A tourist destination is not limited to its natural beauty, favorable climate, or high-quality services.
Another strong asset is the art of cooking, which combined with organic produce and fresh seafood turns into a real attraction for any city welcoming tourists.
Durrës definitely possesses all of these, offering a rich mix of flavors and traditions.
With our stops at some of the famous agrotourisms, restaurants, or pizza restaurants of the city, we will try to show you the most favorite dishes of local and foreign visitors.
Traditional dishes
You can find them mainly in agrotourism restaurants, which have increased in number in recent years, located mostly in the hills and rural areas of the city.
With its idyllic landscape and traditional dishes mainly of meat and vegetables, they are a testament to the culinary heritage of the city and beyond.
“Here is a high demand for traditional local foods. The majority want to try japrak (stuffed grape leaves), tava e dheut (clay pot dish), lamb meat, goat meat, poultry, and so on. We operate with a seasonal menu, and most of the appetizers and main dishes depend on the season,” says Armand Malollari, the head chef at one of the city’s most famous agritourism establishments, in an interview with DurrësLajm.
Every bite evokes the nostalgic tastes of our grandmothers’ or mothers’ cooking.
“We try to preserve the identity of the dish and the tradition as our grandmothers or mothers used to make it. The idea is to keep the tradition alive, and to ensure that the products are as organic as possible, without chemicals,” says Seni Xhaja, the manager of the restaurant Kodra e Kuajve“.
Seafood products
Durrës has long relied on the “generosity” of the Adriatic Sea, with fresh fish, squid, and cuttlefish serving as the basis of its cuisine.
Warm or cold appetizers, as well as first courses featuring hake, red mullet, whiting, bass, monkfish, and others, are in high demand.
“Here, by the seaside, we focus on seafood products—fish, fried dishes, and so on. When it comes to fish, people come and order a portion of bass or monkfish, or a fried platter with squid, shrimp, and others. These are guaranteed,” says Ilir Sakollari, the administrator of the restaurant-pizzeria Rimini.
They are sold mostly in the restaurants along the seaside promenade, in the area of Currila or at Plazhi i Madh (the Beach).
Pasta
The strong connection with the neighborsing country, Italy, since the early decades of the 20th century, further strengthened by the mass migration in the ’90s, has made Italian cuisine dominant in most menus, served by the majority of the city’s most popular restaurants.
Pasta prepared in the restaurants’ own kitchens is guaranteed to be a success.
“Pasta or macaroni, we make most of them ourselves. Basic pasta with fillings, like ravioli, tagliatelle with salmon, strozzapreti, and tagliatelle with seafood. These are the pasta that we’ve been serving since we opened. People were a bit skeptical at first, they didn’t like them, because they said, ‘We’ll eat what mom used to make at home”, says administrator Sakollari.
The influx of Italian tourists in Durrës seems to have been reflected in the increased demand for pasta.
“Spaghetti alla carbonara” is the first thing they ask for. I’ve never sold as much as I have this year. They ask for it because it seems like the safest option. But, when they see the fresh pasta at other tables, they say, “Make me that pasta too!”
Pizzas
Italy is known worldwide for its pizzas, but the pizzerias in Durrës are not far behind. Especially now, as regular visitors include hundreds of Italian nationals who, in recent years, have become permanent residents of the coastal city. Among the wide variety offered, including those baked in wood-fired ovens, customers can choose the pizza they prefer the most.
“Pizzas with arugula, cherry tomatoes, Grana Padano, prosciutto crudo, and bresaola are in high demand. Pizzas with truffles and fresh porcini mushrooms are always popular. Our clients, who are Italians and compare the pizzas from Italy with the ones we make here, say ours are very good,” says Tahir Zheli, head waiter at the pizzeria 4 Stinët.
In some cases, the restaurants even serve their “pizza of the house”, a combination of some of the most delicious and sought-after ingredients.
“Our pizza, pizza della casa, is made with Emmental cheese, spicy salami, and cooked ham. These ingredients are mixed together with oil to bind them. Before it goes into the oven, we add extra porcini mushrooms. Once it comes out of the oven, we top it with Grana Padano and (scaglia) cheese, sliced thinly, as the Italians call it,” adds Zheli.
Traditional Albanian drinks
They are not foods, but inseparable companions to them, especially at lunch or dinner.
We’re talking about Albanian wines or beers, which no foreign tourist can leave without trying and enjoying to the last drop.
“We like your white and red wines. We come from Germany, and we also enjoy your beers.”
“They are good. We really like Albanian beers,” say some German tourists.
This fact is also confirmed by the managers of the most popular restaurants.
“All tourists are very interested in trying local drinks. Local drinks are in very high demand, and they mostly give very positive reviews for the local wines and the traditional raki we make, because we offer a wide variety of raki.”
“Both for beer and for wine, they ask for our products. This year, many Albanian wines have been sold in our establishments. We have a diverse range. They love both the beer and the wine!”
Blessed with a Mediterranean climate, Durrës enjoys a tourist season that spans from May to November.
With a significant increase in the number of elite tourists, local restaurants and agritourism have raised their standards to meet the expectations of their clientele.
“The menu has changed. It has changed in terms of quality, mainly. We offer higher quality in the products we serve on the tables.”
Their commitment to quality involves close partnerships with local farmers, ensuring a continuous supply of fresh, organic, and chemical-free products.
“We are in constant contact with the local farmers, and this is also a motivation for them to stay active working their land and offering us organic products just as we need them to serve seasonal dishes and the most delicious plates possible,” says manager Xhaja.
Lit by the sunlight in its entire surrounding, the city of Durrës invites visitors to enjoy not only the coastline and cultural heritage but also the assets of the Albanian land.
Each dish tells a story of tradition, the sea, and the land—of the hands that have prepared recipes passed down through generations.
