Where to Eat in Durres and How Much it Cost (2025)

Compared to my where to eat in Tirana list, this Durres one is pretty short. I was only in Durres for 10 days, and the truth is after eating out so much in Tirana, I just wanted to cook for myself.

But there were days when I wanted to experience the local food scene, especially when I had been out all day exploring the sites of Durres.

Food in Durres is definitely cheaper than Tirana, by about 25%. This is one of the reasons I think Durres is worth visiting.

I was never charged extra for bread, and even received complimentary bruschetta and/or fruit. That never happened in Tirana!

Where to Eat in Durres and How Much it Cost

I mostly ate at places around my neighbourhood, Pranvera, which is very central and very local.

I avoided restaurants in the tourist areas (in this case by the beach and port). I wanted to eat where the locals in Durres go. That is where the best food is and prices are. I hate being overcharged!

1. Te Nona N’Durres

square plate of stuffed pepper, small white tureen with carrot ginger soup and blue bowl with Greek salad on blue and white place mat at Te Nona N'Durres — My dinner of stuffed peppers, Greek salad and carrot ginger soup came to 900 lek ($10.50 USD), with a complimentary basket of bread

This place was just around the corner from my Airbnb, and ended up being a real find. I would have gone back again but I ran out of time in Durres.

There’s no printed menu because it changes daily, but the owner showed me the day’s options listed on her phone. Although there’s no set menu, they always have traditional Albanian food and some international dishes.

Poke bowls and carrot ginger soup were on the menu the day I was there!

My food was delicious, service quick and welcoming, and the restaurant itself was comfortable with nice Albanian music in the background.

2. Peshk i Fresket Bracja 2

fish display inside Peshk i Fresket Bracja 2 in Durres — Select your fish and the ladies cook it for you however you want

take away tray full of kalamari on a brown tray at Peshk i Fresket Bracja 2 - the best place to eat fresh seafood in Durres — This kalamari and a big serving of fresh anchovies cost 900 lek ($10.50 USD)

I heard this place was good, but when I got there I realized it’s not a restaurant, but a fish shop. It’s run by two very efficient ladies who will help you select the fish, and then cook it while you wait.

There’s a couple of small tables outside, so I just set up there and enjoyed my kalamari and fresh anchovies. But most people get it to go. Service was fast, and the fish extremely fresh. You can buy drinks there, but no bread or green salad.

3. Bar Rosticeri Gazi

Interior of Bar Rosticeri Gazi with square tables and blue awning outside — Simple restaurant but excellent food that came with complimentary bread, bruschetta and fresh fruit

white plate of seafood spagetti with shimp and mussels at Bar Rosticeri Gazi in Durres — Seafood pasta, kalamari and Greek salad came to 1350 lek ($15.50 USD)

Another very local restaurant, run by the owner (and another family member cooking in the kitchen). I love these small Albanian restaurants – the food is usually really good. This one specializes in Albanian dishes and seafood.

Not only was everything fresh and delicious, the owner brought out complimentary bruschetta and fresh fruit. And the bruschetta was amazing – I would have been happy just eating that for lunch!

4. Liriada Restaurant

White dishes of spinach, stuffed peppers and big piece of pastitsio and bread basket at Liriada in Durres — My first meal in Durres was at Liriada – all this and a big Greek salad was 1050 lek ($12 USD)

Liriada Restaurant is a big, casual restaurant with delicious home cooking.

The casseroles and vegetable dishes are behind a glassed in counter – so you can see everything and choose what you like. There is a menu you can order from, but I love seeing everything prepared and just pointing to what I want.

Food is simple but good, and prices cannot be beat.

5. Pasticeri Pelikan

interior view of Pasticeri Pelikan Qender in Durres, my favouite dessert place — Pasticeri Pelikan also has a gelato counter

white pastry box with 4 fancy pastries inside, including one shaped like a mouse — All of these plus a big piece of orange cake came to 710 lek ($8 USD)

This is the best pastry shop in Durres. I think it’s one of the best in the entire Balkan region, and I have been to a lot! In a way I’m thankful I didn’t go there until my last couple of days in Durres, because I would have gone daily.

You can buy everything at Pasticeri Pelikan: cookies, baklavas, pastry, cake, puddings, chocolates, gelato, tarts. There’s a few locations in Durres, and I went to the one in the centre (Qender).

The Qender location has a nice indoor area where you can have coffee and enjoy dessert.

6. Fast Food 1Maji

young man assembling a sufflaq behind a super clean counter with condiments at 1Maji in Durres — That’s my sufflaqe he’s making, which cost 250 lek ($2.90 USD)

Exterior view of 1Maji with signage — Don’t go to the fast food place next to Fast Food 1Maji, make sure you go here with the red sign

Super clean shop and delicious sufflaqes. A sufflaqe is a gyro, but in Albania gyros are stuff with french fries too. They only do chicken here – it’s halal.

Fast food in Albania often means gryos – not hamburgers.

What makes this place so good is they use real tzatziki instead of mayo or garlic sauce. And the sufflaqes are bursting. You need a lot of napkins!

I couldn’t find Fast Food 1Maji on Google maps, but it’s located on Rruga Kasem Durresi just after the roundabout heading north.

7. Byreke Sivete Tradita

exterior full view of Byreke Sivete Tradita in Durres — My local byrek shop on Rruga Kasem Durresi

I went to this byrek shop by my Airbnb several times when I was in Durres. The byrek was always good. I had byrek from other places too, but this one was near my place and tasty.

Byrek is a traditional pie made with phyllo and filled with various ingredients such as potato, spinach, meat, cabbage, and cheese. It’s Albania’s favourite breakfast food. In the morning you’ll see lots of people eating them on the street.

Prices of byrek vary depending on the stuffing. I paid 60 lek ($0.70 USD) for potato byrek and 100 lek ($1.15 USD) for spinach.

Last Words on Where to Eat in Durres and How Much it Cost

I enjoyed everywhere I ate in Durres. There were a couple of byrek shops I wouldn’t return to (I have not listed them), but I would return to all of the places listed here.

Generally, the best food and prices are always away from tourist hot spots. Durres isn’t big, so it doesn’t take long to get into the local neighbourhoods and visit restaurants the locals frequent. If you see a spot full of Albanians, it’s probably going to be good!