As awareness of gluten and the problems it can cause to many becomes ever more widespread, this is our guide to gluten-free eating and restaurants in Israel. You might be surprised, but a lot of restaurants in Israel have adapted their menus for celiacs, and supermarkets also stock an ever-increasing number of gluten-free products.
We don’t pretend to be experts in gluten-free living, but ever since my two year old daughter was diagnosed as celiac a couple of years ago, we’ve become very aware of the need for a gluten-free menu when eating out, and the weekly shopping also means more of a hunt for specific ingredients (or a lack of them, preferably!)…
So for those of you who need to stay gluten-free, we sympathize, but hopefully this guide will help you greatly to enjoy some of the culinary delights of Israel. The guide and list of restaurants will be updated whenever we find new info – and if you come across something we’ve missed, please add a comment below. Bitavayon (Bon appetit)!
For those of you interested in reading more about the benefits of a gluten-free diet, this is a good place to start…
Gluten free products in Israel
There are an ever-increasing number of gluten-free products in Israel shops and supermarkets, but here’s a list of some of the more snacky foods you can safely buy and eat:
Bamba – Israel’s unofficial national snack, a peanut-flavored morsel that the kids (and adults) love!
Aproppo – one of Israel’s old-timers, this corn-crispy snack has been around for ever.
Dubonim – another great snack the kids will love.
HaShachar chocolate spread – yes, chocolate spread in Israel is often seen as the “breakfast of champions”, and this old Israeli favorite always works a treat on gluten-free bread.
Nutella chocolate spread – our preferred poison, Nutella is the “adult” and more expensive alternative to HaShachar. Obviously not an option for those allergic to nuts.
There are also various pastas, breads, and sweets that are gluten free: if the product you’re checking has ללא גלוטן (gluten free) on it, then it’s safe to eat. If you’re after even more sweets/snacks for the kids, watch out for items made by a company called Carmit, they have a whole range of goodies.
Another good option for gluten-free products in Israel is the firm Adittas, which has outlets throughout the country, but their main shop is located in Hangar 13 in Tel Aviv Port. Call them on 1-700-706-506 for details.
And for those of you who love beer but thought a gluten-free option was never going to happen, you’ll be pleased to know that Daura, voted the world’s best gluten-free beer, is also available in Israel. It’s only recently been imported so may be a bit hard to find…
Gluten free restaurants in Israel
In this section we’ve listed some of the more well-known restaurants in Israel that have gluten-free options.
There are an ever-growing number of restaurants in Israel that have a gluten-free menu, or are at least very aware of gluten, and very often, with a word to the chef or waiter you can sometimes get confirmation that they know how to prepare something for celiac sufferers. They might not have a completely gluten-free kitchen, but they will probably be able to cook with gluten-free utensils and ingredients.
The most important phrase you’ll need to know when ordering: lelo gluten, which means “without gluten”.
Among the restaurant and coffee shop chains that are available in most big towns in Israel, you can count on Cafe Joe and Greg’s for some good gluten-free options. Likewise, Pizza Hut and Pizza Meter are good for pizza options throughout the country, and Black Bar & Burger for more meaty fare; if you need your Asian gluten-free fix, Giraffe branches throughout the country are usually good. We haven’t listed them all separately below, but if you see one in your area, know that they should be OK.
Gluten free restaurants in Tel Aviv
We’ve compiled a list of the restaurants in Tel Aviv that are known to have good gluten-free options. If you know of somewhere that we’ve missed off this list, please add it to the comments below.
Beta-Pizza, 3 Hataarucha St, Tel Aviv Port (Tel: 1599-50-9090)
Achoti, Italian (Hawaiian pizza recommended!), 53 Yehuda Maccabi (Tel: 03-5672554)
Dixie Grill, Steak House, 120 Yigal Allon (Tel: 03-6966123)
Cafe Marco, Italian-style cafe, 39 Gordon St. (Tel: 03-5291775)
Cafe Italia, Italian (Artichoke pasta recommended!), 6 Kriminitsky (Tel: 03-5612888)
Amore Mio, Italian, 100 Ibn Gvirol (Tel: 03-5244040)
Orna & Ella, one of Tel Aviv’s top restaurants, 33 Shenkin St (Tel: 03-6204753)
Mezze Cafe, Vegetarian, 51a Ehad HaAm St (Tel: 03-6299753)
Hudson Brasserie, Meat restaurant, Habarzel 27 (Tel: 03-6444733)
Eat Meat, Meat restaurant, 68 King George (Tel: 03-5252153)
Black Bar & Burger, Meat restaurant, 23 HaBarzel St (Tel: 03-6441000) & Cinema City at Galilot Junction (Tel: 03-6991100)
Makom Shel Basar, Meat restaurant, 65 Shabazi St, Neve Tzedek (Tel: 03-5104020)
Buddha Burgers, Vegan, 53 Yehuda HaLevi St (Tel: 03-5101222)
Tandoori, Indian, 2 Zamenhoff St. (Tel: 03-6296185)
Pekin, Asian, Moshe Sneh 54 (Tel: 03-6490737)
Giraffe, Asian, 49 Ibe Gvirol St (Tel: 03-6916294) & 21 HaArbaa St (Tel: 03-6851154)
Falafel Baribua, yes, falafel, they have a few branches, notably at 14 Yad Harutzim St & 24 Raul Valenberg St (Tel: 1599-504405)
Falafel Hippo, 64 Ibn Gvirol St (Tel: 03-6093394) & 70 Dizengoff St (Tel: 03-6298080)
Gluten free restaurants in Jerusalem
This is a list of the restaurants in Jerusalem that are known to have good gluten-free options. If you know of somewhere that we’ve missed off this list, please add it to the comments below.
Ben Ami, Dairy menu, 38 Emek Refaim St (Tel: 02-6510070)
Parash Coffee, Cafe, Kiryat Yovel Shopping Center (Tel: 02-6417389)
Agas 1, Vegetarian, 13 Eliahu Yaakov Banai St, Mahane Yehuda Market (Tel: 054-3133442)
Black Bar & Burger, Meat restaurant, 18 Shlomzion Hamalka St (Tel: 02-6246767)
Agas Vetapuach, Italian, 6 Safra Square, Yaffo St (Tel: 02-6230280)
Tandoori, Indian, Crown Plaza Hotel, Givat Ram (Tel: 02-6588867)
Pizza Hut, Zalman Shneor St, Nayout (Tel: 1700-50-60-70)
Tito Bravo, Pizza, 12 Shamai St (Tel: 02-6255585)
Gluten free restaurants throughout the rest of Israel
This is a list of the restaurants beyond Tel Aviv and Jerusalem that are known to have good gluten-free options. Again, if you know of somewhere that we’ve missed off this list, please add it to the comments below.
EILAT
Pastory, Italian, 7 Tarshish St (Tel: 08-6345111)
HAIFA
Cafe Louise, Cafe, 58 Moriya St (Tel: 04-8349950)
Lazino Pizza, Pizza, 86 Hatichon St (Tel: 04-8322366)
Pizza Roma, Pizza, Rambam Medical Center (Tel: 04-8525415)
Pizzale, Pizza, 46 Hanita St (Tel: 04-8220475)
HERZLIYA
Tanduri, Indian, 32 Maskit St (Tel: 09-9546702)
SEA OF GALILEE
Marinado, Meat restaurant, Kibbutz En Gev (Tel: 04-6658555)
Roberg, Meat and salads, Levanim (Tel: 04-6715656)
MODIIN
Pizza Pazaz, 23 Haodem St (Tel: 08-9701119)
RAANANA
Neto Lite, Cafe, 14 Menachem Begin St (Tel: 054-7712562)
Pizza Tic Tac Toe, 198 Ahuza St (Tel: 1-700-702626)
Edison, Grill bar, 282 Ahuza St (Tel: 09-7743131)
RISHON LEZION
Falafel Baribua, Falafel, 5 Rothshild St (Tel: 1-599-504405)
Fanchesca, Italian, Sea Side Promenade (Tel: 03-9414151)
Fanchesca Ba-Ir, Italian, 11 Moshe Becker St (Tel: 03-956767)
Loft, Meat bar, 15 Moshe Becker St (Tel: 03-9563216)
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BON APPETIT!