Vegan Food in Albania: 9 Best Vegan Restaurants to Try Now
If you’re a vegan visiting Albania, you may be wondering whether the country is vegan-friendly, and where you can find the best vegan food options.
Finding vegan food in Albania can be hard, but don’t worry! To help you out, I have compiled a list of the 9 best-rated vegan restaurants in Albania, where you can eat stress-free.
Is Albania vegan-friendly?
Although following a vegan diet in Albania can be harder than finding vegetarian options, it is certainly not impossible!
Traditional Albanian cuisine has plenty of vegetarian dishes, however, they tend to include cheese (making them not suitable for vegans). As the country continues to grow as a popular tourist destination, we’re seeing more vegan-friendly options become available.
In this guide, I’m going to help you find the best places for vegan food in Albania. These vegan restaurants are located across the country in areas like Tirana, Shkodër, Berat, Gjirokaster, Sarandë, and Vlorë.
Is Albanian food vegan?
Although a big portion of Albania’s traditional cuisine includes vegetables, it also tends to include cheese, which makes it not suitable for vegans. However, depending on the ingredients used, some typical Albanian dishes can certainly be vegan (or made vegan).
A good rule of thumb when ordering at restaurants is to ask what ingredients are used in each dish. Though this may sound like an obvious tip, you should know that cheese is so prevalent in Albanian gastronomy that often servers fail to mention it as one of the ingredients.
To avoid being caught out by this, always request that every dish comes without cheese (“pa djathë” – roughly spelled pah-dya-teh). Do this even if you don’t think that what you’re ordering would come with cheese in the first place – trust me, cheese in this country can sneak itself into any dish!
Some traditional Albanian foods that may be vegan:
Stuffed Peppers (Speca të Mbushura)
You will easily find stuffed peppers in typical restaurants across the country. The recipes can vary depending on the region or even on the cook, however. Make sure to ask what ingredients are used, before ordering.
Photo byGina JanoschfromPixabay
Byrek
Byrek is a crispy filo pastry pie that can be served with various fillings. The most popular filling variations include onions, tomato, and spinach. As long as there’s no cheese in the filling and they haven’t been cooked with butter or egg wash, this can be a satisfying vegan snack!
Stuffed Aubergines (Patëllxhanët Mbushur)
Similarly to stuffed peppers, Albanian stuffed aubergines are easily found in traditional restaurants all over the country. However, recipes can vary significantly so make sure to ask about the ingredients used before ordering.
To know if a dish is vegan, look for the vegan symbol on the menu (restaurants may include a legend for symbols used in the menu) or written references like “Vegan”, “VG”, or “VE”. If the menu doesn’t include these, check with the waiter or food provider directly.
There are also apps available that can help you find vegan food in Albania. The most popular one is Happy Cow.
If you’re visiting the Riviera and unsure where to stay yet, check out my Ultimate Guide to Where to Stay in the Albanian Riviera with Hotel Recommendations.
The 9 Best Vegan Restaurants in Albania
1. Happy Belly / Eat Smart
4.9 ★ | Vegetarian / Vegan | Tirana | €
Concept: Vegetarian / vegan shop serving smoothies, juices, breakfast foods and lunch in the heart of Tirana.
Why go? If you’re looking for a tasty and healthy option – whether it’s a fresh organic juice, a smoothie bowl, or a vegan sandwich. They also serve gluten-free foods, including desserts.
Address: Rruga Ibrahim Rugova, Tirana 1001, Albania
Contact: https://www.facebook.com/juices.smoothies/
2. Panja Tirana
4.9 ★ | Gluten-free | Tirana | €
Concept: 100% gluten- and dairy-free bakery and pastry shop in central Tirana. Owned by a dietitian, the foods and many of the ingredients are both homemade and allergen-free.
Why go? If you’re looking for high-quality and flavourful vegan options – and especially ideal if you are also gluten-free. The shop sells plenty of homemade dairy-free products, including dairy-free milk, cheese, ice cream, and yoghurt.
Address: Street, Rruga Mihal Duri, Tirana, Albania
Contact: https://www.facebook.com/p/Panja-Tirana
3. Eni Traditional Food Berat
4.9 ★ | Traditional Albanian cuisine | Berat | €€
Concept: Traditional Albanian restaurant in the historical city of Berat, also known as The City of a Thousand Windows.
Why go? If you want to experience dining in a traditional Albanian restaurant in a historical city, while enjoying vegan choices. This restaurant serves typical dishes and caters to vegans as well with menu items like stuffed peppers, stuffed eggplant, mixed vegetables, and salads. Ask for a vegan option and the waiter will be able to help you.
Address: AL, Rruga Nikolla Buhuri, 5001, Albania
Contact: +355 692 18 7739
4. Gjelber Tirana
4.8 ★ | Healthy food | Tirana | €€
Concept: Healthy food restaurant serving a vegetarian and vegan menu including soups, wraps, bowls, toasts, and fresh juices.
Why go? If you are looking for healthy, colourful and tasty vegan food, give this place a try! The vegan items should be marked and specified in the menu.
Address: Rruga Brigada e VIII, Tirana 1001, Albania
Contact: Facebook
5. Green Life Market
4.8 ★ | Vegetarian / Vegan | Sarandë | €€-€€€
Concept: Vegan restaurant serving a sustainable, environmentally-conscious, and locally-sourced menu. This women-owned small business also identifies as LGBT-friendly and is the perfect spot for a delicious plant-based bite in Sarandë.
Why go? If you’re looking for an ethical and conscious local business that serves flavourful vegan food. Make sure to book in advance via WhatsApp to avoid disappointment!
Address: Rruga Gjergj Araniti 5 street, Sarandë 9701, Albania
Contact: +355 69 449 7360
6. Novus Traditional Food Restaurant
4.7 ★ | Traditional Albanian cuisine | Vlorë | €€
Concept: Vegetarian/vegan-friendly traditional restaurant located near the beach in Vlorë. As the restaurant serves food in buffet-style, you are free to choose vegan options such as stuffed peppers, vegetable soup, mixed vegetables, various salads, and even vegan capuccino!
Why go? If you’re looking for vegan food in Vlorë, along with some traditional Albanian options and none of the stress, then this is the place for you.
Address: Rruga Çamëria, Vlorë, Albania
Contact: Facebook
7. Fisi Restaurant – Traditional Food
4.5 ★ | Mediterranean Grill | Shkodër | €€
Concept: Although this restaurant is known for its freshly-grilled meat, its menu offers plenty of halal and vegan options that cater to various types of visitors. From creamy vegetable soup to their vegan combination dish, you won’t be disappointed!
Why go? Make sure to come here if you’re in Shkodër and looking for a restaurant that will satisfy groups including both meat-lovers and vegetarians/vegans.
Address: 4001, Bulevardi Skënderbeu, Shkodër, Albania
Contact: https://www.fisirestaurant.com/
Looking for halal food in Albania? Check out my list of the Best 17 Halal Restaurants in Albania!
8. Restorant Te Bequa
4.6 ★ | Traditional Albanian cuisine | Sarandë | €
Concept: Local traditional restaurant serving typical Albanian food, as well as vegetarian and vegan options. The vegetarian/vegan section of the menu includes dishes like vegetable stews and stuffed peppers/aubergine, as well as various salads and soups.
Why go? If you’re holidaying in Sarandë and looking for a vegan-friendly restaurant, make sure to pay this local business a visit.
Address: V2F5+W4J, Sarandë, Albania
Contact: Facebook
9. Edua Gjirokaster
4.3 ★ | Traditional Albanian cuisine | Gjirokaster | €€
Concept: Traditional restaurant serving Albanian food in the historical town of Gjirokaster, known as “Stone City”. The restaurant also sells their own local products, such as olive oil, raki, and various fruit brandy liqueurs.
Why go? This is one of the very few restaurants catering to vegans in Gjirokaster. All the vegan dishes are clearly specified on the menu, including soups, appetisers, and main dishes.
Address: Rruga Gjin Bue Shpata, Gjirokaster 6001, Albania
Contact: https://www.facebook.com/p/EduaGjirokaster-100064712764975/
Final thoughts
I hope this post on where to find vegan food in Albania has been helpful! As we saw, some traditional Albanian foods can be vegan, and you can look out for these.
However, if you’re looking for places where you can find dedicated vegan options (and perhaps a little tastier than a basic vegetable salad!), I hope this list of the 9 best vegan restaurants in Albania comes in handy for your next visit to the country.
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