Byrek

We have arrived in Albania! We meet Endrit, our guide from Albania Private Guide at the airport and all of a sudden we are really on our way! One of our first decisions is what to eat? The clear winner is Byrek.

These tasty little Albanian pies come most traditionally with meat or a cheese & spinach filling. Today at Vila “Met Çela”, in Lushnjë, we are treated to a taste of four different varieties. The meat, cheese & spinach, cheese and tomato & onion. We begin by ordering six between the four of us. Endrit has a plate of three for himself and it’s abundantly clear that they’re a hit with all of us. We order more.

Byrek is the only thing that the restaurant serves, by way of food, so it’s lucky that we are enjoying them. Endrit explains that this particular restaurant is famous for Byrek. It started as a small outlet and has grown to a garden restaurant serving variations of this one dish. I can see why they’re famous for Byrek and also how they have managed to grow and expand on this concept.

The Byrek are simple yet delicious. These savory pies can be anything from a quick roadside snack to a sit down cafe meal, depending on how much time you have and how many you choose to consume. The meat is fragrant, the spinach & cheese hearty, the plain cheese wholesome and the tomato and onion delightfully savory. Really, just try stopping at one.

Good To Know

Vila Met Cela is located in Lushnjë on the road between Tirana and Berat. This local gem is worth popping in to but note that credit cards are not accepted and local currency (Albanian Lek) is required. Our guide, Endrit from Privaate Guide Albania, helped with ordering, interpretations and some local currency to tide us over when we fell short.

Would I Return?

Yes. On the road south of Tirana, just the thought of byrek would leave me here.