Illyrian Saloon

Best bar in Tirana, we became best friends with the bartender ( he was super nice). We loved the place so much that we there 3 nights in a row for our pres. They all kind of interesting shots and drinks. We tried the grape raki it was alright but we had to try the traditional Albanian drink. Overall 10/10

Popped in on a Friday evening after reading great reviews online (thank you, reddit). As a solo traveller, sometimes it's difficult to find good bars that welcome you, and this place did that and more. The people I sat next to were local regulars and knew the bartenders well. They were extremely friendly, offered me great tips for Albania, and just generally were great locals to get to know. Other patrons in the bar were also very friendly, and I met a fellow solo traveller. Cocktails were delicious, I would really recommend the pirate's bay one - only 650 lek - and incredible to boot! The shots were generously poured and were around 400 lek. I had 3 cocktails, 1 shot, and 1 bottle of water, and the total + tip was around 2500 lek.

Really cool theme and lovely staff. Great if you enjoy rock and metal music as well as a range of delicious IPAs (the Goat Head IPA is lovely). Would definitely return in the future.