14 Best Restaurants in Tirana, Albania That Locals Love

Padam, part of the Padam Boutique Hotel & Restaurant, is the most elegant restaurant in Tirana. It is located inside an old villa from the 1930s, near the Pyramid, and within five minutes from the Blloku district, and offers a high-class culinary experience. The chef, Fundim Gjepali, who is also the chef of one of the most famous restaurants in Rome, creates culinary masterpieces with the freshest seasonal ingredients. The menu has a great variety of wines, from all over the world. We suggest you come early to sip a pre-dinner cocktail on the veranda before you dine.

One of the best places in town to eat meat is Serenata Korçare, located near the Engineering University, in the 21 district. Albanians love Korça, which is one of the most important towns of the country, famous for its culture and music, and people love to spend their night out eating the typical delicacies of the town. Serenata Korçare is famous for its mix of grilled meat, so order it with a Korça beer. We strongly suggest you book in advance because Serenata is often full.

Tirana offers many choices, and if you want to taste some Spanish delicacies, go head into Hola!, a restaurant located near the former house of Enver Hoxha. The Spanish owner of this beautiful place, a finalist on Masterchef Albania, creates delicious tapas and tasty paellas.

A la Santé is a small, hidden restaurant located in Blloku area. It’s not easy to find, but it’s worth the effort. The dishes are prepared with the freshest seasonal products and are delicious as well as healthy. Try the truffled quinoa, grilled salmon or avocado mango salad, and you will not regret it.

For a warm atmosphere and great food, go to Çoko Bistro Bar, a beautiful spot in the middle of Blloku district. One of the most elegant bistros in Tirana, it has a gorgeous interior and a lovely outdoor terrace, perfect for lunch on spring days. Enjoy the view while people-watching those on the street below. Whether you prefer desserts or would rather start your day with eggs and cheese, Çoko has plenty of yummy menu options. We strongly suggest trying the Eggs Benedict and a fresh orange juice, but the menu has a great selection of sophisticated plates, such as poached egg burger, beef tongue in miso sauce and French patés.

Mexican food lovers can’t miss the chance to try nachos and other Mexican specialties at Serendipity, a beautiful restaurant located in Blloku, the coolest area of Tirana. This place offers a lively atmosphere, delicious Mexican food and is decorated with nice elements of Mexican culture and art. There’s often live music too.

In front of Tirana’s artificial lake, one of the most beautiful spots in the town, lives Mullixhiu, the coolest restaurant of the Albanian capital city. Chef Bledar Kola, who worked at the world-famous Noma in Copenhagen, invites customers to try traditional Albanian tastes reinvented in a sophisticated and modern way: the result is an excellent mix of old and new. The ingredients are taken directly from Mrizi I Zanave, a gorgeous farmhouse-cum-restaurant located near the town of Lezhe, in the north of the country. Try the pomegranate juice, it’s delicious. Also, the wine list is outstanding, with wines from Albania’s most famous wineries, including Kantina Kallmeti.

If you want to taste authentic Albanian cuisine, there is only one place to go – Oda. This traditional restaurant, located near the beautiful Pazari I Ri market, has recently been renovated and is one of the last places in town where you can eat typical Albanian delicacies, such as fërgesë (cottage cheese with peppers), patëllxhanë te mbushur (eggplants cooked with spices), kukurec (lamb entrails) and more. The space is small and usually frequented by locals who come here to enjoy traditional flavours.

High-class and high-end, Gourmet offers its guests both outdoor and indoor seating choices and even a fireplace for the colder winter nights. With an open kitchen and an international menu based on the refinement its name suggests, Gourmet is the perfect location to try more sophisticated dishes such as goat cheese baked in cast iron with Italian Serrano ham and mango jam, tagliatelle with green asparagus, salmon and vodka sauce or yogurt mousse with lime and fresh fruit in mint syrup.

The Sky Club is the place to go for those who wish to enjoy the best panoramic view of Tirana and its rolling, mountainous surroundings. Located close to the center of the city, on the highest floor of Tirana’s Sky Tower, this scenic restaurant is one of the most popular in the Albanian capital. Besides its exclusive view of the city, Sky Club also offers a varied menu, with both international and local recipes at reasonable prices.

With an exotic garden filled with lemon trees and banana plants, and just a few minutes from the expansive Rinia Park, Vila 100 is a great location to relax, listen to good music and simply enjoy a cozy and intimate atmosphere. The menu is based on a fusion of styles and international influences, revolving around home-made pastas, such as the signature octopus penne, and grilled meats.

Piazza Piano Bar is not only one of the best restaurants in Tirana, but is also one of the first restaurants to be opened in the capital of Albania. Its central location, just a few steps from the National History Museum, makes it hard to miss and a stop here is a great choice for those who enjoy fish dishes, the specialty of the house. Moreover, Piazza Piano Bar offers a classy touch at reasonable prices, completing its menu with a list of the best local wines.

A trendy location for a young crowd, the Daily Bar is located right in the heart of Tirana and is one the most recent additions to the city’s buzzing nightlife scene. Its colorful architecture and fun atmosphere make it a memorable destination for all those who enjoy good service, sophisticated and exotic cocktails, as well as live music performances from local and international artists. The Daily Bar also hosts daily Happy Hour evenings.

As its name indicates, the Tea Room is a place dedicated to tea enthusiasts and connoisseurs, one of the very few of this type in Tirana. Nonetheless, the café/tea house is also a popular and lively local restaurant with a delicious menu and a consistent wine collection, including Italian specialty wines and mulled wine served with chestnuts in winter. The Tea Room is pleasingly inexpensive considering its excellent service and well-attended live music nights.

Discover more of Albania’s capital city with these bookable trips, tours and experiences in Tirana. Whet your appetite? Check out these food tours in Tirana too!