Gluten Free French Eclairs – Helmut Newcake
Sans-gluten or gluten-free has not always been the easiest menu requirement to accommodate in Paris. As gluten intolerance gains visibility in everyday culture, it’s no surprise that gluten-free options are popping up all over, even here in Paris, the land of pastries.
NoGlu
The first of the two spots I’d like to share with you is Helmut Newcake. Helmut Newcake is Paris’s first 100% gluten-free pastry shop, located on the, ever so lovely, Rue Bichat right by the hip Canal Saint Martin. This cozy and relaxed tea parlor has more than just pastries; you can go for lunch, brunch, afternoon tea, or just to grab some food to go.
Helmut Newcake
I am head over heels for their lemon tarte and financiers, and I just love lingering over an afternoon snack and tea with friends surrounded by their mismatched teapots and beautiful glassware. Even on the grayest of days, the atmosphere feels so light.
Helmut Newcake
The second restaurant with a menu 100% sans-gluten is NoGlu, a one of a kind newbie tucked away in the Passage des Panoramas in the 10th. I popped in one day for a slice of carrot cake and I was pleasantly surprised to dig into what might very well be the best carrot cake I have ever had, and oh so moist! NoGlu is a gluten free epicerie, lunch and brunch spot, and tea-room by day, now offering a fixed dinner menu Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights (reservations recommended).
Helmut Newcake
The carrot cake was great, but NoGlu’s dinner menu blew my mind. There were a few choices for each course, all of which sounded divine. For the entree, I went with the masterful terrine de fois gras — a perfect pair with the gluten-free bread. The rôti de porc I ordered for the main was heavenly served with mashed potatoes and sautéed mushrooms.
NoGlu
By the time we got to dessert, I had a very hard time choosing between the caramelized apple crumble, the prune tarte, and the mousse au chocolate. I went with the caramelized apple crumble and, as with the rest of my meal, I was thoroughly impressed. I am anxious to go back to try more delicious items on their dinner menu and to give lunch and brunch a whirl.
Helmut Newcake
Both shops have an assortment of gluten free products for sale, from teas to cooking ingredients to savory and sweet snacks. If you’re gluten intolerant, no need to struggle with lengthy explanations made to skeptical waiters — everything in these shops is gluten-free!
Helmut Newcake
There are many restaurants that offer gluten free options, such as Fée Nature and Tugalik. You can read about some more gluten-free friendly places and how to do Paris if you’re gluten-intolerant in David Lebovitz’s Gluten Free Eating in Paris.
And remember, you don’t have to be gluten intolerant to indulge in gluten-free cuisine!
NoGlu
Helmut Newcake
36 Rue Bichat, 75010
+33 (0)9 82 59 00 39
Métro: Goncourt
NoGlu
16 passage des Panoramas, 75002
+33 (0)1 40 26 41 24
Métro: Richelieu-Drouot / Grands Boulevards
NoGlu
Related Links:
- David Lebovitz checks out Noglu and Helmut Newcake — and he’s a fan too!
- For more tips on gluten free dining in Paris, check out Gluten Free A Paris
- Prete Moi Paris shares her favorite patisserie for the lactose intolerant
Written by Meg Gagnard for the HiP Paris Blog. All photos by Dider Gauducheau. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, London, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.
WRITTEN BY
Meg Gagnard
Meg is a Denver native gone Parisian. She’s American at heart but has been thrown into, adapted to and has succeeded in blending into the Parisian lifestyle over the years. She’s a digital ad gal in this city of oh so many lights, filling up her free time wandering unknown paths and streets, riding her bike, taking pictures of lovely things and eating at lots of places. She loves vintage kitchenware, antique markets, clogs, romantic comedies, photobooths, and marzipan. For more snapshots, randomness and stories, check out her blog De quelle planète es-tu?
Great post. Thanks! There is also the book, The Gluten-Free Guide to France, which lists tons of restaurants where you can eat GF.
Great post! I guess this means I can finally move to Paris. Many thanks.
Thank you for posting this and please continue to feature information about eating gluten free in France. There are a lot of us out here looking for that information.
We were in Paris in June and went to Helmut Newcake. Sadly we arrived around lunchtime and they were sold out of all the good stuff, in fact they were almost cleaned out of pastries 🙁
Thank you! I too have friends that are allergic to gluten who just moved to Paris. Will forward this to them. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
THANK YOU! I have been looking forward to my first trip to Paris but am quite nervous about being able to eat gluten free. The recommendations are so much appreciated.
THANK YOU! I am gluten-free and I was beginning to think I would never be able to go to Paris again since pretty much everything there I would want to eat but can’t. Thank you for showing me some options 🙂
YAY! I’ve been searching for gluten-free bakeries and restaurants in Paris for such a long time. Especially since I have a good friend who is allergic to gluten but loves to visit me in Paris all the time. It’s such a shame she can’t eat half of the things I’d love to show her, but now she can at least have some pleasurable meals and pastries at these places! 🙂
Milsters
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