The best restaurants Albania

A very popular address. But why "G & T"? Because this restaurant plays on the traditions of the Guègues (northern Albanians) and the Tosques (southern Albanians). Housed in a ^17th-century house, the restaurant offers specialties from all over the country. Meats and cheeses come from the Theth region, and all kinds of rakis are served, including that of the owner, Djon. In winter, you'll be seated in a vast dining room with a huge fireplace. What's more, this establishment boasts some very attractive rooms.

Founded in 2010 by Altin and Anton Prenga, this slow-food restaurant is still the most renowned in Albania. The Prenga brothers' credo: very local (meats, cheeses, berries...) and seasonal produce, most of it from the estate, and a high quality cuisine that the average Albanian family can afford. The place is pleasant: white tablecloths, bright dining room, lively and efficient service, meticulous presentation, refined tastes and textures, beautiful setting amidst the vines, all at ultra-competitive prices.

Located in an elegant house near the Palace of Justice, between the Bratko and Medieval Art museums, this is Korça's most famous restaurant. Carefully prepared traditional cuisine, a few vegetarian dishes, a pleasant garden, live music at weekends, a warm atmosphere and plates of cold meats to enjoy with a rakia e pjekur (raki with cinnamon and honey). Not everything is perfect, however: service is sketchy, there are too many sauces and, above all, too many private parties. But if it's open, don't sulk.

Right in the heart of Përmet's restaurant district, this excellent restaurant is run by chef Urim Jaçe, who launched the slow food movement in Albania in the 2010s. In a slightly kitsch décor reminiscent of a Greek temple, you'll find traditional regional dishes such assalcë shakulli (sheep's belly stuffed with dried yoghurt) orkofshë qingji e mbushur (leg of lamb stuffed with almonds), as well as wild boar, rabbit and fish from the Vjosa... Well-presented plates, organic house wines and service sometimes in French.

A very good pizzeria in a large room without chichi, a tavern. Efficient and friendly service, a wide choice of pizza baked pizzas, but also salads and seafood fritures. All-Vlora has been there as winter. Attention, days of arrival, it is sometimes difficult to park.

Housed in the former summer residence of dictator Enver Hoxha, this restaurant enjoys an enchanting setting under the trees of Drilon Park. The menu offers a wide choice of fish (eel, trout from Lake Ohrid...) and salads. In summer, a few tables are set up in the garden. But the most coveted seats are on the Drilon River, in the little wooden boxes on stilts, in the shade of weeping willows and among the swans. There are also six pleasant guest rooms. Parking.

Turn right up Dervish Hima Street from the stadium and you will only see a small sign indicating the restaurant. But nothing else, because it's located in the basement. You should know that... They serve a rather Italian cuisine, some Albanian dishes and very good fish well prepared. Except for the TV in the background and the smokers who are tolerated, everything is perfect here. The impeccable service, the generous plates and the bread that comes out of the pizza oven is a pure marvel! For smaller budgets, we recommend the cheap mussels and pasta.

Traditional dishes in a superb ^19th-century house next to the Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Christ. On the menu: stuffed vine leaves(japrak), stuffed peppers(speca të mbushura),, spinach or meat burek, meat okra(bamje me mish) and perfectly cooked pizzas. The same proprietors also own the recently opened and delightful Çoçja Boutique Hotel on Rue Vilson, 250 m south of Demokracia Square (from €69 for two with a good breakfast).

This address may not look like much from the road, but it's well known to Albanians traveling south. You come here to take a refreshing break in the backyard, where a huge waterfall(ujëvara in Albanian) flows: a real treat! So, even if the service is slow, the menu a little pretentious and the waterfall inevitably a little noisy (it's not Niagara either), we really enjoyed the place. What's more, the owner knows almost all the rooms in Borsh. Handy if you've nowhere to sleep.

The bay of Porto Palermo has only two restaurants (the second, the Panorama, is located south of the bay). This very rustic but superbly located one offers fish and shellfish that come directly from the fishing port or the fish farm, both located opposite: oysters (gocë deti, 2,400 lek/kg), red mullet (barbuni, 3,600 lek/kg) and other fish (from 700 lek/piece). It also serves salads, pasta and risottos and solid breakfasts. Best to book in the middle of summer.

If you have to try just one address in Tirana, it's "Le Meunier"(mullixhiu, pronounced "moulidjou"). Trained in some of Europe's finest restaurants (including Noma, in Copenhagen), chef Bledar Kola brings a touch of modernity to Albanian cuisine in a rustic, intimate setting, reminiscent of an old mill. It's very good, a little overpriced, but excellent value for money. We also like the gourmet store and details like the cutlery hidden in the table drawers.

We recommend this restaurant only for one thing: its pleasant shaded terrace which offers a splendid view on the lauze roofs of the old town. For the rest, it is an address for tourists. But for patient tourists (the service is slow) and not too much in search of an amazing culinary experience, because the cuisine is decent, without more (grills, salads). However, with a small glass of local wine (not bad at all by the way) and a ray of sunshine, one spends a good moment here. And if it's just for a coffee break, then it will be perfect.

This restaurant opened in 2002 offers the most beautiful view of the Gulf of Saranda, the lagoon of Butrint and the island of Corfu with magnificent sunsets. Side kitchen is something else, because it's a little too expensive. And we don't even talk about the quality of the dishes, the service as slow as it is approximate or the completely fanciful opening times. In short, you may not eat here, but you will take full advantage of the mirettes!

One of the last popular offal restaurants in Tirana. It's located in the "bicycle district" (Tregu i Biçikletave), at the intersection of the street leading from the Pazari i Ri market. In the early hours of the morning, locals come here to eat soups made from offal and the less noble parts of beef or lamb. Don't worry: you can make yourself understood if you want to avoid pieces of brain or heart. Sprinkled with chilli and accompanied by a pilaf, it's really good, even for breakfast.

You have to take theelevator to enjoy the beautiful views from this chic, fine-dining restaurant on the fourth floor of the ABA Business Center, an 83-meter-high tower built in 2009. The menu combines quality meats and seafood at more truly Balkan prices: seafood platters from 9,000 to 13,500 leks, Kobe beef at 9,000 leks, as well as caviar and more. All in all, a very reasonable price of around 2,000 leks per person without drinks. Reservations recommended.

This Italian fish restaurant is run by an Albanian. But visitors from across the Adriatic are fans: here, in this basement on the boulevard bordering the Lana, they find the same flavors as at home, but at a much better price. Chef Aldo Trebicka carefully prepares extra-fresh fish and seafood, varied and colorful small assortments, pastas and risottos, a luxurious whole lobster or very simple, perfect little anchovies.

The "chapeaux" restaurant is one of the many panoramic establishments that have opened in recent years along the road climbing to Mount Dajti. The room is huge (around 400 covers) and the dishes are a little bland (small starters to pick at, grilled meats), but it's obviously for the views over Tirana that the local youth flock here. When the weather's fine, the large bay windows open up and you're in for a treat. As the wine in carafe is quite decent, you can have a good time here.