What to eat in Albania: 12 essential dishes and where to order them

Albanian cuisine is the crossroads of four traditions that almost always blend on the same plate: Mediterranean (olive oil, garden vegetables, fish), Ottoman (grilled meats, cheeses, syrup-soaked sweets), northern Balkan (lamb, fermented dairy) and Venetian on the southern coast (rices, pasta, risottos). Under communism there was a standardisation toward state cuisine — collective restaurants, recipe-book cooking — and in the last fifteen years there’s been a fairly serious renaissance, with a generation of young chefs trained in Italy and Greece reinterpreting the traditional. These are the twelve dishes that define the trip, with context and where to find them done well.

The five essentials

1. Byrek. Savoury filo pastry filled with cheese, spinach, meat or pumpkin. The national breakfast and universal snack. Price: 100-200 LEK (1-2 €). Best at neighbourhood street bakeries, not tourist restaurants. In Tirana, try Byrek Destan (Murat Toptani street).

2. Tavë kosi. The national dish par excellence. Lamb stewed with rice and yogurt sauce, baked. Elbasan claims the origin (sometimes called tavë e Elbasanit). Heavy and very flavourful. Best at traditional restaurants in Berat, Gjirokastra, Tirana (Oda, Era).

3. Fërgesë. Stewed peppers and tomato with fresh sheep’s cheese (gjizë), sometimes with chopped liver. Very Albanian, no exact equivalent in the Balkans. Eaten with bread. Best at any Tirana or Berat taverna.

4. Qofte. Herb-grilled meatballs (very common in the north), served with raw onion and yogurt. Size varies by region: small in Korçë, elongated in Shkodra. Best at Oda (Tirana) or the Korçë tavernas.

5. Kukurec. Stuffed and roasted lamb intestines. Southern specialty, especially from Gjirokastra. Not for every palate. Best at Taverna Kuka in Gjirokastra.

From the sea and the coast

6. Peshk i pjekur. Whitefish grilled with lemon, garlic and olive oil. Ionian standard, excellent quality in Himara, Dhërmi, Sarandë. Price: 1,800-3,000 LEK per fish.

7. Koran në hell. Lake Shkodra carp skewer-grilled. Unique northern dish. Best at Shirokë and Zogaj restaurants, lakeside.

8. Midhje. Mussels from the Butrint lagoon, steamed or in risotto. Best at Sarandë and Ksamil restaurants that source from local producers.

The cheeses and meats

9. Djathë i bardhë. Fresh white sheep’s cheese, similar to Greek feta but somewhat milder. Served in salads, in byrek, with olive oil. The best come from the Korçë and Vorë mountains.

10. Mishë i pjekur. Wood-oven-roasted meat, typically lamb or beef, with potatoes and herbs. Domain of the northern mountains and Korçë. Best at Mrizi i Zanave (Fishtë, near Shkodra — a gastronomic destination in itself, one of Albania’s best restaurants).

Sweets

11. Baklava. Filo pastry with nuts and honey/syrup. The Albanian version is slightly less cloying than the Turkish. Korçë and Berat have specialised pastry shops.

12. Sheqerpare. Traditional syrup pastry, less known outside Albania. Eaten with Turkish coffee. Best at pastry shops in Berat and Gjirokastra’s historic bazaars.

What to drink

Raki. Grape (or plum, blackberry, fig) spirit. 40-50% alcohol. Served in small glasses after meals, and refusing the first is considered rude. Korça and Tirana are the local beers (a light Pilsner); Alpeta is the red wine from Berat. Kallmet and Vranac are the most interesting native grapes.

Restaurants worth a detour

• Mrizi i Zanave (Fishtë, between Shkodra and Lezhë). Slow food, valley lamb, own cheese. 3,000-5,000 LEK/person.
• Mullixhiu (Tirana). Reinterpreted cuisine, restored mill. 2,500-4,500 LEK/person.
• Antigoni (Berat). Views and excellent traditional cuisine. 1,500-2,200 LEK/person.

Far Guides’ complete Albania guide includes a map with 40+ recommended restaurants by city, local markets for buying produce and visitable wineries in the Berat and Pogradec areas.