The aperitivo is the social ritual par excellence. Shame that, for anyone with coeliac disease, what with the beers, the sauces and the baskets of breadsticks, it can turn into a bit of a minefield. Let’s look at where the gluten really hides — and where, in Milan, you can order with your eyes closed.
Aperitivo is sacred
In Milan the aperitivo isn’t a meal: it’s an institution. It’s the moment when you meet up, talk through your day, reach out toward the same bowl of nibbles. And it’s right there, in that shared bowl, that the intelligence work begins for a coeliac.
The lovely thing is that a gluten-free aperitivo — a good one, a real one, anxiety-free — is absolutely possible. You just need to know where to look. Because at the aperitivo, gluten rarely turns up where you expect it.
Beer: suspect number one
Let’s start with the obvious. Classic beer is made with barley (and often wheat): it contains gluten, full stop. The good news is that gluten-free beers exist and are increasingly widespread — those made from naturally gluten-free grains (rice, maize, sorghum) or the “de-glutenated” versions. The bad news is that “craft” doesn’t mean “safe”: a microbrewery beer can be extremely gluten-heavy. You always ask.
Cocktails and spirits: good news, with an asterisk
Here comes the pleasant surprise: pure spirits — gin, vodka, rum, tequila, whisky — are generally considered safe, because distillation removes the gluten proteins even when you start from grains. Even a properly made spritz (bitter, wine or prosecco and soda) usually isn’t a problem.
The asterisk, though, matters. The trouble often comes from ingredients added afterwards: some barley-malt-based liqueurs and amari, flavoured syrups and ready-made mixers, certain “instant” preparations. And then there’s everything around the drink: the little biscuit or breadstick tucked into the glass, the very shaker or strainer used a moment earlier for a drink with gluten-containing ingredients, the “decorated” rim of the glass. The liquid is almost always innocent: it’s what surrounds it that betrays you. When in doubt, the AIC directory is your best friend.
Sauces: the silent enemy
The most insidious of all is soy sauce: it contains wheat, unless it’s certified gluten-free tamari. Which means seasoned edamame, “Asian-style” bites and little bowls of dips should all be treated with suspicion. Watch out too for sauces and creams thickened with flour, for some pink or cocktail sauces of the industrial kind, for the béchamel hidden inside pastries. Hummus and guacamole are usually safe — but the nachos sitting next to them often aren’t.
Savoury snacks, fried food and buffets: this is where the game is played
This is the real minefield. Taralli, breadsticks, crackers, mini pizzas, little focaccias, olive all’ascolana, anything fried in batter: the classic apericena is, by definition, a table laid with gluten.
And then there’s the problem of all problems: contamination. The shared buffet is the coeliac’s worst enemy. The tongs that go from the breadsticks to the olives, the bowls everyone digs into with their hands, the same fryer used for the batter and for the chips, the single shared cutting board. Even where a dish “in itself” would be safe, it takes only an instant for it to stop being so. That’s why, at the aperitivo, the golden rule isn’t just what you eat, but how it’s served to you.
How to have a stress-free aperitivo: 4 rules
- Ask, without embarrassment. You’re the one paying the bill, not your anxiety. A well-trained bartender won’t take offence: they’ll come prepared.
- Be wary of the shared buffet. Better a plate served at your table than the bowl half of Milan has been digging into.
- Go for the right venues. A 100% gluten-free spot, or one in the AIC network, takes 90% of the worry off your plate.
- Use the community. With the Gluto app you’ll find safe venues near you, with the Glutoscore and the feedback of people who’ve already been there.
Three addresses in Milan for a worry-free gluten-free aperitivo
Three areas, three different souls, one single certainty: here you can raise your glass without X-raying the ingredients.
ISOLA
Mantra — Via Jacopo dal Verme 16
A 100% gluten-free (and vegan) oasis in the heart of Isola: tapas, beautifully made drinks and a proper aperitivo deal with a drink and an appetiser. Here you can finally dip into the bowl of nachos with a light heart.
Glutoscore 4.8
PORTA VENEZIA
Caciara — Via Alessandro Tadino 5
Genuine Italian cooking, part of the AIC network, with textbook fried dishes (courgette flowers and potatoes leading the way) and cocktails they’ve got down — gluten-free side included. There’s often live music too: the aperitivo that slides straight into the night.
Glutoscore 4.8
DARSENA
Tigella’s Navigli — Viale Gabriele D’Annunzio 7/9
For those who like their aperitivo hearty: gluten-free tigelle and gnocco fritto, safe sauces and boards of cured meats and cheeses, in full Modenese spirit.
Glutoscore 5.0
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