• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Grace Cheetham

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Recipes
    • Breakfasts
    • Lunches
    • Teas/Snacks
    • Dinners
    • Sides
    • Desserts
  • Ingredients
    • Dairy-Free
    • Flours
    • Grains
    • Oils
    • Pasta & Noodles
    • Store Cupboards
    • Sugars
  • Diets
    • Elimination Diet
    • Rotation Diet
    • Food Families
  • Restaurants
  • Stockists
  • Organisations
  • Contact

Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free in Rome

January 12, 2013 by jason 7 Comments

Rome_bridge

We’re just back from a magical 3 days in Rome! Bella! We stayed in central Rome, just next to the Opera House and spent our days walking around, looking at the amazing sights that the city offers. We saw the majestic Colosseum, where gladiators fought to the death and prisoners were thrown in with lions and other wild beasts….

colisseum_rome

We went to the Forum, an incredible sprawl of ruins dating back to 700 BC – which were once marble-covered temples, forums and other awe-inspiring buildings.

forum_rome

Roman_fragment

We also went to the Pantheon – the temple (now a church) built by Emperor Hadrian in 120AD. And then walked on to the beautiful Trevi Fountain. (Zoë has now been telling everyone at school, apparently, about the magic wishing well that we threw coins and wishes into!)

Trevi_fountain

We popped into a couple of churches – the Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesci and the Chiesa di Sant’Agostino – where there are famous Caravaggio paintings.

Caravaggio_rome

And on our final day, we took the metro to the awe-inspiring St Peter’s Basilico, and the Vatican Museums. One of the great things about going in January (apart from the bargain price!) is the lack of crowds. We didn’t have to queue and we wandered around, soaking up the history, the opulence and the incredible store of treasures within. I knew that there were many paintings, statues and works of art within the Vatican but I was still astounded. The floors, walls and ceilings are literally covered. There are ancient Egyptian relics, ancient Greek and Roman pieces (including the famous statue, Laocoön), Renaissance masterpieces (including the iconic Sistine Chapel which was utterly beautiful) and many, many more – right up to works by Matisse, Chagall and Bacon.

st_peters_rome

Laocoon_Vatican

me_and_Zoe

ceiling_Vatican

Peter_Zoe_Vatican

matisse_rome

And throughout all of this, I tried to find gluten-free food. Buoyed by my success in finding gluten-free ingredients in Tuscany, I arrived in Rome thinking it would be easy. On the way to our hotel from the airport, we passed a restaurant advertising gluten-free pasta and I thought, ‘oh, great, there are going to be lots of restaurants like this’. But easy it certainly wasn’t! In fact, I found it very hard to track down anything gluten-free – and then the problem was compounded by the fact that there seemed to be cheese in everything! We were served cheese (in various shapes and sizes) for breakfast and, as I looked for something to eat for lunch and for dinner, I was overwhelmed by the frequency of cheese – it seemed to be a main staple of the Roman’s diet. As Peter and Zoë munched through pizzas and sandwiches all full of the stuff (and ice creams), I hunted and hunted for something I could eat. I saw a couple of cakes in one shop – but in the end, I resorted to the fail-safe thing to do in Italy – go to the Farmacia. Fantastico! There I found a brilliant selection of very good gluten-free goodies – by Schär – especially a really good Foccaccia.

farmacia_rome

gluten-free_Rome

gluten-free_cakes_rome

We went out for dinner in the evenings. Both the restaurants we went to on the first and second night had no gluten-free options, so I had the usual safe option of chicken and roast potatoes, and then lamb and the same old roast potatoes. By the third night, I’d given up trying. We tried to find a restaurant that had been recommended to us, but it was closed. So we wandered around and ended up in a bar/restaurant called Mimi & Coco, just because it looked so inviting. We had some drinks, including the wonderful green apple juice that they serve in Italy and then they came to take our food orders. I started to order another potato-orientated dish and they mentioned that they had gluten-free pasta. YAY!! They brought a delicious Penne alla Amatriciana and I sat drinking organic wine and savouring every mouthful of the pasta – with delicious crispy bacon and a lovely, slightly fiery tomato sauce. Finally I found what I had been looking for! You’ll find Mimi & Coco near to Piazza Navona on Via del Governo Vecchio, 72 00186 Roma, Italia.

Mimi_gluten-free_dairy-free_pasta

Us_in_Mimi_Rome

You may also like...

  • Super-Easy Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Creamy Salmon PastaSuper-Easy Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Creamy Salmon Pasta
  • Gluten Free & Dairy Free Peach & Pistachio Tarte TatinGluten Free & Dairy Free Peach & Pistachio Tarte Tatin
  • Gluten Free & Dairy Free Beef WellingtonGluten Free & Dairy Free Beef Wellington
  • Gluten Free & Dairy Free Chocolate & Beetroot CakeGluten Free & Dairy Free Chocolate & Beetroot Cake

Filed Under: Restaurant Review Tagged With: chiesa di san luigi dei francesci, chiesa di sant'agostino, colosseum, gluten-free, gluten-free pasta, gluten-free penne alla amatriciana, mimi & coco, pantheon, piazza navona, rome, schar, st peter's basilica, trevi fountain, vatican museums

Previous Post: « Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Porcini & Olive Farinata
Next Post: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Superfood Omelette »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Krysia

    January 12, 2013 at 4:48 pm

    Don’t feel deprived of ice cream in Italy. The secret is to go to a “gelateria artiginale” and ask for their “sorbetos”. I always make sure that there is no dairy or gluten in it before I choose. In these family run establishments, especially in Rome, they have the most fantastic selection of flavours. I have even found chocolate in one!

    Reply
  2. gracecheetham

    January 15, 2013 at 1:25 pm

    Hi Krysia, Thanks so much for the tip! I want to go back again, now, just to try some!! G

    Reply
  3. kimkat

    December 20, 2013 at 7:58 pm

    Thank you for your blog! Mimi and Coco was fabulous and so was the gelato at frigador nearby. Now we are looking for a gluten/dairy free restaurant near the vatican!

    Reply
  4. Joanna DiBiase

    April 27, 2014 at 7:55 pm

    Did you have any luck finding a Gluten/Dairy free restauant neard the Vatican? We are planning a trip to Rome in July and my daughter cannot eat dairy or gluten and so we would like to see what our options are.

    Thank you in advance.

    Reply
  5. gracecheetham

    April 29, 2014 at 9:36 am

    Hi Joanna and Kimkat, Hope all’s good with you. Glutenfreemrsd recommends a restaurant near the Vatican. I haven’t been as I only saw this after I’d been in Rome… http://www.glutenfreemrsd.com/2011/05/rome-have-yourself-gluten-free-pizza-action.html
    All best, Grace

    Reply
  6. Andrea Winn

    May 13, 2014 at 10:29 pm

    after reading your blog, we sought out Mimi and Coco. There are 3 of us traveling together, one gluten and dairy free. The staff had no idea what we were talking about and certainly did not care. Let’s make a note that we asked for a ‘celiac’s menu’ in both english and italian. I don’t want to disparage your experience, but we didn’t have the same one you did. we are super glad you had the best time and we will look to your blog for further suggestions!

    Reply
  7. gracecheetham

    May 21, 2014 at 5:26 pm

    Hi Andrea, I’m so sorry to hear of your experience. How incredibly disappointing. But I hope the blog (and try my website allergyfreecook.com) is helpful. All best, Grace

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Passionate about good food and allergy-free living, I've set up this blog in order to help people who, like me, found themselves stuck in a situation where they didn't know what to do, or how to cope. I've also written cookbooks which have been published in the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, as well as in Finland and Brazil.

Endorsements

Secondary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Gluten Free & Dairy Free Peach & Pistachio Tarte Tatin

    Gluten Free & Dairy Free Peach & Pistachio Tarte Tatin

  • Gluten Free & Dairy Free Beef Wellington

    Gluten Free & Dairy Free Beef Wellington

  • Gluten Free & Dairy Free Chocolate & Beetroot Cake

    Gluten Free & Dairy Free Chocolate & Beetroot Cake

  • Gluten Free & Dairy Free Lemon Tart

    Gluten Free & Dairy Free Lemon Tart

  • My new book is in the top 3 of The Independent’s Top 10 Best Gluten-Free Cookbooks!

    My new book is in the top 3 of The Independent’s Top 10 Best Gluten-Free Cookbooks!

  • My New Book, The Ultimate Gluten Free, Dairy Free Collection

    My New Book, The Ultimate Gluten Free, Dairy Free Collection

  • Easy Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup

    Easy Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup

  • Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Smoked Salmon Pate

    Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Smoked Salmon Pate

  • Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Detox Watercress & Sweet Potato Soup

    Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Detox Watercress & Sweet Potato Soup

  • Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Cherry Pie

    Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Cherry Pie

Footer

footer

  • Recipe Notes
  • Disclaimer
  • Credits
  • ‎
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Copyright © 2023 Grace Cheetham on the Foodie Pro Theme