Food is something all of us savour on holidays and there is no exception when you are in Albania, what with the heady mix of Balkan, Turkish and European influences in the Albanian cuisine. Albanian food has all the fresh nutritional value of the Mediterranean region, famed for the best vegetables, herbs, olives, grapes, meat, fish, and lamb.

Albanian cuisine is diverse and delicious! You will find tantalising roast lamb dishes in the mountain regions, and the coastal regions such as Lonian and Adriatic, are famed for fresh fish dishes.

In our Tirana restaurant guide below you will find information about great places for eating out in Tirana, the perfect end to a day of shopping. Relax and experience the exotic food & cuisine in Albania.

Food & Cuisine in Tirana

Every part of the country has its own speciality. The cuisine of South and Central Albania mostly contains olive oil, herbs, lemon and vegetables, while Shkoder and Pogradec are famous for their carp casserole and alcoran casserole with walnuts. You will find delicious roast lamb dishes in the mountain regions, and the coastal regions, such as Lonian and Adriatic, are famed for the fresh fish dishes.

One great thing that you will find, irrespective of which part of Albania you are in, is the meat prepared on the skewer and all varieties of pies. For all health freaks the good news is that local vegetables are mostly organic - not by choice - but by default, as farmers are too poor to afford pesticides. Hence even a piece of simple Bruschetta can be quite heavenly!

Sweets & Desserts

If you have a sweet tooth try out the baklava, kadaif, hashure and the sheqerpare. Another very traditional Albanian dessert that is prepared in Elbasan for the Summer Day Celebrations (in March) is the ballokume. If you have been to countries in the Balkan region or in Asia Minor, you may find the desserts somewhat similar.

Tirana Vegetarian Cuisine

If you are strictly non-vegetarian then dishes such as offal, biftek (beef loin), qebaps (kebabs), veal escalopes, and qoftë (meat balls) are what you should concentrate on. Do not miss out the fërgesë tirane, which is made from offal, eggs and tomatoes and cooked in an earthenware pot. This is a traditional Tirana recipe and a must have. Also try out the mutton and yoghurt dish called tavë kosi. You might see Koran trout on the menu at times, but beware of ordering it as it is endangered.

For vegetarians, food choices are constrained to Italian restaurants and limited to Turkish style vegetable dishes such as roast peppers and aubergines. Though tasty, your choices for eating out in Tirana are limited.

Breakfast in Tirana

Breakfast Albanian style is often rice or a local favourite - paca - made from animal innards. Another option is the oily lamb soup available at road side restaurants in Tirana, which is the popular worker's breakfast. Hotel breakfasts will invariably be dry toast and packed jam, while cafes will not serve breakfast other than a stale croissant. All of these options may not be exactly your idea of a traditional Albanian breakfast, so look for a bakery or a byrek stand, or buy some fresh fruits. The byrek stands are good options. The byrek can be had with different fillings, such as spinach, cheese, tomato, meat, etc. layered within layers of filo pastry.

Albanian Wine

Albanian's are fond of their wine. So, when sitting down to a scrumptious meal in a Tirana restaurant be sure to grab a bottle to complement your food. Raki is something you should definitely have a shot at. Most Albanians enjoy some raki before their meals. Try the more common grape raki or the Mani raki made from mulberry. You can also go for the Rilindja wine; either the sweet, white Tokai or the medium, red Merlot. For the wine aficionados, the local wine called varietal Kallmet is a must. Try the Albanian variety, Skënderbeu Konjak, which is good and has been crowned the national aperitif, even though most bars will try to serve you the more expensive varieties of French cognac.

Tirana Nightlife

Nightlife in Tirana may not be as hot and happening as in the west. The cultural scene on the other hand is good, with operas and concerts being extremely popular.