Detailed Gluten-Free Restaurant Card — Spain

Generous to celiacs — with a few famous traps

Spain is generous to celiac travelers: jamón, queso, grilled fish, and rice dishes are naturally gluten-free, and supermarket free-from aisles are well stocked. Awareness is strongest in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Basque Country. I still ask my questions every time.

What’s on the card

• An explanation of enfermedad celíaca in Spanish, so the kitchen hears “medical,” not “diet”
• What I can’t eat and where gluten hides: salmorejo and gazpacho often thickened with bread, tortilla española sometimes made with flour as a binder, paella broth or stock cubes that may contain wheat
• What’s usually safe: jamón ibérico and serrano, gambas al ajillo
• The kitchen questions — including “Is the fryer shared with breaded items?” and “Is this made without flour, bread, or wheat-based broth?”

What’s in the travel companion (page 2)

• How I choose where to eat: the FACEmovil app (FACE’s directory of affiliated restaurants), asking “¿Tienen menú sin gluten?”, and treating tapas bars as tricky — shared fryers and utensils mean confirming first
• Six dishes worth ordering, shopping notes (Schär, the Spanish brands Proceli and Adpan, well-stocked free-from ranges at Mercadona and Carrefour), and where options cluster — Chueca and Malasaña in Madrid, Barcelona’s Eixample, Bilbao and San Sebastián
• If you get glutened: the farmacia phrase “soy celíaco/celíaca y he comido gluten,” and 112 as the EU-wide emergency number

The honest certification picture

FACE (Federación de Asociaciones de Celíacos de España) is Spain’s celiac patient federation and keeps listings of FACE-affiliated restaurants. The Espiga Barrada (crossed-grain mark) and “Controlado por FACE” appear on packaged products — not on restaurant meals — and “sin gluten” on labels is an EU-regulated claim (max 20 ppm). Your individual plate still depends on the kitchen, which is why the card asks the questions in Spanish.

Format

Instant digital download. Two pages, PDF — print or phone.

This card helps communicate your dietary needs. It does not guarantee a gluten-free meal or eliminate cross-contact risk. Always use your judgment, and when in doubt, do not eat. Not medical advice.