Traveling Truly

Kosovo is full of delicious traditional food and quality coffee. Top tier food will be found inside Kosovar homes, so if you can make a friend and score an invite into a home, this cannot be beat! However, this won’t be the case for most travelers. In this installment of our series we’ll discuss how to find the best food, how eating out operates, and even a few of my top recommendations.

Going to Restaurants/Coffee Shops

1. Walk in and choose a table

You do not need to wait to be seated unless you are at a very nice restaurant and someone specifically catches you at the door and shows you where to sit. 99% of the time, you are expected to simply walk in, choose a table, and sit down.

2. Ask for an English menu

Most restaurants in the city center will have English menus available, which they will probably bring you as soon as they hear you speaking anything other than Albanian. If they don’t offer, just ask. If they don’t have one, they will find a server who speaks English to help you.

3. Consider your beverages

Some cities in Kosovo will serve tap water and some will not. It will also depend on the establishment. If you want free water, ask for a glass of water, and if it’s available they will bring it. If not, they will just bring a bottle. Obviously, this is not America so you will not get free refills on anything besides tap water, but feel free to order another drink if you need it!

4. Don’t be afraid to flag down the waiter.

Just like most places outside of America, the wait staff will not be coming around to check on you. Just flag them down when you need anything, including the check. In a coffee shop you can even just get up and go pay your waiter when you’re ready to go.

5. Tipping

Tipping is voluntary. Not expected, but always welcome. If you have the money to tip, 10% is plenty and is very appreciated. You do not need to tip more than that, it can look like you are flashing money around.

6. Stay as long as you like.

When out at a restaurant, expect your meal to take a while. Some places are faster than others, of course, but don’t be in a rush. Enjoy your mealtime, visit with friends, slow down. After your meal, head elsewhere for a coffee. When in Kosovo…

Don’t Miss These Foods!

You will notice that most restaurants in Kosovo have similar menus. Different places will have different strengths, of course, and some menus will be more extensive than others. Here are some of my favorite foods that you should look for during your trip!

At a sit-down restaurant:

• Skenderbeg – a cut of meat stuffed with cheese, fried, and served with cream sauce. My fellow southerners- think country-fried steak on steroids. Be aware that Skenderbeg is also an alcohol, so pay attention when you are ordering so that you are getting the version you want!

• Tavë – there are many versions of this traditional food, and many restaurants which offer this dish will have their own special. They will call it a casserole in English, but it is more like a stew served inside a clay pot.

• Speca me mazë – peppers in cream sauce! Perfect for dipping warm, fresh bread into. One of my very favorites.
• Speca të mbushura – my very-number-one-favorite-of-all-time Albanian food! It simply means “stuffed peppers”. I feel like each country has their own spin on this simple meal, but Albanian style is unbeatable!

From a bakery:

• Burek – a Balkan + Turkish staple, burek is a filled phyllo-dough pastry. It varies from country to country but in Kosovo, you would typically order burek with either meat or cheese. Both are delicious! For the best burek, go specifically to a “Burektore” rather than a regular bakery.
• Mantija – very similar to burek, but I like it even more! Mantija are little balls of phyllo dough stuffed with meat. It is mostly the shape that sets it apart, but it somehow makes a big difference! You can order these by the number of individual pieces that you want.
• Pite – do not think of pita bread!! This is another variation of the phyllo-dough pastry, but in Kosovo pite (pronounced pee-teh) can be stuffed with cheese, spinach, meat, pumpkin, potato, etc. Try some spinach and cheese pite. Do it for me.

• Flija – slow cooked, layered dough that is another Kosovo staple. In all honesty, this one had to grow on me, but now I like it so much! The fresher the better for sure, though!

Fast food:

• Dyner– think Turkish döner, but of course make it Kosovar. Delicious roasted and shaved meat off the pit stuffed inside soft bread and piled with spicy pepper, veggies, and white sauce. Super cheap, super filling, super tasty.
• Pizza – lots of good pizza in Kosovo! The style is going to be different than American or other places, but it’s great and it’s an easy, cheap, and filling meal.
• Pomfrit me djathë – french fries with a salty white cheese. I love this so much when I just want a snack.

None of these foods, except maybe speca te mbushura will be difficult to find. Try to hit as many as you can and let me know what you liked the best! I will also write a separate post on what restaurants to visit during your trip. Comment below with your favorite Albanian foods and what should not be missed in Kosovo.