Seafood on the Albanian Riviera — what to order and where

On the Ionian coast, seafood isn't a category on the menu — it's the reason to sit down. The water here is clear and cold enough to keep fish firm and sweet, the fishing is still small-scale, and a good taverna cooks with almost aggressive simplicity: grill, olive oil, lemon, maybe a little garlic. Half the pleasure of a Riviera trip is eaten with your hands at a table above the sea.

What to order

Start with the octopus. Ionian octopus, grilled over coals until the edges char and the inside stays tender, is the dish the coast does best — often served with a little oil and oregano, sometimes in a cool salad. After that:

• Mussels (midhje): the Butrint lagoon near Sarandë farms some of the country's best; expect them steamed with garlic and wine, or baked.
• Sea bass and sea bream (levrek, koce): the default whole grilled fish, sold by weight and cooked plain so the freshness carries it.
• Prawns (karkaleca): grilled or in a garlicky sauté, often the sweetest thing on the table.
• Fried small fish and calamari: the easy, shareable starter with a cold beer.

You'll also see risottos, seafood pasta and the occasional fish soup, but the grill is where the Riviera shines.

How to order fresh fish

Whole fish is usually priced by the kilo, not by the plate. This is where visitors get surprised, so do what locals do: ask to see the fish, ask the price per kilo, and let them weigh your choice in front of you before it's cooked. Farmed sea bass is cheaper; wild fish and larger specimens cost more and are worth it on a special night. Fresh fish has clear eyes and firm flesh — a good kitchen will happily show you.

Where and when

Sarandë, Ksamil, Himarë, Dhërmi and Borsh all have honest seafood tavernas, and the little ports around Palasë and Porto Palermo reward anyone who pulls over. Go slightly off peak — June or September — and you'll get the same catch with fewer crowds and a table where the waves are the loudest thing you hear.