Tirana Seafood

Tirana is inland, but it is only thirty-five kilometres from Durres and under three hours from the Ionian ports, so fish arrives in the city the same day it lands. Sea bass, bream, prawns and octopus are standard; the Ionian catch from Saranda and Vlore is generally the one worth paying for.

The fish restaurants cluster around Pazari i Ri, where the market supplies them directly and the counters display the day's catch on ice, priced by the kilo. A smaller and more expensive group sits in Blloku. Ask what came in that morning rather than ordering from the printed menu.