Discovering the World with D

Welcome back to my last post about Albania! Today, I’m going to give you all my best tips on where to have the best food and drink the best cocktails! As always, if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to contact me!

Tirana

Millennium Garden (cocktails): I passed by this place by pure chance. It’s a bar out in the open under some trees and all in all the decor is very green. It felt like a peaceful oasis in the middle of a bustling city. They had a big selection of interesting cocktails, so you can expect to taste something completely new. I had the ‘Roses of Garden’ and my boyfriend had the ‘Pueblo Magico’. They were both delicious and we paid 1500 lek (13,5€), which is probably the most we paid for 2 cocktails over the entire holiday. However, considering they were delicious and it’s in the centre of Tirana, there is no reason to complain. I give this place a solid 8.7/10.

Komitetti (cocktails): I wanted to have an aperitif before dinner, so I googled a bit and came across this bar. And let me tell you: it didn’t disappoint! The decor is really quirky and just looks like they put out whatever they could find. It’s more of a raki bar but they do specialise in cocktails made with raki. The server came up to us and only asked what flavours we wanted, that was it. So I can only tell you that I opted for the sweet cocktail and my boyfriend went for the sour cocktail. They were full of flavour and definitely something I have never tried before. We paid 1200 lek (10,8€). I loved it and rate it an 8.5/10.

Artigiano Vila (Italian): One of the reasons why I chose Kometiti for cocktails was because I had a reservation at Artigiano Vila (there are 2 different Artigianos in Tirana) which is close by. I read a lot of great reviews about it online. However, I have mixed feelings. On the hand, the food was delicious and reasonably priced for the amount of food that we ordered. We paid around 30€ for two starters, to mains and some water. On the hand, it felt a bit like the waiters preferred local people and everything took forever. Also it was a bit chaotic, as the pizza arrived before we had finished the starters and my pasta took forever (my boyfriend had almost finished his pizza before I was served). I would probably only rate this a 7/10.

Colonial Cocktail Academy (cocktails): This is another cocktail bar I found online, situated in the Blloku neighborhood. I actually met up here with some friends from Luxembourg, who were in Albania the same time I was. The list of drinks is by far one of the biggest ones I have ever seen. It’s a little confusing and takes a while to get through it. However, you will definitely come across lots of cocktails you have never tasted before. They cost around 700 lek (6,30€) per cocktail, which is quite reasonable. The inside if very cosy, with couches and dimmed lights. They also have quite a large terrace for you to enjoy in the summer. I give this place a 9.3/10, so don’t miss it.

Mullixhiu (local cuisine): This was by far one of the best meals I had. It was Albanian food but very high quality. It’s situated right next to the man made lake on the edge of one of Albania’s biggest parks. This is where I had Flija (stacked crepes stuffed with cream cheese and honey) for the first time and it was simply delicious. The service was a little slow, but it was understandable as there was only one guy for the whole restaurant. He also made sure to apologise multiple times and since I didn’t need to be anywhere, it didn’t matter. This was a 9.5/10 for me, and I suggest you reserve in advance if you want to be guaranteed a table.

Berat (and surrounding areas)

Friendly house (local cuisine): Our Luxembourgish friends suggested this place to us. It’s situated right in the old town of Berat with a nice terrace overlooking the town. I tried Byrek here for the first time (and now I’m slightly addicted). The waiter warned us that it would take a while, and it did. However, they were very busy and once it was our turn, he made sure to chat with us for a bit, which made us feel just as important as all the other customers there. The food was really tasty and quite cheap (1500 lek – 13,5€ for a starter, two mains and two bottles of water). I rate this place an 8.7/10.

Alpeta Winery (agriturismo): This is by a mile the most fun evening I had while in Albania. I booked a wine tasting and we joined a group of 6 people. First, the guide explained the process of harvesting the grapes and making the wine (and raki). Then we were all seated at the same table, which gave us the opportunity to talk an get to know each other. One by one, the guide brought out a bottle of wine – red, white and rosé – and in the end, he brought out3 types of raki. One of the owners came to join us and showed us how the locals traditionally drink raki. It was such a great night out and the whole experience only costed 15€ per person. Oh and before you make the same mistake I did: don’t book a table for dinner. The tasting went until about 11 pm and there was so much food served with it, I had to cancel my reservation for dinner. I would also suggest either booking a room there or hiring a taxi driver who will stay there and take you back when you’re ready. This is a solid 10/10!

Lili’s Homemade Food (local cuisine): If you have started your research, you will have definitely come across this restaurant. Lili is the star of Berat. A tiny restaurant in his back yard, consisting of only 4 handmade tables, this is an experience you can’t miss. Lili is such a friendly guy, he makes every customer feel so welcomed. He speaks about 10 or 12 languages good enough to communicate to everyone in their preferred language – he spoke to us in French. He comes out with a board picturing all the food on offer, explains everything and then lets you decide what you want to pick. His dad makes the wine and the raki, his wife cooks the food. We ordered 4 dishes and some wine. The water, desert and raki are on the house. We paid 2600 lek (23,4€). Since we were the last table, Lili sat down with us for a chat. He gave us tips on what to visit and talked about his family. You need to reserve in advance, but you can only do so 2-3 weeks in advance. Lili explained that he has people reserving a table 3 months in advance and that he simply can’t accept does reservation, as it’s a family run business and he doesn’t know what will happen during that time. Another solid 10/10 for me!

Ksamil & Sarande

Guvat (seafood restaurant): As I mentioned in a previous post, I was a bit limited on restaurants at the beach, as it was still a little out of season. The hotel recommended Guvat to me and it didn’t disappoint. The restaurant lies right on the edge of the sea with a beautiful view of Korfu. The food was really good to – we ordered baked Feta as a starter, then I had pasta with shrimps while my boyfriend had squid stuffed with rice. We had some white wine as well. Keep in mind that this area is a little more expensive than inland. We paid 3600 lek (32,45€), which is still very cheap when comparing it to Western Europe. I rate this one an 8.6/10.

Limani Restaurant: Situated right in the marina of Sarande, this restaurant serves a little bit of everything. It’s quite big inside and seemed to have a bar adjacent to it. This is the first pizza I ordered in Albania and it was quite tasty. However, it wasn’t anything special, so if I would go back in the summer and had more of a choice in terms of restaurants, I would probably choose something else. It wasn’t bad, just not great – a 7.7/10 for me.

Jericho Cocktail bar (cocktails): Again, the hotel suggested this cocktail bar, stating that it was one of the best and also one of the only ones open in April. The cocktails were very interesting, including ingredients such as cinnamon an peach liquor. The bar is located in the centre of Sarande with a nice view of the bay. The only downside is that it’s quite small inside and I can imagine it being difficult to find a place there in the summer. We paid 1200 lek (10,80€) for two cocktails, which are definitely some of the cheapest we had. All in all, I give this an 8.2/10.

Haxhi (seafood restaurant): Haxhi caught my eye because of it’s fun decor., it felt very maritime. It was also quite conveniant as it was close to Jericho. The waiter was very very friendly and explained everything we wanted to know. The food was delicious and in the end we were served some raki and a fruit plate on the house. We paid around 4000 lek, which we felt was a little expensive but, considering we ordered fried calamari anchovies, it wasn’t to bad either. I would rate this plate a good 9/10!

Harmony (seafood restaurant): Whenever we go somewhere, we like to choose one evening where we like to enjoy fine dining. This place was recommend to us by our Luxembourgish friends. We were the only guests, but it made it a fun experience. The waiter chatted to us about his family and life in Albania. If you go, I can recommend the fried mussels! I have never had them before, and they are now my new favourite way of eating mussels. We shared these as a starter, followed by the seafood pasta for me and the truffle gnocchi for my boyfriend. Everything was absolutely delicious and it was by far one of the best meals I had. This is the third and final 10/10 for me. Don’t miss it!

That’s everything on Albania! If you need further information on things like hotels, car rental, itinerary or things to do, contact me and I’ll reply as soon as possible. You now also have the possibility to subscribe so you don’t miss any of my future posts. Until then, don’t forget to always ”Explore. Dream. Discover.” (Mark Twain)

D.x