Top 23 Gluten-Free Lunch Spots to Delight in the Upper East Side, New York

Iris Sagitta

High-quality desserts for fair prices.

Laura Hallam

We were quoted 20 minutes for a table however ended up waiting over 50 minutes, watching multiple groups walk in and take priority because they were larger. Whether this is for cashflow - I’m not sure, but I would favour people who have been waiting the longest rather than seating larger groups instantly as they walk in. (And no they did not have a reservation). The lady at the counter was rude about the delays and kept telling us it would be another 10 minutes. She should have quoted us an hour if all the two person tables were unavailable for this long. She screamed at us saying ‘I just work here’ instead of providing a solution. I went to order the breakfast sandwich on gluten free, (the menu says GFA) - to the server telling me it’s not good with gluten free. So that lead me to be confused as to why they would offer it that way. Honestly the place was such a shit show. As a New Yorker I would never return. Food was average too.

Laynie Robbins

Perfect date night spot with homemade gluten free pasta, gf chicken cutlet, and a clearly marked menu!

Emilee Domit

So we’re gluten free and that was probably the best gluten free pizza I’ve ever had!! So much so we ordered one to go, this is a must go to place!!

sanem çimen

Life saver in NY. Fresh products, gluten free options. Clean atmosphere. Helpful employees.Thank you

Giselle Henriquez

Shout out to the manager that was working that night. I have celiac and was originally trying to make my order through the app but it was not accepting my phone number and would not let me proceed. When I got to the counter, I completely forgot to request a gluten-free bun, and had to use the bathroom as soon as I finished placing my order. I felt soooo bad, because my order was basically ready by the time I got back and that’s when I realized I forgot to say GF bun. The manager was in the front fixing a few signs, and aside from being very attentive to customers that were just coming in, he spoke to his workers in a really nice tone, gave great direction and made me feel less bad about forgetting. He had them redo the order and when I offered to pay the difference for the bun, he said it was fine. He also cares about feedback and told me I could always leave a review and I immediately felt more relief, since I can at least give him his kudos for being so great! He seriously deserves a raise! I wish I would have gotten his name, because he made my night!

Max Schell

Great food, great place, great service Gluten free friendly

Patrick Pan

Banana sticky rice is a must get! Great spot, friendly service, nice atmosphere. The mock duck (meat substitute made from wheat gluten) was delicious in Pad Thai.

Michela Demelas

Wanted takeaway tacos but I am celiac and I usually don’t trust restaurants with cross-contamination so I went for pick-up instead of delivery. Pick-up allows me to be the annoying customer, over-explain gluten contamination, warn them about its danger for me. I hate being that person but, based on my experience, I wouldn’t be taken into consideration otherwise. The employees were nice, I explained I couldn’t have chips if they were fried in the same oil they used for frying breaded food. They confirmed, indeed, that they fried everything in the same oil. They told me tacos were safe though so I went with that and ordered food for my friend too. I took Carne Asada taco and repeated once again “please tell the kitchen to pay attention.” 20 mins later my taco and the other food are ready and I take them home. Opened the bag, my taco was covered with crispy tortilla strips. The menu did mention them under Carne Asada taco but I had naively thought they would pay attention, which is the only thing I had asked for. My friend liked her food. However, honestly, I wouldn’t recommend a place where I felt unsafe and unheard.

Ken Boyar

$22 for a brisket meal that consisted of a very light portion of brisket, a small side of cole slaw and baked beans. The taste was decent but definitely not filling. Some of the servers seemed to be clueless as to what items were gluten-free.

Magdalena Schneiderman

This is my go to vegan lunch spot on the UES. I get the falafel bowl or falafel platter with “everything” and love it every time. Staff is super friendly and ask if you like it spicy or not. My only suggestion would be to have a gluten free alternative to the pita bread.

marianne sarcich

I'm a former New York City girl visiting with my 14-year-old and this was absolutely wonderful. My daughter's Pizza had that beautiful cheese pull that everybody wants and she loved loved her pizza. I'm gluten free so I had to have my usual gluten-free pizza the cheese and the sauce were amazing. The crust is the usual Frozen gf crust that most pizzeria sell. Highly recommend

Laynie Robbins

Pil Pil marks their menu with what is gluten free - amazing tapas!

Kavya Rajesh

I was recommended this place to bring my mom as she has a gluten allergy, and they were lovely! Brought out gluten free bread and pasta with no contamination issues. I loved my aglio e olio and everyone at the table had a great time. Expensive but worth it

Christina F. (withnohomeinmind)

We had the loveliest summer evening at this restaurant. Blue loved it because he could observe the world passing by from his “balcony” and I loved it because they serve amazing homemade gluten free fettuccine! The clams pasta was amazing and the gavi white wine was the right choice to go with it.

Lior Seidel

Rodrigo Gularte Mérida

Water & Wheat was an amazing find. The restaurant specializes in in-house fresh pasta. They offer a total of 6 different types, in different shapes. Of the six, one option is gluten-free and another is a whole wheat option. All the pastas were well described, and we were told whether they were in-house, or not (specific to the gluten-free). We ordered the octopus, four different plates with four different pasta shapes. We were served promptly, never waited more than a minute to get assistance, and all dishes were quite delicious. We will likely be returning here as food and atmosphere were great

Gopal Chopra

Spectacularly fine Italian dining with impeccable and friendly service. For a greet night out or a special occasion this is authentic Italian at its best. They had a wonderful selection of vegetarian, vegan and even gluten-free options. The sauces and the vegetables were fresh and delectable- the fried asparagus, mushroom risotto and the spaghetti primadora were the most delicious highlights!! Finished the meal with a perfect affogato:)

Gal Sivan

I love Salvo's for so many reasons. First, the pizza is fantastic, and they have many other kinds of food that are truly tasty. They have many kinds of pasta, and all courses may be ordered gluten free or whole wheat. The prices are reasonable. A bottle of red wine is less than $20. Very cheap for a restaurant. Additionally they are kid friendly. I mean really friendly with kids. The waiters are very nice and patient. Hands down this is my favorite pizza place where I can take the kids, and find something vegan (like a pasta pomodoro) and have a glass of wine, and not burn a hole in my pocket. It's simply a win-win-win!

Benny Katzburg

A large variety of pizzas, there is almost no place to sit and a gluten-free pizza friend

Justin Hummel

Great food with helpful staff. My family was visiting and even though we were a big group they took good care of us. They even gave us plenty of gluten free options for my mom. Awesome job guys!

Amber Castellanos

My experience at Sweetgreen today was wonderful because of Sophia! She greeted us with a smile and made my fiancee & I's salads with care. She made sure to ask about all allergies (dairy, nuts, gluten, etc) and triple checked if we wanted all toppings. She was so kind, polite, and extremely hard working. I can't wait to go back to this location- thanks again Sophia!

James Williams