‘INTERNATIONAL COELIAC DISEASE AWARENESS DAY’ IS MAY 16th. EXCLUSIVE REPORT ON DINING AT ‘MIRACLE’ IN VALENCIA!

Nazir and Hiba, owners of the Miracle restaurant have an opinion: “There is no awareness of coeliacs”.The couple, originally from Syria, have been working for years to defend gluten-free cuisine in Valencia: “It’s very hard to tell a 4-year-old child that he can’t eat from his mother’s plate because he has coeliac disease”. Miracle, the restaurant they have been running since 2017, was the first to obtain the Acecova certification, which guarantees everything served is 100% gluten-free.

Valencia, 16 May 2025. The story of Nazir and Hiba deserves to be told. A couple of Syrian immigrants who, in 2013, decided to head to Valencia to open their own restaurant in May 2017. –‘Miracle’ presents itself, from 2020, as a 100% gluten-free restaurant. This has been recognised by different organisations with awards that certify its open cuisine for everyone, such as the one awarded by ACECOVA, the Association of Coeliacs of the Valencian Community. Furthermore, in 2021, it was recognised as the first gluten-free restaurant in Spain, according to the Celiacidad ranking. This same ranking has included Miracle in 2022, 2023 and 2024 in the national top-3.

On the occasion of the 16th of May, Coeliac Disease Day, the owners of Miracle explain, as they do every day from their kitchens, the complexity of elaborating a cuisine for everyone and that does not exclude anyone. Miracle is the meeting point for coeliacs, but also for vegetarians and vegans, as well as for people with any dietary diversity. Its awareness of the fact that these people can eat freely and in the company of their loved ones has made a difference in the city. Located in Calle Campoamor, 42, in Valencia, next to Plaza del Cedro, the restaurant is a good meeting point for students, but also for families, as well as for people determined to travel the world through its gastronomy. This is how Hiba Malek explains it to us.

First of all, what has been your story since you arrived in Valencia?

The moment we landed in 2013, we started learning the language and understanding the culture. We also continued our master’s studies. The truth is that we integrated into society by looking for our project and being entrepreneurs, until we finally opened Miracle in May 2017. It is now eight years ago.

Many will wonder why you decided to go for a 100% gluten-free restaurant, are you coeliac or do you have a family member who is?

Not really, no. But we have always tried to make sure that everyone enjoys the same dish. So that people with coeliac disease feel the same when eating with their friends or family and can enjoy it just as much as people without coeliac disease. And so that children with coeliac disease can nibble on their parents‘and siblings’ dishes. Or, for example, so that the coeliac’s friend, partner or family member does not feel punished, but can enjoy the gluten-free taste.

There are many restaurants with ‘gluten-free options’, but it is rarely explained what it really means to guarantee a safe experience.

People with coeliac condition are not coeliac by choice, but by obligation. Coeliac condition is a disease. This has to be internalised in order to understand that there is no margin and no cross-contamination or cross-contact. A person with coeliac condition cannot eat gluten, no matter how little, and this is a problem, because there is no awareness of the issue. In several restaurants the response of the staff is: ‘I have gluten-free dishes, but there may be a little gluten in them. It’s OK’. Miracle is a 100% gluten-free restaurant. There is no cross-contamination. Here you will find peace of mind and happiness.

What does it mean to be a truly gluten-free restaurant on a day-to-day basis? What is behind it that diners don’t always see?

The truth is that it requires a great deal of effort on everyone’s part. In order to guarantee the safety of our gluten-free dishes, we ask our suppliers for the technical data sheets of each raw material we use. Our team also has strict rules in place to avoid cross-contamination. To this end, we make sure that no food from outside the restaurant enters the restaurant that may contain gluten. In addition, every 6 months we carry out an analysis in an external laboratory endorsed by ACECOVA, where the assembled dish is evaluated to ensure the process of receiving the goods, preparation and service. And, of course, we do not charge extra for offering gluten-free dishes: we strive to keep prices affordable for everyone. And very important too: we have tasty homemade food.

How can public awareness of this issue be improved?

On the one hand, by raising awareness among the coeliac public, so that they know that they cannot ingest even a small amount of gluten. That’s why we have the Miracle blog. At the end of the day, having a 100% gluten-free restaurant means that you are addressing a niche market of only 1%, maintaining the high price of gluten-free raw materials (three times more expensive than raw materials with gluten), and not being able to reflect this increase in the final price of the dish. The coeliac public needs to understand this difference and the great effort behind our cuisine, with flavour and happiness.

Do you feel that there is enough information and awareness in the gastronomic sector about what coeliac disease really is? What still needs to be done?

There is no awareness and there is still a lot to do. ACECOVA does a lot of work and advises member restaurants, but non-member restaurants are not advised. In Miracle, we do an annual training for all the staff with ACECOVA to inform us about the latest news and to learn for the new workers.

A key point about Miracle is that it’s not only safe: it’s also tasty. How do you combine demand with enjoyment?

It is the combination of knowing what we want and where we are going, together with finding the right staff, who have both the skills and the attitude. Innovation and R&D is also relevant: we never stop trying new dishes and looking at how we can turn them into gluten-free dishes, as well as listening to our customers, who on several occasions become friends. We aim to seek happiness by sharing dishes: it is very hard to tell a 4-year-old child that he cannot eat from his mother’s plate or the dishes on the table because he has coeliac disease.

With this philosophy, Nazir and Hiba have been building their project for almost a decade, and have become a reference point for gluten-free cuisine in Valencia. ‘Miracle’ is a gift for everyone who visits it, especially for people with coeliac disease, who not only aspire to find a safe haven, but also a place to enjoy and share with their loved ones. This month, so relevant for people who cannot eat gluten, is a good moment to make a flag for food safety in restaurants that, like Miracle, make a daily effort for the benefit of the diner. Thank you also to the good people of the ‘Brava’ food agency for providing photos for this exclsuive article.

Report by 24/7 Valencia team

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’

MIRACLE

Carrer de Campoamor, 42

46022

Valencia

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