Does paella contain shellfish?

Seafood paella contains crustaceans and molluscs. Valencian paella traditionally uses chicken and rabbit, but check the stock.

Does aioli contain egg?

Most aioli served in restaurants is made with egg, though traditional allioli can be just garlic and oil.

Does romesco contain nuts?

Yes. Romesco is usually made with almonds and/or hazelnuts, and often bread.

Do croquetas contain gluten?

Yes. They are made with a flour-based béchamel and coated in breadcrumbs, and contain milk and usually egg.

Does gazpacho contain gluten?

Traditional gazpacho contains bread, so it usually contains gluten. Some restaurants make it without bread.

Is jamón safe for allergies?

Plain cured ham usually contains none of the 14 allergens, but some cured meats contain milk, sulphites or other additives. Check the label.

Does pan con tomate contain allergens?

It contains wheat bread. The tomato, oil and garlic topping usually contains no other main allergens.

Are patatas bravas gluten-free?

The potatoes may be, but some brava sauces are thickened with flour and they may share fryer oil.

Does sangria contain allergens?

Sangria contains wine (sulphites) and sometimes other spirits or liqueurs. Fruit garnishes are not EU allergens.

Spanish Food Allergens: where allergens hide and how to order safely

By the Menulta editorial team · Facts checked 15 October 2026 · Updated 15 October 2026

The short answer

Spanish food commonly contains crustaceans and molluscs (paella, gambas, calamares, pulpo), fish (boquerones, bacalao), egg (tortilla española, aioli, croquetas), milk (manchego, croquetas), gluten (bread, croquetas, battered fried foods), nuts (almonds and hazelnuts in romesco, picada and turrón) and sulphites (sherry and wine in sauces, cured meats).

Allergens in Spanish cooking

Tapas culture means many small dishes shared across a table, often from a counter where they sit side by side. Fried items such as croquetas, calamares and pescaíto frito share fryers. Sauces like aioli, romesco and salsa brava bring egg, nuts and sometimes milk.

Paella and seafood rice dishes combine crustaceans, molluscs and a seafood or chicken stock, which may contain celery.

Common Spanish dishes and their usual allergens

Recipes vary between kitchens, so treat this as a guide to where to look, not a substitute for each restaurant's own allergen record.

Typical allergens in common Spanish dishes
Dish	Usual allergens	Watch for
Paella de marisco	Crustaceans, molluscs, fish, celery	Seafood stock
Tortilla española	Egg	Sometimes milk
Croquetas	Gluten, milk, egg	Béchamel, breadcrumbs; ham, fish or seafood fillings
Patatas bravas	Sometimes egg, gluten	Aioli; some brava sauces thickened with flour
Calamares fritos	Molluscs, gluten	Batter; shared fryer
Gambas al ajillo	Crustaceans	Bread for dipping
Romesco, picada	Nuts, gluten, sulphites	Almonds, hazelnuts, bread, vinegar
Jamón, chorizo	Sometimes milk, sulphites	Check cured meat labels
Turrón, crema catalana	Nuts, egg, milk	Almonds, custard

Spanish allergen hot spots

Tapas counters, shared fryers and almond-based sauces cause most problems.

Tapas displayed side by side on a counter.
Croquetas, calamares and fried fish sharing oil.
Almonds in sauces (romesco, picada) and desserts.
Sherry and wine in sauces adding sulphites.

Saying it in Spanish

These phrases help in Spain:

'Soy alérgico / alérgica a …' – I am allergic to…
gluten, leche (milk), huevo (egg), frutos secos (nuts), cacahuetes (peanuts)
pescado (fish), marisco (shellfish), crustáceos (crustaceans), moluscos (molluscs)
apio (celery), mostaza (mustard), sésamo (sesame), soja (soy), sulfitos (sulphites), altramuces (lupin)
'Sin gluten' – gluten-free; 'celíaco/celíaca' – coeliac

Allergens on Spanish menus

Spanish restaurants generally provide allergen information for the 14 allergens, often as a separate allergen chart (carta de alérgenos) or icons on the menu. Ask for it if it is not on the table. Spain also has a strong coeliac association, and many restaurants are familiar with 'sin gluten' requests, although shared fryers for croquetas, calamares and churros remain a common problem.

Desserts and pastries

Spanish sweets are almond-heavy. Turrón (nougat), marzipan from Toledo, tarta de Santiago (almond cake) and polvorones (crumbly shortbread often made with almonds) all contain nuts. Crema catalana and flan contain egg and milk. Churros are fried dough, usually served with thick chocolate that contains milk.

For the kitchen

List sauces and stocks as components, name the nut in sauces and desserts, mark fried items with the fryer's shared allergens and keep allergy tapas away from the counter display.

Many Spanish restaurants display tapas on the bar counter where they sit uncovered and close together, and guests point to choose. For allergy orders, serve tapas freshly plated from the kitchen, not from the counter display. Keep croquetas, fried fish and calamares fryers separate from potatoes where possible.

For guests with allergies

Ask what is in each sauce, whether fried items share oil, which seafood is in paella and whether the stock contains shellfish. Order tapas freshly plated from the kitchen rather than from the counter if you have a severe allergy.

Ask for the restaurant's allergen chart; Spanish restaurants usually have one.

If you have coeliac disease, look for restaurants that show the Spanish coeliac association's accreditation or say they have a separate fryer, and ask how gluten-free bread is stored and toasted.

Sources

This guide is general information, not medical or legal advice. Guests with an allergy should follow their doctor's advice. Operators should confirm their own setup with their food safety adviser or local authority.