What to eat in Tirana

Eating in Tirana follows the hour: byrek from a bakery in the morning, something from the oven at lunch, qofte and raki after dark. A visitor who sits down to the same meal three times misses the point of the city, and the dishes below make it easy to vary.

Byrek is a pie of thin pastry with a filling of meat, cheese or spinach, and it counts as one of the national dishes. At a bakery it costs €0.90–1.65. The smell of baked pastry gives the shop away before the sign does, and the slice is handed over warm in paper, which makes it the easiest breakfast to eat while walking. Byrek Special "Luani" on Bardhok Biba street makes all three fillings, so one stop settles the argument over which to choose.

Lakror is the flatter relative, with a thinner dough than byrek, and it is baked under a metal lid on embers. Lakror'Ane in Pazari i Ri makes it with spinach and gjizë, and it is the natural second breakfast after a walk through the market.

Fërgesë is made of peppers, tomatoes, onion and gjizë, and the version with liver is considered the more traditional one in Tirana. Order the liver version once, since it is the one the city claims as its own. Oda Garden on Rruga Shenasi Dishnica serves it, together with peppers stuffed with gjizë.

Tavë kosi and qofte

Tavë kosi is lamb and rice baked under a layer of yoghurt, a dish heavy enough to turn lunch into the main event of the afternoon. The plate comes to the table hot from the oven, so wait a minute before the first forkful. The price of a plate: €6.60–9.90. Piceri Era in Blloku, on Rruga Ismail Qemali, bakes tavë Elbasani and pizza as well, so a table of mixed tastes can agree on one address.

Qofte are fried meatballs, and they are sold in a qofteri together with beer, which makes them the evening dish. A qofteri is a casual place, so the order is quick, and the beer arrives with the plate. Count on €5.50–8.80. Smaller places and stalls take only cash, while the larger restaurants take cards, so keep some lek in a pocket. Cards: cards in cities, cash at stalls.

Raki

Raki is the national drink, distilled from grapes, plums or blackberries. A small glass suits the end of a meal, and a second one suits only the walk back to Blloku. A full day of eating can start with byrek, move to fërgesë at lunch and end with qofte and a glass of raki, which covers the whole menu of the city in one round. Tipping: 5–10% for good service.

Where to sit down in the evening

Menus change, so treat the six places below as a starting point. Tradita Shqiptare on Bulevardi Gjergj Fishta is the one for a table of dishes passed around over a long evening, and Shije Fshati on Rruga e Dibrës is the one for paçe koke. Anyone staying in the centre can reach the other four on foot. Typical price: €8–13 (main course, ordinary restaurant). Tradita Shqiptare lists moussaka, japrak and fli, while Shije Fshati adds a byrek with two layers of pastry and kukurec.

Menus change.

BudgetWhat a byrek, a plate of tavë kosi and a night of qofte add up to over three days.What Tirana costs →

3 daysWhere each meal falls in a three-day walk through the centre.Tirana in 3 days →

Where to stayWhich district puts the bakeries and the bars nearest to your bed.Where to stay in Tirana →

Getting aroundHow to reach Blloku, Pazari i Ri and the terminals without a taxi.Getting around Tirana →

When to goWhich months suit a terrace dinner and which a table indoors.The best time to visit Tirana →

Day tripsWhat to eat on the road to Krujë, Durrës and Berat.Day trips from Tirana →

MistakesThe food and money mistakes that cost the most in Tirana.Mistakes everyone makes in Tirana →

Hidden gemsThe market and the park that sit just outside the main walk.Tirana beyond the main sights: the Pyramid, Postbllok and Pazari i Ri →