The dishes you must try
Tavë kosi — lamb baked with yoghurt and egg, a national institution. Fërgesë — peppers, tomatoes and cottage cheese in a clay pot. Byrek — flaky pastry filled with spinach and cheese or minced meat. Qofte — charcoal-grilled minced meat fingers, eaten standing up on the street.
Seafood on the coast
The Ionian Riviera has genuinely excellent seafood — sea bream, sea bass, octopus, mussels from the Butrint lagoon. Ksamil's Te Stefani is the reference for a local fish taverna; Sarandë's Soul for something more refined.
Mountain food
The Albanian Alps produce outstanding dairy — sheep's milk cheese, yoghurt so thick you eat it with a spoon. A long farm-table lunch at Mrizi i Zanave near Lezhë is one of the country's essential eating experiences.
What to drink
Raki (grape or mulberry) is offered at every welcome and most meals — it is rude to refuse the first glass. Birra Korça is the local beer. Albanian wine, especially white from the Berat valley, is underrated. Espresso is €1 everywhere.
From the road
Practical tips
- → Eat where you see locals eating — the price difference is minimal, the quality gap is large.
- → Portions are Albanian-sized (large). Order one fewer dish than you think you need.
- → Tipping 10% is appreciated but not obligatory.
