When you think of French cuisine, what comes to mind? Baguettes, croissants, crepes, and whole host of other glutinous goodies, no doubt. I initially didn’t want to venture to the land of the the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, and impressionist art because I was so concerned about being able to find something to eat!
Well in 2026, eating gluten free or sans gluten in Paris is not only possible, it’s DELICIOUS! You can enjoy many of the same bready delicacies as locals if you know where to look. The gluten free scene and general awareness and respect for dietary restrictions is quite good. Google Maps, Find Me Gluten Free, and the modern connectivity of smartphones makes it easy to search gluten free treats on the go. The wonderful Paris Metro system makes traveling in and around the city a breeze. Also most Parisians and especially those in the service and tourism sector speak very good English. As a gluten free American, it was honestly very easy.
As you’re likely accustomed to, eating sans gluten can be a bit more expensive. While a regular butter crossiant can be 1-2€, a gluten free croissant from one the bakeries I’ll recommend can easily be 3€ to 8€. Adding gluten free pasta at a restaurant may add another 2-4€ depending on where you go. That’s always the tradeoff and, unfortunately, will be for a long time.
Having been to Paris a number of times in 2025 and 2026 now, and there’s so much good stuff that I’ll split this into a two part series. In this post, I’ll share some of my experiences finding gluten free pastries, and give some tips. In Part 2, I’ll share my favorite dining spots. Let’s dive in!
Copains
Walking around Paris, you cannot help but drool over the marvelous displays of wheaty wonders sprinkled literally on every street corner. Most don’t have sans gluten, but a few do. The absolute king of gluten free breads is Copains.
All of this is gluten free. It’s simply heaven. What makes Copains great is the variety and the availability. They have savory and sweet options. Sandwiches. Loaves. Desserts. You name it. There are more than 20 locations throughout the main 20 arrondissements of Paris. The best part: it’s some of the best gluten free bread I’ve had. The mini-baguette was a perfect snack on a train. The sandwiches were balanced and held together well. The pistachio croissant was layered, flaky, and not too dry. The galettes were fantastic. Since I was traveling for several weeks, I bought some butter and enjoyed it with the baguette for breakfast and while traveling. Make sure to pack a small knife to help cut the bread and spread the butter!
A few things I didn’t like: I wasn’t a fan of the loaves. I tried a very nutty and grainy loaf, and it just wasn’t my favorite. Also, I always felt a bit rushed by the workers. It could be the language barrier or the fact that it’s quite popular. Nonetheless, I found myself visiting and revisiting Copains time and time again whenever I had the chance to stock up.
Le Manufacture du Sans Gluten
Nestled in the fun and eclectic Montmarte area is Le Manufacture du Sans Gluten. It’s a terrific little shop just steps from the famous Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre, and it has some seriously great gluten free goodies. When I visited, it seemed to be run by just one really nice and dedicated owner. He was very helpful in helping choose different breads. It is a bit pricier. A chocolate croissant was ~8€. But oh my god was it delicious. It had all the layers of a regular croissant, and each layer was thin and flaked so nicely. It’s definitely worth a try.
Since I was traveling on trains for work, I also tried their loaves and was able to make my own mini sandwich. Even after a few days, the bread held up well and I really enjoyed the consistency. It was a bit hard, but the texture was quite good and didn’t just rip on you when squeezing together a sandwich. In fact, when I pressed the slices against some moist tomatoes, cheeses, and meats, the bread held up well. When ordering, make sure to ask the owner to help slice the loaves!
Carrefour
Okay one last unexpected addition is Carrefour, the ubiquitous convenience store/market. They have pre-packaged gluten free options which made my extended work stay a bit more pleasant. These aren’t as high quality as the Patisseries, but it’s convenient and a bit cheaper. I tried the gluten free loaf of bread and some gluten free croissants. They were… fine.
The bread was nothing special. It was very dry, and the consistency left something to be desired. When I tried to make a sandwich, the bread would just break. Not a good gluten free bread. But I was surprised that it was even available and seemingly quite ubiquitous. Oh well. Beggars can’t be choosers.
The croissants were also… fine. It was more like croissant roll shaped clumps of gluten free flour than a typical flaky butter croissant. It also burned quite easily. I tried to toast it but they blackened rather quickly compared to other gluten free breads. To their credit, the taste was there. It did taste like a butter croissant. But, like most gluten free versions of things, it’s the texture of wheat that is difficult to replicate. Again, the fact that a big chain store would carry these gluten free options at a reasonable price was already a win. Just don’t expect patiserrie quality goods!
All in all, I was very impressed by Paris’ gluten free scene, and I can’t wait to go back to try more options. Stay tuned for my next post when I’ll share my experience at restaurants around Paris that serve (or don’t serve) gluten free options.
Au revoir!
Leave a Reply