What to Eat in Albania: 12 Dishes Worth Seeking Out

Albanian food sits at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, the Balkans and the Ottoman world. Olive oil, fresh vegetables, grilled meat, yoghurt and flaky pastry appear on almost every table, and portions are generous. Meals are social, and a traditional restaurant is more likely to feed you extra than to let you leave hungry. Here are twelve dishes to look for.

Breakfast and snacks

Byrek is the national pastry: thin layers of dough filled with cheese, spinach, minced meat or pumpkin, baked until golden. You will find it in bakeries from early morning and it makes a cheap, filling breakfast, often eaten with a glass of yoghurt drink. Another breakfast classic is fërgesë, a baked dish of peppers, tomatoes and cottage cheese, sometimes with liver. In the evening, small cafés serve qofte, grilled meatballs seasoned with herbs, usually with bread and a simple salad.

• Byrek: pastry with cheese, spinach or meat, found everywhere.
• Fërgesë: baked peppers, tomatoes and cheese, hearty and rich.
• Qofte: seasoned grilled meatballs, a tavern staple.

Main courses

Tavë kosi is often described as the national dish. Lamb is baked with rice under a thick layer of yoghurt and egg until it forms a golden crust, and the result is creamy and comforting. In the mountains and in traditional restaurants, look for lamb slow-cooked in a clay pot, or for grilled meats served with fresh tomatoes and onion. Vegetarians are well served: stuffed peppers, grilled aubergine and a wide selection of salads appear on nearly every menu.

In Gjirokastër, try qifqi, small rice balls flavoured with herbs and fried on a hot plate. On the Riviera and around Lake Shkodër, fish is the star. Grilled sea bream, sea bass and squid come with olive oil and lemon, and prices are lower than in much of Europe. Along the shore of Lake Shkodër, village restaurants specialise in lake carp. In Pogradec, the speciality is koran, a local trout from Lake Ohrid, which is protected and appears seasonally on the menu.

Sides, salads and cheese

A simple Albanian salad of tomato, cucumber, onion and olive oil is often a revelation because the vegetables are ripe and flavourful, particularly in summer. Local white cheese, similar to feta, is served alongside, and aged cheeses from the mountains can be sharp and delicious. Bread is a constant, and a basket usually arrives automatically. Yoghurt is not just a dessert; it appears as a side, a sauce or a drink.

Sweets and drinks

Baklava, brought by the Ottomans, is sold in bakeries across the country, flaky and soaked in syrup. Trilece is a milk-soaked sponge cake popular in cafés, and kadaif is a shredded pastry dessert with nuts. To drink, Albanians love strong, small cups of coffee, similar to Turkish coffee, and long hours at a café table are normal. Raki is the traditional spirit, made from grapes and often homemade in village households; it is offered as a welcome gesture, and you should sip it slowly. Albanian wine is improving quickly, with local grapes such as Shesh i Zi and Kallmet producing interesting reds, and Korça beer is a pleasant regional lager.

• Baklava and kadaif: sweet pastries for the afternoon coffee.
• Trilece: soft, milky sponge cake in nearly every café.
• Raki: grape spirit, usually served as a welcome drink.
• Albanian coffee: small, strong and meant to be lingered over.

Tips for eating well

Eat where locals eat. Small family-run places away from the main promenade often serve fresher food at lower prices than restaurants aimed at tourists. Ask what the day's special is, because many kitchens cook a small number of dishes each day. In seafood restaurants, you can often choose the fish from the display and have it weighed before cooking; confirm the price per kilo first. Tipping is appreciated, and rounding up the bill or leaving about ten percent is customary in restaurants.

In the mountains, guesthouse dinners are generally set menus built from the family's own products, and they are usually the best meals of the trip. If you have allergies or dietary requirements, mention them when you book, since options can be limited in remote areas. Finally, do not rush. A meal in Albania is a long conversation, and the more slowly you eat, the more you will enjoy it.