Tirana is on the cusp of a specialty espresso wave. In a rustic with one of many highest variety of espresso retailers per capita, cafes are a lifestyle in Albania, and other people spend complete mornings discussing politics or household issues over a cup of espresso. Assembly at a restaurant here’s a gradual, intentional act. It differs significantly from the Italian tradition of ordering on the counter and being in your approach a minute later.
Traditionally, Albania has been influenced by each Italian and Turkish espresso custom, in terms of the model of espresso they devour. The prevailing alternative in these components is darkish roasted espresso, and for the older males, this can be chased by a small glass of raki, a sort of grape-based brandy.
The excellent news for individuals who favor single origin, lighter roasted espresso, is a brand new crop of baristas making an attempt to show the tide. The primary specialty espresso store to open in Tirana, Antigua Cafe, sadly needed to shut its doorways in September of 2025. Nevertheless, that didn’t dissuade a contemporary group of optimists to select up the torch, and right now you’ll discover a good assortment of retailers to do a espresso crawl.
However in some ways past espresso, this place is a metropolis stepping out of the previous. The remnants of communist-era bunkers have now been was museums, and former surveillance buildings are open to the general public. Aesthetically talking, Tirana is an odd combine of contemporary and purposeful. The rapid downtown is dwelling to parks, museums, the hip space of Blloku and the postcard-worthy Pyramid, the place folks can climb to the highest and examine the mountains within the distance.
Spreading out are suburbs of drab concrete housing blocks adorned with murals and graffiti, and the occasional sq. the place folks have opened cafes. Inside these small pockets are the heartbeat of Tirana.
Tirana shouldn’t be a metropolis to come back anticipating Gesha flights and elaborate micro-lot menus simply but. The passionate baristas and occasional store house owners are testing the waters, steadily, with a promising future forward. Right here on Sprudge we commonly profile established espresso scenes, futuristic espresso scenes, and cities whose neighborhoods are so teeming with espresso tradition we’re pressured to burrow in district by district. Tirana, then, in one thing else—an rising espresso scene, filled with promise and pleasure, an opportunity to glimpse a metropolis that’s altering quick with espresso working level. For us there’s one thing notably thrilling about these tales, and the chance to highlight espresso tradition in Tirana is a privilege. Learn on.
Rubi Muffins & Specialty Espresso
Blloku is Tirana’s postcode for nightlife. As soon as a communist restricted zone, the district is teeming with hip eating places, bars, and golf equipment. It additionally has the very best focus of specialty espresso retailers, and fittingly, Rubi’s first location opened right here, a comfortable cafe with outdoors tables shouldering an encroaching sidewalk. Head barista and shareholder Kevin Imami made it his mission to supply the very best beans to brew at Rubi. He ended up selecting Denmark’s Espresso Collective, and Rome-based Aliena. Imami went the additional mile of touring to Rome and Copenhagen to coach at each corporations to good his extractions.
Their new second store is within the up-and-coming Kommuna sq., equally small inside, however with a big outside house straddled by condominium buildings. Many eating places and cafes have opened right here, so the ambiance is buzzing. Each branches share the identical ethos, of offering clients with nice baked items, and hand-picked specialty espresso. Rubi prepares pour-overs on ceramic V60’s, and I loved a washed Ethiopian from Aliena that had a barely daring physique, however retained its acidity and sweetness. Following that, an El Vergel from Espresso Collective, brewed on a pink La Marzocco Linea PB machine, with Felicita scales to make sure excessive precision extractions.
Imami defined how introducing this type of espresso to a rustic raised on darkish roast Italian espresso is difficult, however the youthful demographic are beginning to present curiosity.
Frut’za
What began as a fruit-delivery firm, however shortly pivoted to espresso, has develop into one in every of Tirana’s hottest hangouts. Equally to Rubi, they’ve areas in Blloku, Kommuna, and the newly opened “Vögel” (that means small) specialty store alongside the Lana River. Head to the Blloku and Kommuna areas if you would like meals together with your espresso. The acai and mango bowls are the play right here, however the menus are intensive. Additionally they serve a diversified quantity of blends and single-origins, so that you received’t be sacrificing your cup.
The brand new Vögel location was purpose-built as a specialty lab, so the main focus is on the espresso above all. The meals menu right here is proscribed to sandwiches and pastry, and their well-known juices (a hangover from the unique fruit store). Frut’za sources their espresso from Bulgarian roaster Dabov, run by Jordan Dabov, the only Bulgarian juror of the Cup of Excellence. I loved an Ethiopian pour-over espresso which was balanced and candy. I additionally opted for a Colombian decaf, which had a fruity hit and made me rethink why I hesitate to order decaf.
Nöje
The Scandinavian bakery craze has formally hit Albania. Opened in 2025, and impressed by a visit to Copenhagen, this cafe spills out onto a big patio the place folks can take pleasure in their sunny moments. Nöje flexes laborious with their choice of eye-catching savory and candy treats, and the locals flock right here, particularly on Saturday morning. The buttery, layered croissants are an enormous draw for the early morning crowd and fly off the cabinets.
NÖJE serves espresso from Greek Omsom Espresso Roasters, who share their sense of minimalism and aesthetics at their Athens base. With their signature mix and single origin coffees, the pairing of pastries with a floral Ethiopian filter espresso was simply the ticket. I sat outdoors having fun with the sunshine, as clients lounged on the deckchairs and sipped iced espresso. A big residential space close by makes this the right assembly place for locals. This could undoubtedly be a cease in your Tirana espresso crawl.
Hana Nook Cafe
Hana fills the hole between the burgeoning specialty scene, and the locals who nonetheless favor their espresso a tad darker. Occupying a small take-out window, with tables reaching out behind the road, the workflow is nice for these on the transfer, or wanting to remain. Their candy treats are widespread, and Hana proudly show trays filled with blueberry, icing sugar, fig, and almond crusted temptations. Frosted muffins and fats cookies fill within the remaining counter-space.
Hana covers all bases, with matcha, alcohol, juices, sizzling chocolate, and all the standard espresso-based coffees. By the register, the matcha chasen whisks act as culinary chess items prepared you to make them work. As you’d think about, in hip Blloku, they get by a good quantity. The tiny outdoors ledge was the right vantage level to sip a flat white, sit again, and get an concept what Tirana streetlife is all about.
Mimoza n’Qoshe
Hidden in plain sight, 80 meters from Nöje, lies Mimoza. A nook cafe with a surprisingly effectively curated espresso menu. I might have walked previous in blissful ignorance, had not the proprietor of Rubi recommended I reserve it in my Google Maps. Mimoza imports espresso from effectively revered Nowhere Future Espresso Roasters of Milan, and this can be a excellent place to proceed your exploration of how the Tirana scene is creating. The workers are genuinely obsessed with espresso, and can fortunately clarify how they got here to find light-roast espresso, and their likes or dislikes in terms of the “pure vs. washed” dialogue. Anaerobically fermented espresso is a little bit of an “IT phrase” at the moment in Tirana, so should you favor your espresso on the cleaner finish, point out it.
My Edinson Argote, orange bourbon from Huila, Colombia packed a vivid stonefruit punch, with traces of ardour fruit and papaya. Mimoza has an accommodating inside space, for these wet days, or those that favor to keep away from cigarette smoke. Being a restaurant with a big meals menu, that is an added bonus. That is the Balkans in spite of everything!
Their slogan emblazoned on the window is: “We like to make espresso for the town that likes to drink it.” That just about sums up Tirana.
Benjamin Sand is a contract journalist and the creator of The Mouth. Learn extra Benjamin Sand for Sprudge.
