Neighbourhood guide · Tirana, Albania
Blloku
South-west of the centre, Blloku was closed to ordinary citizens until 1991. Today its leafy grid is the city’s favourite place to eat, drink and go out.
About Blloku
Cafés fill the pavements by day; restaurants, cocktail bars and lounges take over at night. Postbllok marks its edge on the boulevard.
Busy and noisy at weekends; if you sleep here, ask for a quiet room.
Where Blloku is
Our 41 places in Blloku
Restaurants in Blloku
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On a quiet lane off Bogdani
À la Santé
A Mediterranean restaurant hidden down a side street just south of Rruga Pjetër Bogdani in Blloku.
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Handmade pasta
Artigiano
Italian cooking with handmade pasta and pizza, popular with locals; several branches in the city.
Rruga Papa Gjon Pali IIExplore View on map
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Albanian wine by the glass
Bufe Wine Bistro
One of the first places in Tirana to embrace brunch, and a good spot to taste local wines by the glass later in the day.
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A Blloku bistro
Coko Bistro & Bar
A bistro and bar in the heart of Blloku.
Rruga Pjetër BogdaniExplore View on map
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A Tirana institution
Era Blloku
One of Tirana’s best-loved restaurants: Albanian classics, pizzas and salads at fair prices, always busy.
Rruga Ismail Qemali 13/2Explore View on map
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Mediterranean in Blloku
Fresh Garden
A Blloku restaurant with Mediterranean fusion cooking and a garden setting.
Rruga Brigada VIIIExplore View on map
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The Naples original
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
The Tirana branch of the famous Naples pizzeria, with fresh pasta and classic pizzas.
Rruga Brigada VIIIExplore View on map
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A garden in Blloku
Padam
Fine dining in a boutique hotel off Blloku, with a garden patio and a tasting menu.
Rruga Papa Gjon Pali IIExplore View on map
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No fixed menu
Terracotta
A small Mediterranean kitchen whose chefs cook from what is fresh that day, with homemade pasta and salads.
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Named for the Ninja Turtles
Turtles Pizza
A Blloku pizzeria opened in April 2023, named after the cartoon heroes and their love of pizza.
Rruga Perlat RexhepiExplore View on map
Cafés in Blloku
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Roasted on site
Coffee-Lab
A café that roasts its own coffee on site and is happy to explain the process.
Rruga Nikolla TupeExplore View on map
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Chocolate, crêpes and gelato
D’Angelo Chocolate Café
A chocolate café for hot chocolate, waffles, crêpes, soft gelato and coffee.
Rruga Papa Gjon Pali IIExplore View on map
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Where Blloku meets
LaVeen
An unassuming Blloku café and restaurant, busy from morning to night with the neighbourhood’s professional crowd.
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The Mulliri flagship
Mulliri Gourmet
The flagship of the Mulliri i Vjetër coffee chain, on a Blloku street corner, with rare single-origin coffees and signature cocktails.
Rruga Ibrahim RugovaExplore View on map
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Berlin-roasted beans
The Back Room
A specialty coffee shop on Rruga Sulejman Delvina using beans from Berlin roaster The Barn.
Rruga Sulejman DelvinaExplore View on map
Bars in Blloku
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Down the steps
Birrari Ke Tori
A friendly beer bar a few steps below street level, with grilled meat, a small terrace and cold local beer.
Rruga Vaso PashaExplore View on map
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German beer, live stage
Cheers Irish Pub
A busy pub on Rruga Pjetër Bogdani with German beers, burgers and a stage for live acts.
Rruga Pjetër BogdaniExplore View on map
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Named after the Simpsons beer
Duff
A long-time expat favourite with burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, beer pong and American sports on screen.
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Over 100 rums
Hemingway Bar
A friendly bar devoted to rum, with a huge selection, cocktails and occasional live music.
Rruga Kont UraniExplore View on map
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Live local bands
Illyrian Saloon
A below-street-level rock bar with cheap drinks and live local bands at weekends.
Rruga Perlat RexhepiExplore View on map
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Something on every night
Juliette Cocktail Bar
A bar known above all for live music, with rock shows, Latin nights and karaoke.
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The Mulliri lounge
Mugo
An elegant lounge bar from the Mulliri group, serving brunch by day and cocktails, sushi and burgers by night.
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Talk to strangers
MyWay
The unofficial headquarters of Tirana’s alternative crowd, with cheap drinks, friendly staff and pets welcome.
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Stylish Blloku bar
Nouvelle Vague
A chic Blloku bar for cocktails, including raki cocktails.
Rruga Pjetër BogdaniExplore View on map
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Retro radios and cocktails
Radio Bar
A Blloku favourite decorated with old radios, photos and film posters, with a garden and cocktails.
Rruga Ismail QemaliExplore View on map
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A view over the city
Sky Club Bar
A bar at the top of the Sky Tower, with views over Blloku and the city.
Nightlife in Blloku
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Where Tirana goes out
Blloku after dark
The former closed quarter of the communist leadership is now the city’s liveliest nightlife district.
Rruga Pjetër BogdaniExplore View on map
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Vintage-cinema theme
Kino
A vintage-cinema-themed bar on Rruga Pjetër Bogdani that is one of the biggest party spots in Blloku.
Rruga Pjetër BogdaniExplore View on map
Hotels in Blloku
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A retreat in Blloku
Grand Hotel & Spa
A deluxe serviced hotel with a spa on Rruga Ismail Qemali, in the heart of Blloku.
Rruga Ismail QemaliExplore View on map
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In the heart of Blloku
Mulaj Hotel
A modern four-star hotel in Blloku with a bistro, ten minutes from Skanderbeg Square.
Rruga Donika KastriotiExplore View on map
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A garden hideaway
Padam Boutique Hotel
A boutique hotel off Blloku, with one of the city’s best restaurants in its garden.
Rruga Papa Gjon Pali IIExplore View on map
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Colourful Blloku base
Triss Hotel
A comfortable hotel on Rruga Brigada VIII in Blloku, a few minutes’ walk from the main sights.
Rruga Brigada VIIIExplore View on map
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Five stars in Blloku
Xheko Imperial Luxury Hotel & Spa
A five-star hotel with a spa on the edge of Blloku.
Rruga Ibrahim Rugova 56Explore View on map
Sights in Blloku
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Now an artists’ residence
Former residence of Enver Hoxha (Vila 31)
The villa in Blloku where Albania’s communist leader lived, now used as an artists’ residence and cultural space.
Rruga Ismail QemaliExplore View on map
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Bunker, Berlin Wall and Spaç
Postbllok – Checkpoint
A memorial on the edge of Blloku with a bunker, a piece of the Berlin Wall and pillars from the Spaç labour camp.
Rruga Ibrahim RugovaExplore View on map
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Tirana from above
Sky Tower viewpoint
A tower on the edge of Blloku with a panoramic bar at the top.
Culture in Blloku
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Contemporary art
Galeria FAB
A gallery of the University of Arts showing contemporary exhibitions.
Rruga Ibrahim RugovaExplore View on map
Shopping in Blloku
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Artistic jewellery
Argjendari Pirro
An Albanian jewellery maker with a flagship store, known for its own designs in silver, gold and gemstones.
Rruga Gjin Bue ShpataExplore View on map
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A taste of home
Baronesha
The expats’ favourite deli in Blloku, stocking imported foods that are hard to find elsewhere in Albania.
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English novels upstairs
Bookland & Galeria ETC
One of Tirana’s first modern shopping centres, with a Conad supermarket and the Bookland bookshop upstairs.
Health + Wellness in Blloku
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A palace-style spa
Xheko Imperial Fitness & Spa
The fitness centre and spa of the Xheko Imperial Luxury Hotel on Rruga Ibrahim Rugova.
Rruga Ibrahim Rugova 56Explore View on map
See the full list: Health + Wellness in Tirana: Hospitals, Clinics & Spas