Top things to do in Tirana

This fantastic conversion – from a massive Cold War bunker on the outskirts of Tirana into a history and contemporary art museum – is Albania's most exciting new sight and easily a Tirana highlight. With almost 3000…

With its lace window curtains and tubs of flowering plants, this might look like a simple French bistrot and indeed, the food leans heavily on Gallic cuisine. But a meal here reveals a refined operation as attentive…

Uka Farm was founded in 1996 by former Minister of Agriculture Rexhep Uka, who started organic cultivation of agricultural products on a small plot of land. His son Flori, a trained winemaker and standout amateur ch…

Named for the owner's collection of antique Albanian radios, Radio is an eclectic dream with decor that includes vintage Albanian film posters, deep 1950s lamp shades and even a collection of communist-era propagand…

One of the great classics of Tirana dining. This tiny place which consists of nothing but a small smoky grill, does one thing and one thing only – qoftas (meatballs) – and the same lady and her family have been maki…

Styled as a cafe-museum, this little bohemian place looks like a flea market. Every spare centimetre is crammed with communist-era relics, farming implements (those pitchforks hanging from the bar are probably a war…

This local institution serves traditional Albanian and Italian fare in the heart of Blloku. The inventive menu includes oven-baked veal and eggs, stuffed aubergine, pizza, and pilau with chicken and pine nuts. Be wa…

The largest museum in Albania holds many of the country's archaeological treasures and a replica of Skanderbeg's massive sword (how he held it, rode his horse and fought at the same time is a mystery). The lighting …

Tracing the relatively brief history of Albanian painting from the early 19th century to the present day, this beautiful space also has temporary exhibitions. The interesting collection includes 19th-century paintin…

Around the corner from the chic cafes of Blloku neighbourhood, chef Bledar Kola’s Albanian food metamorphosis is hidden behind a row of grain mills and a wall of corn husks. The restaurant is one of the pioneers of …