Tirana nightlife

Tirana nightlife guide

Nightclubs, discos, clubs and bars

Despite its large and varied offer of bars and clubs and decent prize level Tirana nightlife does not sound appealing to most foreigners. But Tirana is a hidden gem colourful and mysterious and luckily not spoilt by British staggers parties. Like most countries on the Balkan, Albania has a strong café-culture and there is a thin line between cafés and discos; laidback bars during daytime can easily turn into jam-packed clubs at evenings.

Many bars and club’s can be found in the Bllok area and especially Rr (street) Pjetër Bogdani. Charl's Bistro (Pjetër Bogdani street 36) is one of the most popular lounge bars visited by a fashionable and more mature crowd of locals chatting and drinking to the backdrop of eighties music. There are often live concerts and the bar in Charl's Bistro’s garden is a great place for chilling and sipping cocktails or stronger local spirits during hot summer evenings. Across the street you will find Lollipop (Pjetër Bogdani street 32). Lollipop has the reputation of being Tirana’s most trendy club frequented by the cool crowd of Tirana. The music served by DJs in Lollipop during weekends is usually house. In the same Rr. Pjetër Bogdani you will find sleek bars like Bon Bon, which is serving the best Mojitos in town, and Zero 42, an excellent place for sipping wines and cocktails.

For the alternative crowd and rock-lovers Rr. Pjetër Bogdani has also enough on offer like Lizard which has live rock music from Wednesday to Saturday and the colourful painted Canon which is the favourite hangout of Tirana’s indie-rock youngsters. Tirana Rock on Abdyl Frashëri street is another bar that has offers rock concerts and parties. Rock 'n Roll (Rr. Dervish Hima) is a small bar with a laid-back atmosphere and cheerful clientele which is very popular with local and foreigners alike who come to listen to roots music like blues, country and some golden oldies rock 'n roll songs. If you would like to mingle with local student crowd and the high educated local ladies you have a lot of options to choose from in Tirana. Raum on Vaso Pasha street is the loudest student hangout in town. Be prepared to meet cheerful students jumping and lovely local ladies shaking their tails on a sweaty dance floor. Also popular with students as well as artists and intellectuals is Converse, a tiny basement bar on Rr. Vaso Pasha where most people have quiet conversations, sip coffee or play chess. Les intellectual and much more pretentious is Davidoff Club on Dëshmorët e 4 Shkurtit Boulevard. Tit is all about seeing or being seen in this trendy bar. From the large bar on the first floor you have an excellent view over the busy streets and terraces below. Hip youngsters also like to hang out in Alfa Club on Barrikadave street 14w which has all ingredients for a fun night. Radio (Ismail Qemali 29/1) is another favourite with students. This cool bar is funny decorated with antique radios scattered around and makes a perfect venue for chilling, chatting and flirting with the locals. Papafingo (Gjin Bue Shpata street) is tucked away on the top floor of some building - Papafingo means attic in Albanian – and is very hard to find. Of all student hangouts Papafingo has the cheapest booze in Tirana.

Besides many student watering holes and rock joints Tirana offers a lot of stylish cocktail bars and flashy dance clubs. Sharm Club (Sheshi Italia street) next to the Sheraton Tirana Hotel on Sheshi Italia is one of the most stylish clubs in town. Its large outdoor space is a good place to cool down from the local hotties and warm summer nights. Venue Dance Club on Sadik Petrela street 20, northeast of the centre, is a real institution in Tirana’s nightlife. On its dance floor you will be surrounded by gorgeous local ladies dancing to house and the outgoing atmosphere and cheap drinks assure an evening of pure pleasure. Calvin has also all ingredients for an evening full of unpretentious fun: a cheerful crowd, glamorous girls and turbo folk music. You can find Calvin on Elbasanit street 118/1, just East of the centre. Another hot club in Tirana is The Living Room on Rr. Presidenti George W. Bush 16). The Living Room is Tirana’s most popular club frequented by the local hip crowd and attractive local ladies. When you are tired of dancing to the eclectic mix of electronic dance tunes you can stretch out on one of the 70’s sofa’s, chill and socialize with the locals.

Expats in Tirana usually head to Flares (Rr. Brigada VIII) which is famous for its karaoke evenings and its friendly and party-minded atmosphere. Stylus Club Marriott, a lively café situated on Rr. Ismail Qemali offers well-attended karaoke sessions as well during the weekends. Another favourite hangout of expats in Tirana is the AUS Bar which is located behind the so-called ‘twin towers’ which are across the main boulevard. AUS Bar is considered to be a good pick up place of pro and semi-pro girls. The stylish decorated Buddha Bar on Ismail Qemali street is an excellent venue for chilling and watching the beautiful ladies sipping delicious cocktails. The Sky Club Panoramic Bar & Restaurant (Dëshmorët e 4 Shkurtit street 5) situated on the roof top of Tirana’s highest building is a good place to meet your local date. This rotating restaurant on the 17th floor level of the Sky Tower offers spectacular views over the city. Also in the Twin Towers on Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard you have stylish bars offering a panoramic view and a great ambiance for meeting your local date. On the third floor of the Twin Towers you can find Odin offering dance parties on Saturdays and Bulevard Café where you can have a comfortable sit at the bar amongst photos of Old Tirana. For chilling on high level you should not skip Caramel Lounge in the same building when exploring Tirana nightlife. The best views in town is provided by MonarC Bar, a trendy bar frequented by the hip crowd of Tirana. MonarC Bar, situated on the highest level of the upscale boutique hotel MonarC (Intersection. Rr.  George W. Bush Road and Blvd. Zhan d'Ark) grands magnificent panorama views over the city of Tirana