Tirana Cafes

Albania has more coffee bars per head than anywhere else in Europe, and Tirana is where that shows. Coffee is a sit-down business measured in hours, not a takeaway cup: a macchiato costs very little and buys a table for as long as you want it. Blloku carries the design-led end, with roasters and espresso bars on Rruga Ismail Qemali and the streets around it. Older, plainer bars cluster near Skanderbeg Square, along Rruga e Durresit and around the Grand Park, where tables spread under the trees. Most open early for breakfast and stay open until late evening.