Gastronomic Road Trip in Albania: Where to Stop When You’re Hungry for

Some trips are about museums and viewpoints. This one is about tables. Albania is made for a slow road journey where the main question of the day is “What are we eating next and where?” With a car booked through Localrent, it’s easy to wander off the main road, follow a handwritten sign to a family restaurant, and end up with the best meal of the week in a place that doesn’t even show up on maps.

Think of this route as a loose script, not a strict plan. It runs roughly from the centre to the north, down through the mountains, then out to the Riviera. The point isn’t to tick off every stop. The point is to leave space for detours, second lunches, and the occasional “we’re definitely coming back here tomorrow.”

Tirana: first coffee, first byrek, first reality check

Tirana hits fast: colourful buildings, chaotic traffic, café after café. It’s also the quickest way to understand that Albanian food is not on a diet. And that’s a good thing.

In the capital, mornings usually start with:

Byrek fresh out of the oven, stuffed with spinach, cheese, or meat
Strong coffee that could probably power a small vehicle
Yoghurt or ayran to balance out all the pastry

Later in the day, fërgesë in a clay pot, grilled meats, and big salads arrive at the table. Prices make it tempting to overorder, so sharing plates is smart. Tirana is also a good place to adjust to Albanian timing: meals are slow, waiters don’t hover, and nobody looks bothered if a table keeps talking long after dessert.

Once the city has done its job, fed well, slightly disoriented, curious, the car can point north.

Shkodër and the lake: food for lingering

Two to three hours’ driving brings you to Shkodër, a city that feels older, quieter, and somehow wider. It’s a place where people cycle a lot, drink coffee even more, and know exactly how to use the nearby lake.

Here, the tone of the menu changes:

Carp baked in the oven with onions and tomatoes
Simple, clean fish dishes with little more than lemon and oil
Thick stews and bean dishes that taste better than they look

Restaurants near the lake are made for slow lunches. This is the kind of stop where the “quick bite” idea dies as soon as the first plate lands. After Shkodër, there’s a choice: stay low near the water or drive into the north and earn dinner in the mountains.

The Albanian Alps: flija, fresh air, and full plates

Names like Theth and Valbona seem on tour blogs as trekking destinations, however the meals up there merits its personal fame. Roads may be twisty, however that`s a part of the amusing whilst there`s no tight schedule.

Mountain tables usually hold:

Flija, layers of batter and cream, cooked slowly over embers, served like a gift
Yoghurt, butter, and cheese from animals that were probably in a nearby field that morning
Roasted lamb or goat, seasoned simply and left to speak for itself

It’s honest, heavy food that makes sense when the day includes climbs, long walks, or just staring at peaks and wondering how this country is still under the radar. Nights are quiet, stars are loud, and breakfast the next morning is never light.

From here, the road can loop back down toward the middle of the country, letting mountains fade into rolling hills and stone towns.

Berat: wine, white houses, and slow evenings

Berat feels like a place that doesn’t mind being admired. White Ottoman houses stacked on the hillside, a river cutting through, castle above, vines nearby. It’s also a natural stop for people who travel on their stomach.

What usually shows up on the table here:

Local cheeses, olives, and fresh bread to start
Stuffed peppers and tomatoes with rice and herbs
Meat dishes that look simple on the menu and then quietly surprise

Berat is a good town for trying Albanian wine if that hasn’t happened yet. Terraces with views make it hard to leave after one bottle. This is the stage of the trip where distance between stops becomes very short and the line between “lunch” and “dinner” starts to blur.

Gjirokastër: stone streets and recipes with history

Further south, Gjirokastër tightens everything: streets, roofs, corners, the manner the city stacks up the hillside. The meals feels love it turned into invented someplace among a grandmother`s kitchen and a small festival.

Look out for:

Qifqi, small rice and herb balls, crisped in a pan
Pasha qofte, soft meat dumplings in a creamy sauce
Baked dishes that vary by house but always arrive sizzling

Many places here still feel family-run, with recipes that haven’t been “updated for tourists” yet. This is where questions to the staff actually matter. Asking “What do you eat here?” often leads to dishes that aren’t even on the printed menu.

From Gjirokastër, the sea isn’t far. The air changes first, then the light, then the plates.

The Riviera: when everything suddenly tastes like salt and sun

Once the road begins to coil along the Riviera, through spots like Dhërmi, Himarë, Borsh, Sarandë, the appetite changes all by itself. Heavy stews step aside for grilled fish, salads, and whatever came out of the water that morning.

On most coastal tables you’ll find:

Fish priced by weight, grilled and served with lemon and very little else
Squid and octopus, sometimes grilled, sometimes in slow-cooked dishes
Simple pasta or risotto with seafood that doesn’t need much decoration
Tomatoes and cucumbers that taste like someone remembered what vegetables are supposed to be

Here, the best plan is no plan. With a rental car and nowhere urgent to be, it’s easy to follow instinct: small beach, two or three restaurants, see which one is busy with locals, sit down, stay too long.

Sunsets tend to last longer than expected. So do dinners.

A few small rules for a very good trip

A gastronomic road journey in Albania works best when it’s relaxed but not chaotic. A few habits help:

Drive less, stay more. Two or three hours on the road in a day is plenty.
Eat where the menu is short. Fewer options usually means fresher food.
Ask one simple question: “What is good today?” Then listen.
Leave space for second breakfasts and late desserts.

Albania isn’t a place where food is treated lightly. Portions are generous, flavours are straightforward, hospitality quietly serious. With the flexibility of a car from Localrent and a willingness to let appetite lead the way, the country turns into one long tasting menu: lake, mountain, stone, sea, each with its own version of comfort on a plate.