Tirana is on the cusp of a specialty coffee wave. In a country with one of the highest number of coffee shops per capita, cafes are a way of life in Albania, and people spend entire mornings discussing politics or family matters over a cup of coffee. Meeting at a cafe here is a slow, intentional act. It differs greatly from the Italian culture of ordering at the counter and being on your way a minute later.
Historically, Albania has been influenced by both Italian and Turkish coffee tradition, when it comes to the style of coffee they consume. The prevailing choice in these parts is dark roasted espresso, and for the older men, this may be chased by a small glass of raki, a type of grape-based brandy.
The good news for those who prefer single origin, lighter roasted coffee, is a new crop of baristas attempting to turn the tide. The first specialty coffee shop to open in Tirana, Antigua Cafe, sadly had to close its doors in September of 2025. However, that didn’t dissuade a fresh group of optimists to pick up the torch, and today you’ll find a nice collection of shops to do a coffee crawl.
But in many ways beyond coffee, this place is a city stepping out of the past. The remnants of communist-era bunkers have now been turned into museums, and former surveillance buildings are open to the public. Aesthetically speaking, Tirana is an odd mix of modern and functional. The immediate downtown is home to parks, museums, the hip area of Blloku and the postcard-worthy Pyramid, where people can climb to the top and view the mountains in the distance.
Spreading out are suburbs of drab concrete housing blocks adorned with murals and graffiti, and the occasional square where people have opened cafes. Within these small pockets are the heartbeat of Tirana.
Tirana is not a city to come expecting Gesha flights and elaborate micro-lot menus just yet. The passionate baristas and coffee shop owners are testing the waters, gradually, with a promising future ahead. Here on Sprudge we regularly profile established coffee scenes, futuristic coffee scenes, and cities whose neighborhoods are so teeming with coffee culture we’re forced to burrow in district by district. Tirana, then, in something else—an emerging coffee scene, full of promise and excitement, a chance to glimpse a city that’s changing fast with coffee running point. For us there’s something particularly exciting about these stories, and the opportunity to spotlight coffee culture in Tirana is a privilege. Read on.
Rubi Cakes & Specialty Coffee
Blloku is Tirana’s postcode for nightlife. Once a communist restricted zone, the district is teeming with hip restaurants, bars, and clubs. It also has the highest concentration of specialty coffee shops, and fittingly, Rubi’s first location opened here, a snug cafe with outside tables shouldering an encroaching sidewalk. Head barista and shareholder Kevin Imami made it his mission to source the best beans to brew at Rubi. He ended up choosing Denmark’s Coffee Collective, and Rome-based Aliena. Imami went the extra mile of traveling to Rome and Copenhagen to train at both companies to perfect his extractions.
Their new second shop is in the up-and-coming Kommuna square, equally small inside, but with a large outdoor space straddled by apartment buildings. Many restaurants and cafes have opened here, so the atmosphere is buzzing. Both branches share the same ethos, of providing customers with great baked goods, and hand-picked specialty coffee. Rubi prepares pour-overs on ceramic V60’s, and I enjoyed a washed Ethiopian from Aliena that had a slightly bold body, but retained its acidity and sweetness. Following that, an El Vergel from Coffee Collective, brewed on a pink La Marzocco Linea PB machine, with Felicita scales to ensure high precision extractions.
Imami explained how introducing this form of coffee to a country raised on dark roast Italian espresso is challenging, but the younger demographic are starting to show interest.
Frut’za
What started as a fruit-delivery company, but quickly pivoted to coffee, has become one of Tirana’s most popular hangouts. Similarly to Rubi, they have locations in Blloku, Kommuna, and the newly opened “Vögel” (meaning small) specialty shop along the Lana River. Head to the Blloku and Kommuna locations if you want food with your coffee. The acai and mango bowls are the play here, but the menus are extensive. They also serve a varied amount of blends and single-origins, so you won’t be sacrificing your cup.
The new Vögel location was purpose-built as a specialty lab, so the focus is on the coffee above all. The food menu here is limited to sandwiches and pastry, and their famous juices (a hangover from the original fruit shop). Frut’za sources their coffee from Bulgarian roaster Dabov, run by Jordan Dabov, the sole Bulgarian juror of the Cup of Excellence. I enjoyed an Ethiopian pour-over coffee which was balanced and sweet. I also 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 officially hit Albania. Opened in 2025, and inspired by a trip to Copenhagen, this cafe spills out onto a large patio where people can enjoy their sunny moments. Nöje flexes hard with their selection of eye-catching savory and sweet treats, and the locals flock here, especially on Saturday morning. The buttery, layered croissants are a huge draw for the early morning crowd and fly off the shelves.
NÖJE serves coffee from Greek Omsom Coffee Roasters, who share their sense of minimalism and aesthetics at their Athens base. With their signature blend and single origin coffees, the pairing of pastries with a floral Ethiopian filter coffee was just the ticket. I sat outside enjoying the sunshine, as customers lounged on the deckchairs and sipped iced coffee. A large residential area nearby makes this the perfect meeting place for locals. This should definitely be a stop on your Tirana coffee crawl.
Hana Corner Cafe
Hana fills the gap between the burgeoning specialty scene, and the locals who still prefer their coffee a tad darker. Occupying a small take-out window, with tables reaching out behind the street, the workflow is great for those on the move, or wanting to stay. Their sweet treats are popular, and Hana proudly display trays crammed with blueberry, icing sugar, fig, and almond crusted temptations. Frosted cakes and fat cookies fill in the remaining counter-space.
Hana covers all bases, with matcha, alcohol, juices, hot chocolate, and all the usual espresso-based coffees. By the register, the matcha chasen whisks act as culinary chess pieces willing you to make them work. As you’d imagine, in hip Blloku, they get through a fair amount. The tiny outside ledge was the perfect vantage point to sip a flat white, sit back, and get an idea what Tirana streetlife is all about.
Mimoza n’Qoshe
Hidden in plain sight, 80 meters from Nöje, lies Mimoza. A corner cafe with a surprisingly well curated coffee menu. I would have walked past in blissful ignorance, had not the owner of Rubi suggested I save it in my Google Maps. Mimoza imports coffee from well respected Nowhere Future Coffee Roasters of Milan, and this is a great place to continue your exploration of how the Tirana scene is developing. The staff are genuinely passionate about coffee, and will happily explain how they came to discover light-roast coffee, and their likes or dislikes when it comes to the “natural vs. washed” discussion. Anaerobically fermented coffee is a bit of an “IT word” currently in Tirana, so if you prefer your coffee on the cleaner end, mention it.
My Edinson Argote, orange bourbon from Huila, Colombia packed a vivid stonefruit punch, with traces of passion fruit and papaya. Mimoza has an accommodating inside area, for those rainy days, or those who prefer to avoid cigarette smoke. Being a cafe with a large food menu, this is an added bonus. This is the Balkans after all!
Their slogan emblazoned on the window is: “We love to make coffee for the city that loves to drink it.” That pretty much sums up Tirana.
Benjamin Sand is a freelance journalist and the creator of The Mouth. Read more Benjamin Sand for Sprudge.
