Tirana, a city of cafés

You’re now in a neighborhood where cafés seem to line up one after another, and that’s no coincidence. Tirana, and Albania more broadly, is among the European countries with the highest number of cafés per capita. There are several thousand in the capital alone, so many that people here like to joke there are more cafés than doctors or police officers. But beyond the numbers, what really matters is the role coffee plays in everyday life. In Albania, having a coffee isn’t something you rush or take to go, it’s a social ritual in its own right. People sit down, talk, watch the city pass by, sometimes even for hours. Meeting for a coffee can happen at any time of day, to talk about work, politics, friendships or simply to fill the time. Many Albanians drink several coffees a day, most often Italian-style espressos, a more recent influence, or traditional Turkish coffee, served in a small cup with its grounds. Here, coffee shapes social life, it’s often the starting point of a relationship, a project or a spontaneous conversation. Sitting at a terrace in Tirana isn’t just taking a break, it’s fully stepping into the rhythm and the soul of the city.