My Favorite Gluten-Free Food in the West Village

Exploring the best New York City neighborhood for celiac-safe eats

The West Village has always been my favorite neighborhood in New York City. I love wandering down the cobblestone streets and exploring the cute shops. It’s also a great spot for celebrity sightings. (Any guesses for who I’ve run into here?)

After being diagnosed with celiac disease a few years ago, I also realized the West Village is full of delicious gluten-free eats. In fact, I think it’s the best neighborhood to visit in New York City if you have celiac disease.

So, when my friend Alla (follow her on Instagram and her website) asked if I would take her to my favorite gluten-free eateries in New York City this spring, I knew the West Village would be the perfect place to spend the day. Ahead, I’m recapping exactly where and what we ate on our recent gluten-free food tour in New York City.

Note: I received free food from some of these businesses in exchange for this post, but all opinions are my own—and I regularly buy items from all of the below establishments.

The best gluten-free food in the West Village

1. Modern Bread & Bagel

The first stop on our whirlwind gluten-free eating tour had to be Modern Bread & Bagel. They make the best gluten-free bagels, hands-down—and I go to the Chelsea location so frequently, I’m on a first-name basis with the staff.

The bagels are so good here, I’ve had friends tell me they can’t believe they’re gluten-free. Alla and I enjoyed the following deliciousness at Modern Bread & Bagel:

• Pastrami-crusted lox and chive cream cheese on an everything bagel

• Latke tots

• Chocolate babka

• Crème brûlée donut (March special)

• Halva hamantaschen (March special)

• Blueberry hamantaschen (March special)

Modern Bread & Bagel: 139 W 14th St

Don’t live nearby? They also ship their gluten-free items nationwide. Place an order here.

2. Posh Pop Bakeshop

Next up on our list? Posh Pop Bakeshop, of course. It’s one of the most well-known gluten-free bakeries and the very first one I visited after my celiac diagnosis.

The baked goods and pink decor are over-the-top in the best way—this is where you go when you have a serious sugar craving because everything is super-sweet. Here’s what Alla and I tried:

• Churro fried Oreos (only available on weekends)

• Boston creme cheesecake

• Fluffernutter brownie

Posh Pop Bakeshop: 192 Bleecker St

They also ship their gluten-free items nationwide. Place an order here.

3. Postcard Bakery

From the owners of Nami Nori (a dedicated gluten-free sushi restaurant) comes Postcard Bakery right next door. This 100% gluten-free Japanese bakery has quickly become one of my favorite places to visit in the West Village when I need a quick bite to eat, so I wanted to make sure Alla got a chance to check it out.

With so many spots to hit in one day, we didn’t get any food here this time, but Alla did order a strawberry matcha with boba as an afternoon pick-me-up. My all-time favorites on the menu are the chicken katsu sandwich and matcha mochi donuts.

Postcard Bakery: 31 Carmine St

4. Senza Gluten by Jemiko Café & Bakery

You can’t go to the West Village without checking out this iconic Italian gluten-free bakery and café. I’ve stopped in to pick up bread and dessert a few times, but I never actually had a sit-down meal here until I went with Alla.

Chef Jemiko hails from Tbilisi, Georgia, so I was particularly excited about trying his gluten-free Georgian cheese bread. I’ve never had Georgian food before (let alone found gluten-free Georgian food), so this was a real treat!

Here’s what Alla and I shared during our gluten-free brunch:

• Georgian cheese bread

• Mushroom truffle ravioli

• Almond orange bread

• Red velvet cake

• Tiramisu

• Bomboloni alla creme

• Bomboloni alla nutella

Senza Gluten by Jemiko Café & Bakery: 171 Sullivan St

5. Sushi Counter

When I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I was surprised to learn soy sauce had gluten in it. Sushi was always one of my favorite foods to eat, but it’s become a lot more challenging to find celiac-safe options since most menu items contain soy sauce.

Enter Sushi Counter, a 100% gluten-free fast casual joint offering Aussie-style hand rolls to go. Here’s what I ordered on my most recent visit:

• Salmon roll

• Spicy tuna roll

• Shrimp tempura roll

• Miso eggplant roll

• Yuzu lemonade

Sushi Counter: 119 Christopher St

There are many more gluten-free spots worth checking out in the West Village—but there’s only so much food the two of us could eat in one day. Interested in a Part 2 featuring the rest of my favorite gluten-free finds in the West Village? Want me to do guides to other neighborhoods in Manhattan, Queens, and/or Brooklyn? Let me know in the comments. And make sure to share your favorite gluten-free restaurants and bakeries in NYC too!