Le Gourmand NYC

Both my husband and daughter have celiac disease and are EXTREMELY sensitive to gluten. We have been regular customers at Le Gourmand NYC since it opened and my husband and my daughter have NEVER had any issues whatsoever after eating any of Le Gourmand's products. Their baked goods are terrific, and the staff is welcoming and very knowledgable. They have a gluten-free kitchen, and we have complete confidence in their preparation of GF foods.

Is ALL the food in this establishment gluten-free?

— Yes, the establishment is dedicated gluten-free

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free

I have found their food to be very tasty and reasonably priced compared to most other Gluten Free establishments. The staff is also very kind and considerate. I truly believe the owner to be virtuous, doing his best to produce quality gluten free foods. That being said I am concerned to see that some one with celiac has had a reaction to eating here. I myself have severe celiac disease and have luckily not as of yet suffered a glutening from eating here. In order for them to receive a 5 star rating from me, (which I'm willing to ammend this review to reflect), I would like them to address the aforementioned incident with some re-assurance as to the celiac awareness, care, and practices the staff and cooks have employed in order to ensure that future customers never again suffer the same fate. Let us know all the ingredients you use so that they may be better vetted by veteran celiac disease clientele; those that are aware of products that proport to be gluten free, when in reality are produced in a facility that processes wheat, barley, or rye products. Also, is the machinery that is being used to cook the food brand new? Or has it been purchased used? Even a small quantity of residual gluten in an oven, stovetop, toaster, mixer, prep counter, etc. can cause severe damage to someone with a high gluten sensitivity. We are talking about parts per million; less than a crumb! Please take this as guidance and not as a scathing review. I would like for you to be successfull! There needs to be more affordable celiac friendly establishments in New York, and I believe you can get there. That being said, if even one more customer reports to have been glutened here, I will consider that a great tragedy and a nail in the coffin for my patronage of your business. It is incredibly damaging to those of us with the disease to be glutened and can lead to hospital visits with immense pain and a long recovery period. I wish you all the best, and hope that you can address these concerns and alleviate the fears of any future clientele.

Celiac friendly?

No

Tasty, Until my Daughter Was Glutened

We have bought food at Le Gourmand a number of times and it has been delicious. But for Celiacs seems like a game of Russian roulette - great until you are glutened. This past Saturday we bought one of the dairy free stuffed pizzas and an apple pie slice. Exactly 3 hours after eating it (and that was all she’d eaten) she was violently ill as happens when she’s glutened. Highly disappointed this bakery holds themselves out as gluten free/celiac safe when they clearly missed a step somewhere. We will not be going back.

Celiac friendly?

No

Great staff and the best pizza crust I've found yet! I couldn't even tell that is wasn't gluten free.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I love this little bakery! Their scones and muffins are my absolute favorites. Everybody who works here is so nice and friendly. Their food is absolutely delicious and I've never had a reaction to anything I've eaten here. Highly recommend!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

What a great, gluten free find! I tried the blueberry muffin, banana bread and turmeric pizza. Wow. Everything was incredible. The owner, Mounir, and his staff were friendly and offered me samples of things when I couldn't make up my mind! Looking forward to going back many times and trying literally everything on the menu! Amazing place.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I have Celiac disease and was thrilled to find this great gluten free bakery with awesome scones, pizza and cakes!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Very good food however I’ve gotten sick each time I’ve been here. Until this last time I didn’t realize this place made me sick. I’m not a very sensitive celiac, I can’t even remember the last time I got seriously glutened but today I threw up about an hour after having their pizza. The only other thing I had today was food I made in my own 100% gluten free kitchen so it has to a the pizza. Every other time, I’ve felt sick or nauseous but I didn’t think to attribute it to this place since it claims it’s 100% gluten free. Upon getting sick I checked the ratings here and seeing other people have gotten sick shows it’s not a one off but maybe a problem that’s not safe for celiacs. I won’t be coming back.

Celiac friendly?

No

This is definitely a “go-to” on the upper west side! A great variety of both sweet and savory options. The chocolate cake is unreal. Small operation of friendly and accommodating staff :)

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I have eaten here twice now and the food was delicious and I did not sick (I have celiac disease). The first time I tried their lasagna, and the second time I had their pizza. I found both really tasty and thankfully I didn't have any ill effects.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Le Gourmand is fast becoming an Upper West Side treasure! And it's no wonder, this place is fantastic!! What used to be a hole-in-the-wall has been transformed into a vibrant and creative space for delicious healthy food and great community. One of the best things about Le Gourmand is their commitment to innovation. Every day some new beautiful, delicious Gluten-free treat appears: breads, cookies, muffins, scones, pies, cakes, pizzas, tarts, quiches, pastries, you name it! Hands down they have the best looking and tasting Gluten-free croissant out there. Thank you to the owner and staff for working so hard to bring old favorites and new delights to the Gluten-free market and for creating this neighborhood hub of yumminess. I'm sure with your upcoming Gluten-free certification any questions about quality and transparency will be settled. Looking forward to what's next!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I am so happy this little gluten free bakery on the UWS opened a few months ago! I get all my baked goods from here (the croissant - HOW do they make it that fluffy?!) and the pizza is to die for. The owner is super friendly and it’s just such a strong addition to the neighborhood. If you’re looking for pastries or pizza that is celiac friendly this is the place to be!

Celiac friendly?

Yes

We absolutely love Le Gourmand and there food is great! They have so many fabulous celiac safe options that are hard to find on the upper west side.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

Wow! I don't even know where to start. This place is just amazing! I live in Palm Springs and stayed in NYC for couple of days. I went to Le Gourmand and was amazed about everything in the bakery. First, I came in and heard someone singing in the kitchen and the guy behind the counter told me it was the owner. I had different samples and everything I tasted was so good, the multi-grain bread, banana cake and the lemon cake are just incredible. I had  to ask if this is really Gluten Free cause it didn't taste like anything I had before. I wish Le Gourmand could open in Palm Springs. I am not vegan but I also tasted the Vegan Chocolate Cake and it was out of this world! The owner came out and said hi and you can see that he is really passionate about what he does. I just wanna say thank you. You don't get to see a lot of places like this anymore.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

I'm giving 3 stars because as some of the other reviewers noted, I too received contradictory information about the ingredients. The owner told me over email they dont use oat flour (which I can't have) but when I went in they gave me a taste of quiche and then told me it had oat flour in it. I miraculously didn't get sick but I can't take chances. I did purchase a slice of pizza and it was delicious (!!!) but I'm afraid to go back given how many people have become sickened. Their equipment may be contaminated if they did not switch out the ovens etc from the previous bakery. It's too bad- I was happy to have another gf option in the neighborhood.

Celiac friendly?

No

I’ve had the bread and I’ve also sampled the ginger cake and the scones. The bread is absolutely delicious. My favorite is the one with chia and all the seeds on top. My only complaint is that they told me the scones DID NOT have rice flour. The second time I went back they told me they in fact had rice flour (after I had given a scone to my friend who is allergic to rice). I have to cut back on giving 5 stars of their lack on knowledge about what ingredients are in their food.

I know there are some reviews that suggest that the bakery is not safe for celiacs but I just wanted to add that I nima tested a scone and bread yesterday and they came back with smily faces - no gluten detected. Would love to know if anyone else has used the sensor and how that’s gone. The bread is very very good!

I got violently ill from a chocolate loaf I ate. I mistakenly thought it was from my soup lunch and called that restaurant. They confirmed no gluten. I couldn’t believe a gf bakery would make me sick. I’m not a super sensitive celiac so there must be significant gluten in the food.

Celiac friendly?

No

Was waiting so long for this beautiful little bakery to open! When it finally did, we met the really friendly owner and sampled some of the delicious goodies they had. Since then, we’ve been back a couple of times to sample different things. Their pizza was delicious and chocolate cake super moist. Unfortunately our last visit is why I’m not giving them 5 stars. My last visit I got a mini quiche for my son, which looked great. He really enjoyed it, but a couple hours later, started feeling sick and threw it all up. He only has reactions like that when he’s been “glutened”. No other explanation for it from other things he had eaten that day. So, celiacs beware. Even though they claim it is 100% gluten free, I would be very cautious eating here. So disappointed, but we will definitely steer clear.

Celiac friendly?

No

When asked basic questions on equipment and cross contact the owner gives contradictory responses to different people. He claims they’ve never had a complaint, though someone told me she spoke with him about a loved one getting sick there. They posted on Instagram about using a hemp seed product from a company called Wheat Montana. I contacted Wheat Montana because I was concerned, and they confirmed that the product is NOT labeled gluten free, it’s packaged on the same equipment as wheat, and their specifications sheet says “allergens: wheat.” The owner will not respond to my questions about their use of that product. He did respond to a friend of mine and said that he made a mistake, claiming the item was gluten free but manufactured in a facility that processes wheat. This makes me concerned about how they are sourcing their other ingredients and makes me wonder if they understand gluten free labeling laws. Unfortunately, based on all of this I personally cannot trust that the owner is being truthful in messages he sends potential customers, and I cannot trust a bakery that will not do basic research to confirm if their ingredients are gluten free.

Celiac friendly?

No

Not safe for celiac at all. Owner is not transparent and won't answer questions about products he uses in the bakery.

Celiac friendly?

No

All the items I purchased from here made me sick. I will not return.

Celiac friendly?

No

This little gluten free bakery just opened and is wonderful! We've only had muffins (apple and chocolate chip) and the Mediterranean bread so far but all was delicious. Was told they plan on eventually serving sandwiches, gf pizza, and soup in addition to the baked goods. Definitely going back!

Celiac friendly?

Yes