
A review of Mrizi i Zanave in Albania
Staying at Mrizi i Zanave is a truly special experience and one of the best things we did as part of our 10 day itinerary for north Albania. The agrotourism hotel is based in Fishtë, an hour and a half north of Tirana and is at the heart of Albania’s slow food movement. What makes it such a special place is that it is at the heart of the community and manages to combine high end dining with a laidback family feel. As well as its superb restaurant, which you can visit for lunch or dinner, it also has accommodation options, which I’d highly recommend.
What makes Mrizi i Zanave so special?
Food and community are at the heart of Mrizi i Zanave and all of the organic food served is either grown on site or supplied by a local network of 300 farmers. Visitors to the farm are invited to tour its vineyards, meat curing and cheese making facilities.

Mrizi i Zanave is owned and run by Altin Prenga and his family. During our stay I had the pleasure of meeting Altin and discovering how passionate he is about the ethos of slow food and his community. I wrote about our meeting in this piece about Albania’s underrated food scene for adventure.com.
What I also love is that while Mrizi i Zanave has now made a name for itself and is quite famous in Albania (it is a favourite of singer Dua Lipa when she visits the country), it has never lost touch with the community. Prices are kept reasonable so that locals can enjoy it too and this is what makes it special when you enjoy a meal there. It really does feel as though it belongs to the people.
Due to its location, its possible to visit Mrizi i Zanave for lunch, either as a day trip from Tirana or on your way up north if you are doing a trip similar to our 10 day itinerary.
However, guests can also stay the night, which I would really recommend if you are able to as it gives you a chance to explore more of the farm and also to experience the amazing breakfast!
Getting to Mrizi i Zanave
Mrizi i Zanave is based in the village of Fishtë, 90 minutes north of Tirana and is quite straightforward to drive to if you have hired a car. (Be sure to check out my driving in Albania tips before you do this.)
If you are not planning to drive in Albania, there are plenty of tours which can take you either directly to Mrizi i Zanave or stop there for lunch on the way to Shkodër.
Get Your Guide is currently offering a good selection of different options:
Lunch at Mrizi i Zanave
Lunch at Mrizi i Zanave is the most popular meal of the day and the restaurant is usually very busy, both with international visitors and locals. I would recommend booking in advance if you plan to visit independently.
There are two lovely dining rooms indoors, with views of the farm, as well as a large outdoor seating area, which is shaded by grape vines. If you visit at the right time you may also witness the daily goose parade, as the geese which are used as natural pest control in the vineyards are led back to their roosts at the end of the day.
One of the things I loved about the restaurant is that the menu changes daily, depending on what is available seasonally. Nothing is written down, but the waiting staff offer diners a few options and a selection of dishes are served family-style. It was easily the best food we ate on our entire trip and what makes it a truly special experience, is that the dining room is also full of local people, so it really feels as though you are getting a taste of traditional Albanian cooking.
You can make a reservation for lunch at Mrizi i Zanave via email or phone. If you have any dietary requirements, it would definitely be worth flagging these in advance. The menu is quite meat and dairy heavy, so I’d definitely advise this for any vegans planning to visit.
Staying at Mrizi i Zanave
Staying at Mrizi i Zanave was our favourite part of our trip to north Albania. (In fact my daughter cried when it was time to leave!)
We stayed in a family room in the stylishly converted farmhouse. The large room included a double bed and bunk beds. It also had a balcony with a view of the farm and we enjoyed sitting out on it in the evening, after our little adventurers had gone to bed.

If you book to stay at Mrizi i Zanave, a dining reservation is automatically made for you. Like lunch, dinner at Mrizi i Zanave changes day by day and is recommended to you by the waiter.
We began our meal with tangy fresh pomegranate juice – a real treat in Albania and a melt-in-the-mouth amuse bouche of goat’s cheese mousse.

Next up was several platters of starters, including byrek (layers of thin pastry) stuffed with ribbons of spinach; wedges of cheese, coloured purple by grape pomace; slices of cured meat and deep fried zucchini/courgette flowers.

It was difficult not to fill up on the starters, but we had to save ourselves for the main course: kid goat meat, which fell off the bone and was served with a selection of vegetables.
There was a choice of delicious looking options for dessert, but we were so stuffed that we just opted for some fresh fruit to round off the meal.
After a good night’s sleep, we woke to the sound of goats bleating and a buffet breakfast served in the dining room. As you’d expect, the breakfast was hearty, with everything from the bread and eggs to the honey and pomegranates produced on site.
It you’re driving a campervan around Albania, it is possible to camp in a shaded area of the farm. There is also fun little bar, with haybales, where you can chill out and have a drink in the evening.
Are children welcome at Mrizi i Zanave?
Children are definitely welcome at Mrizi i Zanave and one of the things we appreciated the most is how family friendly it is. On the evening we had dinner, I felt a little nervous as we walked into a very quiet dining room, where the tables were laid for a formal dinner.
However, we were quickly made to feel welcome and informed that the food is served family style, so the children could just choose what they liked from the big platters. It didn’t take long for the dining room to fill up, with lots of multi-generation families – some celebrating birthdays – and it was so lovely to be surrounded by so much joy.
As I’ve already mentioned, there is no menu as such, but there was plenty of things my little adventurers were happy to eat, including fresh bread, olives, byrek, cheese and cured meats.
Because Mrizi i Zanave is also a working farm, it is perfect for entertaining little ones. There are a huge number of goats which children are welcome to feed, as well as geese, rabbits and even a few ostriches!
There is also a little train made out of empty oil drums, pulled by a tractor, which drives around the farm every afternoon, which our little adventurers loved. (I’m not going to lie, Mr A and I also enjoyed a ride on it too!)
All in all, a visit to Mrizi i Zanave shouldn’t be missed when planning a holiday in Albania. Not only will you enjoy some of the best food on your trip, but you will also experience some true Albanian hospitality.