Breakfast in Albania: The 5 Best Options!

Are you looking for a great culinary experience and wonder about breakfast in Albania?

Hi, food explorers! In this post, I’ll take you on a fun trip through the amazing country of Albania which is situated in the Balkans. I would like to tell you more about one of the most important meals of the day. So, what about breakfast in Albania?

When you wake up to the smell of traditional foods, you’ll be excited to find out what else Albania has to offer. I can tell you that there are a lot of different things to choose from, like savory sweets, tasty local cheeses, and so much more!

Let’s dive in as I’ll tell you more about the five options for your breakfast in Albania.

What are your 5 best options for breakfast in Albania?

Depending on the duration of your stay, you could pick a different breakfast each day. If you’re only for a short stay in Albania, you could order multiple breakfast dishes and find out which one you like the most!

1. Byrek:

This pastry dish is a real favorite in Albania, and many Albanians eat it for breakfast every day. It’s a delicious pie that’s baked until golden and filled with cheese, spinach, or meat. Byrek is often eaten with a glass of Ayran, a drink made from yogurt.

2. Fergese:

This delicious dish is made by cooking peppers, tomatoes, cottage cheese, and spices together until they become a thick spread that just tastes amazing. It’s a great way to start the day and is often served with fresh bread.

3. Trilece:

If you like sweet things for breakfast, Trilece is something you must try. It’s like a moist sponge cake that has been soaked in three different kinds of milk: normal, evaporated, and condensed.

The result is a very sweet meal and melts in your mouth. It goes really well with a cup of coffee.

4. Simit:

This type of breakfast is a round-shaped bread that is often topped with sesame seeds. It is very famous in the Balkans and in Turkey. It’s soft and chewy, and goes well with honey, jam, or cheese and some tea on the side.

5. Bukë, kajmak, and proshutë:

Fresh bread (Bukë), cream cheese (kajmak), and dry-cured gammon (proshutë) make up this simple but nice breakfast. It’s a full breakfast that will fill you up and keep you going all morning.

With these options in mind, I’m sure you’ll have a great breakfast to start the day when you’re wondering through Albania!

Best breakfast in Tirana

Tirana, the lively and capital city of Albania, has a number of great places to get a delicious breakfast to start your day:

• Era Restaurant is a top choice when you’re a food lover. You’ll find some great traditional and modern meals here. You can enjoy your byrek with a modern twist.

• The Komiteti Kafe Muzeum is a unique café-museum that has a lot of history and culture from Albania. Here you can enjoy your fergese with some interesting objects on the side.

• Padam Boutique Hotel & Restaurant has a fancy menu with items like Trilece and a wide range of foreign dishes if you want to have a luxurious breakfast.

Breakfast in Albania: FAQs

The information below is related to breakfast in Albania and will give you some more insights about Albanian food!

Do you tip waiters in Albania?

When you order some breakfast in a restaurant you might wonder about tipping the waiter. Tipping is not required in Albania, but it is very much appreciated. If the service was good, you might want to leave a tip of about 10% of the total bill.

This is very reasonable in my opinion due to the cost of the food and the value you get in return.

How to say breakfast in Albanian?

So, if you’re planning a trip to the beautiful country of Albania and can’t wait to start your day with a delicious mëngjes, as the locals call it, there’s always something special about learning and using the language of the place you’re visiting.

I would like you to imagine yourself taking a walk through the lively streets of Albania as the sun rises. You go to a nearby café, where you can already notice the delicious smell of freshly baked byrek.

You can say Mëngjes i mir! to the waiter. But you can take it even further. You can follow up with Unë do të doja një mëngjes, which translates in total as Good morning! I’d like to have breakfast.

Even if you can only speak a few words of the local language, you can indulge yourself in the culture and the locals will also really appreciate your efforts.

Just remember that a simple mëngjes can be a great way to start your day in the heart of Albania!

How expensive is food in Albania?

Most of the time, food in Albania is pretty cheap, especially when you compare it to countries in Western Europe. For example, you can start your day with a traditional breakfast which costs between €2 and €5 on average.

A simple breakfast could be a Byrek, a famous pastry that costs between €1 and €2 and is filled with cheese or spinach.

At a local restaurant, a hearty meal like Tavë Kosi, which is baked lamb and rice with a yogurt sauce, could cost you between €5 and €7. At a mid-range place for dinner, a three-course meal with local wine will likely cost you between €15 and €20 per person.

Street food is another great way to save money. Simit, the round-shaped bread with sesame seeds, is a tasty local snack that can be bought for as little as €0.50. Also, a traditional, strong cup of coffee in Albania generally costs you less than €1.

Please keep in mind that these prices are just estimates and may change depending on where you go and what kind of place you go to. Prices may be a little higher in touristy places or high-end restaurants for example!

But no matter how much money you have, I’m sure you’ll find a lot of tasty things to do in Albania that won’t hurt your wallet too much.

What is a typical Albanian meal?

Albanian food is a rich mix of flavors. A typical Albanian meal is always made with fresh, local ingredients and hearty recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. Here’s a look at what an Albanian traditional meal might look like.

Often, appetizers like Byrek, the savory pastry filled with cheese, spinach, or ground meat, or Fergese, the tasty dish made with peppers, tomatoes, cottage cheese, and spices, come before the main course.

Since the country has a long history of livestock farming, meat dishes are often the main course. Tavë Kosi, which is often called Albania’s national food, is a popular choice. It is a baked dish of lamb and rice in a sauce made from eggs and yogurt.

On the other hand, Përshesh is a classic Albanian stew made from slow-cooked meat and served on a bed of thick cornbread. Near the coast, where fresh fish is easy to find, seafood meals are also very popular. Definitely worth to try!

As a side, you can have a range of fresh vegetables and salads, like Sallat Jeshile, a simple green salad dressed with olive oil, lemon, and salt.

The dessert is an important part of every Albanian meal. A popular choice is baklava, which is a sweet dessert made of layers of filo dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with honey or syrup. Or the trilece is always a great option!

The meal is often washed down with Raki, a pretty strong Albanian drink made from fermented fruits that have been distilled and then distilled again. But if you’re not into alcohol, you can choose between Turkish-style coffee or mountain tea.

Food Tours in Tirana

Consider going on a food tour in Tirana to learn more about the food culture of Albania? It’s a great way to try lots of different dishes and learn about the country’s food past.

These are two great food tours in the capital city of Tirana that I can strongly recommend.

You can book one of the tours by clicking on the links below:

✅ City and Food Tour of Tirana in One Day!

✅ Local Food Experience & Walking Tour of Tirana!

These tours will give you a great food experience when you’re visiting Tirana!

The Wrap-Up: Breakfast in Albania

When it comes to breakfast in Albanian, it’s a fun mix of traditional foods, foods from other cultures, and some really delicious flavors.

No matter if you want something sweet or savory, you’ll definitely find it in Albania.

So, the next time you’re in this beautiful country, get up early and go on a food adventure you’ll never forget.

Got excited to visit Albania? Check out my other posts about the best attractions & places! If you want to visit this country by car, check out my post about driving in Albania.

And if you really fell in love with this country and in search of a new adventure, you can check out my post about moving to Albania!

Your restless voyager,

Dustin