Well, what’s the catch? They do have salads but the mainstay of the sandwich menu is meat with a bit of dairy thrown in. The best vegetarian options (the vegie burger and the vegie sandwich) are not gluten free and/or dairy free. But it’s a great place to go if you feel like the Spanish equivalent of a steak sandwich, as I did. The grilled pork loin with roast vegetables (onions and green peppers) was delicious and although the bread contains egg, it is spot on. Most of the sauces are gluten-free too.

Carnivores can sample everything from Catalan butifarra to Basque chistorra to cured ham and cheese lovers can enjoy blue cheese or Manchego. The sandwiches cost around 4 euros with a supplement of 75c for gluten-free bread.

One of the most popular local beer brands has brought out a gluten-free beer. I didn’t see it on offer at Conesa but it might be worth asking for “cerveza sin gluten” just to check.

The restaurant area is small, with standing room only at times, so you might be better off going diagonally across the square and out the other side to a row of benches, if you don’t mind a bit of sun. Remember to keep a close eye on your belongings. 

Conesa now have another restaurant near Plaza España, which is another popular tourist destination and also handy to Montjuic. Check out the website www.conesaentrepans.com for more details, as well as other restaurant options in Barcelona and Spain on the Catalan Celiac Association web site www.celiacscatalunya.org

And have a great trip!

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars