – Residence Li Mori. If you decide to stay there let me know what it’s like!
Agriturismo Su Nuraghe – this agriturismo (farm to table food) south of Budoni offers a coeliac menu, simply book in advance. It gets excellent reviews.
Cagliari
The capital of Sardinia, Cagliari is packed with fully gluten free bakeries and coeliac friendly restaurants. We didn’t visit on this trip, but I went on a previous holiday and it’s definitely worth a visit if you are staying in the South.
Zero G Lab – a fully gluten free bakery and shop, I visited the Olbia branch and it was amazing. Be sure to try their fried doughnuts and focaccia bread.
Man.Gia – a fully gluten free restaurant, with two locations (although at the time of writing in June 2022 the via Goffredo Mameli restaurant is temporarily closed). Homemade pizza, pasta and bread, gluten free beer and more. Readers of this blog have fed back to me that they have had brilliant meals here.
CELIAbbiamo – a fully gluten free shop, which also sells a wide range of items including fresh baked goods and fresh pasta.
Gluten Free Store – this fully gluten free shop sells a wide array of gluten free fresh, ambient and frozen products. It is located inside Farmacia Piga (pharmacy) on via Liguria 14.
Biocelia Sardegna – fully gluten free, organic shop.
Celiachia & Gusto – another fully gluten free shop!
Pizzeria Da Rita – AIC accredited restaurant. Homemade gluten free pizza and a wide range of gluten free desserts.
Pizzeria Gastronomia Colombo Di Angius Stefano– AIC accredited pizzeria.
Pecora Rosa – located in the suburbs, this is another AIC accredited cafe in a retail park.
La Lira – this restaurant and pizzeria mention on their website that they can accommodate gluten intolerant and lactose free diners. They have gluten free pizza, fresh pasta, desserts and beer, amongst other dishes. Very positive reviews speak of how helpful the owners are at taking care of coeliac guests. However, a reader recently told me they would not cater for her as a coeliac here, so information is really mixed.
Pizzeria Su Prexiu – this restaurant is also a gluten free specialist and offers 4 different types of gluten free pizza base. They also make gluten free desserts and I saw cannoli on their Facebook page! Located just outside Cagliari in Uta.
Sapore Antico – AIC accredited restaurant in Assemini, near Cagliari.
Il Mondo Senza Glutine – outside Cagliari in Assemini, this is a chain of Italian gluten free supermarkets. I’ve not visitied this one but have been to others across Italy and they are usually excellent. With a wide range of gluten free products and sometimes a fresh counter.
Castelsardo
Ristorante Rocca’Ja – AIC accredited restaurant with a wide range of gluten free dishes, including award-winning pizza. Book a table on the terrace, as it has lovely sea views.
Costa Smeralda (Porto Cervo, Baia Sardinia and More)
Agriturismo La Colti – Arzachena – my friend Gemma, who is also coeliac, visited this restaurant and had a great experience. We didn’t get a chance to try it ourselves, but their outdoor area looks lovely.
Clipper – Porto Cervo – we drove past this restaurant every day, but didn’t make it in. However, I checked out their website and it mentioned that they can cater for coeliacs.
Da Serafino e Giovanni – Cannigione – my favourite meal while we stayed in this area. An amazing pizzeria with a wide gluten free pizza offering. We really enjoyed our meal here. It’s a relaxed place, but was absolutely packed with Italians by the time we left. Lots of families and couples alike.
Staff were really clued up about catering safely for coeliacs (our waitress’ sister was coeliac), including a seperate fryer for gluten free items and safely prepared and cooked pizza. They also had gluten free beer and dessert choices.
L’M Ristorante – San Pantaleo – we didn’t visit but I’ve seen it reviewed as having good gluten free options, including pizza and pasta. Plus San Pantaleo is meant to be a lovely village to visit.
Ristorante Corbezzolo – Baia Sardinia – an AIC accredited restaurant, with gluten free pizza, pasta and desserts. Including the Sardinian speciality dessert Seadas. Plus lovely views.
Ristorante Il Paguro – Capo d’Orso – AIC accredited restaurant.
Ristorante La Rocca di Chiara – Arzachena – part of La Rocca Resort (a very nice hotel that could be a lush place to stay), this restaurant was a gorgeous place to eat and they are AIC accredited. I loved the food we had: Sardinia speciality roasted suckling pig, seafood, chips and INCREDIBLE desserts. Plus, the best pane carasau of our trip (gluten free of course).
I felt in safe hands on the gluten free front. They even knew that the ice cream wasn’t safe for me due to potential cross contamination from scooping – I was impressed.
They offer gluten free pizza, however this wasn’t available when we visited. Call ahead if you are keen on having pizza, but a friend of mine who visited another time said her pizza was disappointing.
Ristorante Pizzeria Gourmet Myrto – Porto Cervo – offers gluten free pizza.
Ristorante Pizzeria La Vecchia Costa – Arzachena – offers gluten free options and pizza.
Capriccioli Beaches – Vesper beach club has gluten free pasta available and ice creams. Really beautiful beaches, nice for kids, small and sandy with some shade around the back. Some of the busiest beaches we went to though.
La Celvia Beach – just round the corner from Capriccioli beaches, this was a lovely sandy stretch. There’s a little car park very close to the beach, with a beach cafe for ice creams.
It’s a nice one for kids as there’s lots of vegetation for shade around the back of the beach. Even though it was very windy on the day we went, we found a little sheltered den to set up camp in.
La Principe Beach – stunningggg. I’ve not used filters on any beach photos in this guide, honestly the water was just bright blue as we walked down, I was amazed! This is the most beautiful beach in the area. It’s a good 10 minute walk down from the car park, but my 4 year old managed it with complaining too much.
It’s quite sheltered, so is very good on days when the mistral winds are blowing and the other beaches can get a bit choppy.
Soft sand, clear water – bliss! There are no facilities down there (that we saw), but you can hire sunbeds and umbrellas or buy from the hawkers on the walk down. Take a picnic.
Car parking is a bit more expensive, but I think it is worth it as the beach is in a league of its own.
Dettori Market in Crai – we passed this small supermarket regularly on our way to/from beaches in the area. They have a good gluten free section, which you’ll find opposite the fish counter.
Dorgali
The Gluten Free Lab – a fully gluten free and lactose free bakery. They have various baked goods, fresh bread, Sardinian desserts and even fresh pasta.
S’Adde – this B&B is AIC accredited.
La Maddalena
Dolci Distrazioni – AIC accredited gelateria.
Ristorante Pizzeria Roby’s – a wide gluten free offering is available at this restaurant.
Lanusei
La Bottega del Gusto Con e Senza Glutine – a supermarket specialising in gluten free items, with a large gluten free selection. Based on its full name (which translates as with and without gluten), I think they also sell gluten products, so please be mindful of this.
Macomer
Free Gustoso – this fully gluten free bakery supplies lots of gluten free shops across the island, so hopefully they will be well stocked in store. Their bakery and cafe looks quite large in photos, I would have loved to visit but we weren’t staying nearby. If you are, if think this one is a must visit.
Nuoro
Ristorante Pizzeria “Tamatta” – AIC accredited cafe in shopping centre.
Olbia
Zero G – the products were bought from this fully gluten free shop and bakery were out of this world! Proper FRIED doughnuts, both ring and filled with custard, freshly made that day. I wish I had bought a suitcase full of them.
Their focaccia bread is light and fluffy and they can make it into huge sandwiches for you on request. Filled with your choice of freshly slices prosciutto cotto (ham), speck or cheese. I bought a couple for our flight home and Alba declared it “the best sandwich ever” – and bear in mind she can eat gluten!
They also had big pizza slices (including lactose free ones), filled profiteroles, custard cream horns, cookies and fresh bread. If you want to get a lot of bread get there early. We went at 10.30am and the bread was almost sold out.
It’s a funny half-empty supermarket, but head for the fresh counter at the back for all the treats. They do also have lots of good gf products on sale, including fresh pasta and ice cream cakes in the freezer section.
Be Free – a fully gluten free and lactose free restaurant in Olbia. We didn’t get a chance to eat here but I popped by and it looked lovely inside. Definitely worth a visit if you are staying in Olbia or want to grab a meal before you head to the airport.
La Metropizzeria – this pizzeria has gluten free options available and gets great reviews.
Pizzeria Dadino – gluten free pizza available.
Dejavu – this pizzeria states on its website that it can cater for coeliacs, with gluten free pizza available.
Conad Olbia Terranova – I wouldn’t normally recommend a specific supermarket, but stop off here if you are driving up to the Costa Smeralda. They had a very large gluten free section with lots of great products. Plus if you have time to look around the shelves and fridges you’ll find additional products. I picked up fresh desserts and pasta, and they also sold gluten free versions of Sardinian specialities.
Caffetteria della Nonna – south of Olbia, this cafe/restaurant is AIC accredited.
Oristano
Celiò Gluten Free – a fully gluten free bakery with some heavenly-looking croissants! They sell a range of fresh gluten free products, including pasta, bread and sweet treats. Check out their Facebook (linked) for some seriously droolworthy treats.
Pizzeria Da.Fio. SRL – an AIC accredited pizza shop in a shopping centre. Although the general reviews are not good so I wouldn’t rush here!
Orosei
Su Barchile Hotel – this hotel is AIC accredited and has a pizzeria and restaurant attached to it. Could be a good place to stay or to grab dinner. They have a big section on their website detailing how they cater safely for coeliacs. The description on the website seems to say that the pizzeria is gluten free and lactose free, but please check when you visit. They certainly have gluten free pizzas.
Orotelli
Pizzeria-Trattoria S’Arzola – this pizzeria is AIC accredited.
Ploaghe
Mondo Celia – a fully gluten free shop.
Porto Torres
Glutenfreeshop – a small fully gluten free shop. Viale Sandro Pertini, 53a.
La Roccia Porto Torres – this restaurant offers gluten free pizza. They ask that you call the day before to book, to ensure they have time to prepare gluten free pizza dough.
Ristorante Piazza Garibaldi – AIC accredited restaurant.
Panpertutti – this shop sells a range of certified gluten free products.
Pizzeria Teseo – lots of positive reviews for the gluten free pizza here, plus a generally well rated restaurant.
Santa Teresa Gallura
Il Giardino Ristorante Pizzeria – this restaurant offers good gluten free options, including pasta dishes. It has a pretty outdoor courtyard dining area.
Sassari
Gusto Senza Glutine – I popped into this fully gluten free bakery but there wasn’t much available on the counter. It seemed lots of people had preordered and were popping in to collect items, so I would do that next time. Address: Via dei Gremi, N 1, 07100 Sassari .
Ristorante Pizzeria Tiffany – AIC accredited restaurant.
Ristorante San Martino – AIC accredited restaurant.
Aurora’s Pizza – the gluten free pizzas here look really impressive, made with buckwheat flour.
Fast Food Three da Roberto – this sandwich shop apparently offers a selection of gluten free sandwiches. I didn’t visit personally so please check they are made safely if you are coeliac and do visit.
Sa Madrighe – this pizzeria offers gluten free bases and has a nice section about their gf offering on their website, if you want to learn more. As well as a gluten free menu.
Grom – we stumbled across this Grom when we went to the big Carrefour hypermarket. It’s at the top of the travellators on the level above the supermarket itself. It’s a Grom concession within a regular cafe, but I checked and she confirmed all the ice creams and cones were gluten free. Always nice not to have to worry about cross contamination.
Stintino
Il Sarago – gluten free options available.
Spiaggia La Pelosa – whaaaaaat an incredible beach. Think Carribbean vibes, it’s stunning and a must visit if you are anywhere near. The beach bars at either end of the beach have gluten free ice creams. The larger bar even had a Grom cabinet, with gluten free pistachio cornettos and more.
Tempio Pausania
Il Tempio di Sapore Gluten Free Store – a fully gluten free shop.
Hotel Ristorante Golden Gate – this AIC accredited hotel has a restaurant attached.
Bonvicino Ristorante Pizzeria Di Francesco Quargnenti – AIC accredited restaurant.
Tortoli
Celiasì – a fully gluten free bakery and shop.
Gluten Free Self Catering & Supermarkets
As you will have noticed in the above section, there are a few dedicated gluten free bakeries and fully gluten free shops across the island. These are a treasure trove of gluten free goodies, however you’ll find regular supermarkets really well stocked too.
We visited Carrefour (Sassari), Conad (North of Olbia), Coop (Alghero) and some smaller supermarkets on our trip. All had substantial gluten free sections, plus lots of fresh and frozen items dotted around the normal sections.
It’s always worth having a nosey around for the “senza glutine” labels. I found fresh tagliatelle and filled pasta in the regular pasta section. Gluten free puff pastry. Gluten and lactose free ice creams in the main freezer. Local speciality products and fresh desserts in the bakery sections.
Where to Stay – Gluten Free Friendly Hotels in Sardinia
We stayed in Alghero and then Porto Cervo, opting for self catering in both locations. However, there are lots of hotels across the island that can cater for coeliac guests. Here are a few you might like to consider:
Remember, please always contact the hotel before booking, to confirm that they can still cater for gluten free diets. In case processes or menus have changed.
Would You Recommend Sardinia for Gluten Free Travellers?
All in all, 100% yes. I loved Sardinia, had a really relaxing holiday and ate like a queen. If you are coeliac, you should absolutely add this to your holiday destination list.
Gluten Free Sardinia Map
To make it easy to find gluten free eateries near you, I created an interactive map with all the locations listed in this guide:
I hope you’ve found this Sardinia guide helpful. Please feel free to buy me a virtual coffee on Kofi if you have! It took me a longgggg time to write the guide.
For more coeliac travel destinations, why not have a read of some of my other gluten free guides while you are here:
- Rome Gluten Free Guide
- Lisbon Gluten Free Guide
- Majorca Gluten Free Guide
Happy Holidays! Laura xxx
