Tirana is quirky city, and I absolutely loved my visit there! While there may not be loads of tourist attractions to tick off a list, one of the best ways to experience Tirana is by checking out the cool bars around the city! Café culture is huge in the Balkans, and Albania and Tirana is no exception to this. People love to sit out on the patio with a drink and chat with friends. A lot of my favorite places were in the Blloku neighborhood. During the communist regime, this neighborhood was reserved for the elite and normal people couldn’t even walk down the street here. Now, it’s home to fun bars with great atmosphere. Without further ado, here are the absolute BEST and coolest bars in Tirana!

Hemingway

First of all, there is a cat who lives here. So that should convince you to visit right away! But besides that, Hemingway is such a hole-in-the-wall bar, with funky décor (Cuban inspired?) and effortlessly cool vibes. There’s a huge focus on rum, and I had an excellent mojito here. They do live music here every week which is meant to be great!

Rruga Kont Urani (check GoogleMaps for location) // Website

Radio Bar

Radio Bar is awesome. This is a super cool place to come for drinks—they have an indoor area, but they also have a big covered outdoor area too! Again, the décor is definitely quirky (sewing machine table, anyone?) but it’s a great atmosphere. I had a konjakito which was delicious!

Rruga Ismail Qemali P. 29 Ap. 1 // Website

Komiteti Kafe Museum

Definitely one of the most interesting bars on this list, Komieti Kafe Museum is part café/bar, part museum! The place is decked out in old Albanian furniture, artifacts, art pieces, and even the toilets will make you feel like you’ve taken a trip back to the 1970s. It took over 490 days (or 29,400 hours) or work to set the place up, and is dedicated to all the Albanians who worked so hard to create all these incredible items. During the day it’s a great place to come with a laptop and do some work, during the evening it turns seamlessly into more of a bar vibe! Don’t miss this bar on a visit to Tirana!

Rruga Fatmir Haxhiu (check GoogleMaps for location) // Facebook

Nouvelle Vague

Delicious cocktails? Check. Great interior and welcoming seats outside? Check. Good music? Check. Nouvelle Vague ticks all the right boxes and isn’t too expensive. I’d definitely recommend checking out one of their inventive house cocktails! It’s also apparently one of the most gay-friendly bars in Tirana, which is always good to know and pass on to other travelers!

Rruga Pjetër Bogdani (check GoogleMaps for location) // Facebook

Bar My Way

Bar My Way is located right next door to Nouvelle Vague. So if you’re visiting one, you definitely should visit the other. Bar My Way has a small indoor area (just a couple of tables) but they also have a great outdoor patio area. It’s perfect for drinks on a summer evening!

Rruga Pjeter Bogdani, Nr. 4 // Facebook

Tulla Nouvelle

This bar is located on top of the Opera House in Tirana. It’s actually pretty tricky to find. You need to walk up a few flights of stairs on the corner of the building, there’s a café Disco Bar Lux on the ground floor, and you’ll walk past an Italian language institute. Generally it’s open from 8pm-12am.

Pallati i Kultures, (Kati III, Sheshi Skënderbej 1000 // Facebook

Dajti Tower Belvedere Hotel Bar

A trip up the Dajti Express cable car should definitely be on your list of what to do in Tirana! While you’re there, definitely check out the revolving bar at the top of the hotel. You can go out on the viewing terrace for free, or you can sit back and watch the world go by (literally as it rotates you around!) with a drink. Drinks are about 50 lek more expensive here than at the bar on the ground floor of the hotel, but you pay for the views and the service.

Stacioni i poshtem i teleferikut, Komuna Linze, Mali i Dajtit // Website

You’ll most likely be staying overnight to visit all these cool bars. You can book hostels in Tirana here, and book hotels here. You can also sign up to and book accommodation on Airbnb here. Tirana Airport is the only international airport in Albania, so if you’re flying to Albania you’ll be visiting Tirana. I always use Skyscanner to find the best deals on flights. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Tirana has so many cool bars to visit! I honestly loved bar-hopping around the city and enjoying the café culture that is famous in Albania and the Balkans. Don’t miss these cool bars on a visit to Tirana!

Have you been to Tirana before? What was your experience like – and which bar was your favorite?!

You might like my other Balkans posts:

13 Things You Must See In Tirana, Albania

Visiting Berat As A Daytrip From Tirana

Hostel Review: Tirana Backpacker Hostel, Tirana

Why You Should Visit Shkoder, Albania

A Daytrip From Shkoder To Lake Koman And Blini Park: The Craziest Day In Albania!

The Best Cafes And Bars In Pristina, Kosovo

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