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If you’re a coffee enthusiast, brunch lover, or digital nomad who is visiting Saranda then you’re in the right place as we’ve compiled the best cafes to choose from in this coastal town!
Tirana might be leading the way in Albanian coffee culture with its hipster neighbourhoods and speciality coffee shops, but the coffee scene is well and truly alive throughout the rest of the country too.
And this includes Saranda, which has an abundance of cafes dotted around town!
This is great news for coffee lovers (actually, you could say addicts) like us!
However, having such a selection of cafes to choose from comes with the caveat of having to sift through review after review to find where makes a good brew.
Because, let’s face it, no one wants to ruin their morning by ending up with a bad coffee – especially if you’re on a summer holiday!
Well, don’t worry, as I’ve done the hard work for you and crafted this complete list of the best cafes in town. After multiple visits to Saranda, including an extended stay while working as a digital nomad, I left no stone unturned when it comes to coffee in Saranda.
So, whether you’re looking to grab a quality coffee before hitting the beach, or find somewhere with a tasty brunch or cake to go with it, or get some laptop work done, this is the guide for you!
Where To Find The Best Coffee In Saranda
Below, I’ve pinned all of the coffee shops on the map, which shows where they are in relation to one another and the centre of Saranda.
They’re all walkable and most are only a few minutes from the promenade.
However, there are a couple slightly further from the centre and one or two located further up the hillside that Saranda is built on.
Related Post: Saranda Travel Guide: Things To Do, Day Trips and More
10 Best Saranda Cafes
From the best brunch spots, to cafes with a view, to those with fast wifi, we were impressed with the variety of cafes in Saranda.
And we wasted no time, sampling our first coffee straight off our bus from Tirana!
While each coffee shop has its own characteristics, the one thing you can be sure of is that we had a good coffee in each of the cafes in this list!
We’ve also included whether the cafes have wifi and the download speed that we tested on our visit. Of course, wifi speeds can change, but it can be a general guide if good wifi is important for you.
Unfortunately, on our most recent trip to Saranda we found that our absolute favourite cafe, Queen Coffee Bistro, has closed. And to rub salt into the wound, it’s been taken over by none other than the Burger King fast food chain!
1. Zum Cafe
Our favourite coffee in Saranda.
Wifi: Yes (14 mbps)
Cappuccino Price: 200 ALL
Opening times: 8am – 4.30pm
Where else to start than with the cafe with our favourite tasting coffee in town!
With a very central location, just a few streets back from the promenade, Zum Cafe is a trendy place to sit in for coffee or brunch.
Their light interior, complemented by wooden tables, paintings, and green plants and ferns, is as boho as you’ll find in Saranda.
I’m not saying you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to Bali, but it feels modern and stylish with the waffles, salads, and other brunch options to match. We only stopped in for coffee, but we wished we hadn’t eaten earlier as the brunch looked delicious!
As well as their all-day breakfast dishes, they also have more breakfast options available from 9am until 2pm, before they switch to their lunch and dinner menu.
You can expect mainly western-style dishes (such as avocado toast, sandwiches, and burgers), as well as coffees, juices, wine, beer, and cocktails to wash it down.
So for tasty coffee and a great breakfast or brunch in the heart of Saranda, head to Zum Cafe!
2. Limani Bar Restaurant
Best for a waterfront location.
Wifi: Yes (a bit patchy but our highest test was 20 mbps)
Cappuccino Price: 250 ALL
Opening times: 7am – 11.30pm
Sitting in the middle of the small Limani Marina with boats docked on either side, Limani Bar Restaurant was an immediate hit with us for its unbeatable location right on the waterfront in the centre of the promenade.
As well as the sea view, Limani has a line of shaded tables right on the water’s edge, which quickly became one of our favourite places for a morning machiatto!
Understandably, it’s not just us that thinks this, and this prime location draws a lot of people, especially at the weekend. But even if you can’t nab a table by the water, there is plenty of other shaded outdoor and indoor tables.
However, the wifi was very patchy and not very fast so we wouldn’t recommend coming here to work. Instead, it’s a place to sit back and enjoy a coffee right on the water!
3. Sweesh
Best for coffee and cake.
Wifi: Yes (200 mbps)
Cappuccino Price: 200 ALL
Opening times: 8am – Midnight
As a self-confessed sweet tooth, Sweesh was one of my favourite finds! The cake selection here is excellent so, unless you’re watching your calories, it’s a must-visit!
They also have a variety of ice cream flavours too which can definitely help with Albania’s stifling summer temperatures.
Located in the centre of town, just one street back from the promenade, Sweesh have shaded outdoor seating as well as indoor tables with some of the softest and comfiest cafe couches I’ve ever sat on!
The wifi is also lightning fast here with our tests coming in at 200+ mbps!
4. Vive Mare
Best for fast wifi.
Wifi: Yes (230 mbps)
Cappuccino Price: 250 ALL
Opening times: 7am – Midnight
With the fastest wifi speeds we managed to find in Saranda (the only one where the upload speed was also greater than 200 mbps), Vive Mare is a great spot, located a few streets up from the main section of Saranda’s public beach.
This means that it also has a fantastic view of the bay and Corfu in the distance, so it’s another ‘coffee and a view’ spot! As well as the views we also really enjoyed the coffee and the overall arty vibe in this cute cafe.
If you have nice weather (which we sadly didn’t), I’d recommend sitting out on the open-air terrace as it’s a great spot to sip on your brew and enjoy the view! There are also better tables for laptop work out on the terrace too.
5. Caffe Italia
Best coffee spot on the south side of town.
Wifi: Yes (but it was a bit sporadic ranging between 5-40 mbps)
Cappuccino Price: 240 ALL
Opening times: 7am – 2am
If your hotel is located on the southern side of Saranda, along Rruga Butrinti, and you’re looking for a coffee spot close by, Caffe Italia is the one.
With a stylish interior, comfy chairs, and big windows that look back towards the bay of Saranda, it’s a fantastic little espresso bar.
Alongside their excellent coffee, Caffe Italia also serve alcoholic drinks including their highly rated cocktails.
There’s an outdoor seating area here too but shade is limited and many of the tables are in the sun during the afternoon, so just bear that in mind.
Even though we never stayed in this part of town, we still made several trips along to enjoy what became one of our favourite tasting coffees in Saranda. We particularly enjoyed it in the late afternoon and often stayed to watch the sun go down, which it’s a prime spot for!
If you don’t fancy walking, then you can catch the city bus from the port or central bus stop for 100 ALL as it travels along this street on the way to Ksamil and Butrint.
6. Noname Bar
Best for people watching on the promenade.
Wifi: Yes (60 mbps)
In the mood to sit back with your coffee (or Aperol Spritz) and watch the world go by on Saranda’s lively promenade?
That’s what we did on a few occasions and Noname Bar was our favourite spot to do so.
Located on the southern end of the promenade, right behind the biggest of Saranda’s free beaches, this small open-air coffee and cocktail bar has a great vibe and is like a little shaded oasis on a wooden terrace complete with overhanging greenery and palm trees
We also found the wifi stretches to the nearby beach, so if anything, it could be a tactical first-day coffee!!
7. Corner Bar
Best for value for money.
Wifi: Yes (60 mbps)
Cappuccino Price: 120 ALL
Opening times: 6.30am – 11.30pm
Corner Bar is the most affordable cafe that we found in Saranda where you’re still guaranteed to be served quality coffee.
It was also right next to our apartment on our third trip so we grabbed a macchiato here most days! It gave us the boost we needed before heading out on day trips to the likes of the Blue Eye, Butrint, Mirror Beach, Shpella E Pellumbave, and our early morning ferry to Corfu.
The price, along with its central location and quality of coffee, definitely played a part in why it was always pretty busy when we passed mid-morning. However, it tended to quieten down by the afternoon so it was one of our go-to’s for getting some work done on our laptops.
With indoor and outdoor seating, the Corner Bar has a cool interior style with red brick walls and comfy, cushioned seats.
There is a small surcharge of 10 ALL if you’re taking away and, like most cafes, it’s cash only here.
Don’t Miss A Boat Trip To Kroreza Beach!
Join the exact tour we did with GetYourGuide, which was one of our favourite trips in Saranda!
8. Hashtag2
Best for alternative milks.
Wifi: Yes (10 mbps)
Cappuccino Price: 250 ALL
Opening times: 6am – 1am
Yet another stylish cafe bar, we checked out Hashtag2 for its coffee before catching the bus to Ksamil from the stop around the corner.
However, we heard it’s also popular for its avocado toast and alternative milk options which are difficult to find in Saranda.
So, if you’re on the hunt for a coffee with non-dairy milk and don’t fancy trekking up to Lulu Cafe, Hashtag2 has you covered.
Also on the menu are milkshakes, lemonade, and ice tea as well as pasta, salad, sandwiches, and burgers which you can enjoy on their shaded, outdoor seating or upstairs on the terrace.
The only dampener on our experience at Hashtag2 was that it’s located on the corner of a busy crossroads, so it was a bit noisy and hectic, but that’s Saranda in the summer for you!
It’s not a dealbreaker, just something to bear in mind if you’re looking for a peaceful spot.
9. Rox Cafe Bar
Best for a unique rock vibe.
Cappuccino Price: 200 ALL
Opening times: 7.30am – 2am
I had to include Rox Cafe Bar as even before we tried our coffee, we were loving the unique retro rockstar theme!
This is complemented by the dark and moody yet quirky interior, along with posters and photographs of famous icons hanging on the walls.
Rox isn’t just a cool vibe though, the coffee is also excellent (including their iced coffee) and it’s got a great location just one street back from the promenade at the southern end. I didn’t catch his name but we received the friendliest in Saranda from the barista here.
On our second visit to Saranda our accommodation was close by, so we visited almost daily for a takeaway before our stroll along the promenade.
We only have good things to say about Rox Cafe Bar and it’s definitely one to visit while in Saranda!
10. Jesa Cafe Bar
Best on the port side of town.
Wifi: Yes (90 mbps)
Most of the cafes on this list are in the centre or southern side of Saranda as we didn’t come across any in the northern part of town that deserved a spot.
That is, until we sat in and grabbed a coffee at Jesa Cafe Bar.
Located a short walk from Saranda Port, Jesa’s classy lounge-style seating is the perfect place to enjoy an excellent view of the bay from this side. Past the ferries docked nearby, we could see the tree-lined promenade backed by the more modern apartment buildings and hotels that have been built on the southern side.
There’s strong and consistent wifi here and, like almost all other cafes in Saranda, the bar serves alcoholic beverages too.
If you’re staying near the port or are keen on taking in the view from this side of town, Jesa Cafe Bar is the place to go.
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Cafe Wi-Fi For Digital Nomads In Saranda
We noticed that each time we’ve come back to Saranda, the wifi speeds have been better and better. So, if the speeds are different to our tests, it should be for faster numbers!
Saranda has been a growing choice for digital nomads and we can see why with its affordable living, coastal setting, and its close proximity to some of the best beaches in Albania. Combine this with the ever-developing internet infrastructure and I can only see it getting more popular!
Coworking Spaces In Saranda
As digital nomads, sometimes we need the structure of a dedicated co working space without having to worry about cafe etiquette, potential noise, or just quality seating.
And in Saranda you can find this at Saranda Marketing and Coworking.
Set up with quality internet (300+mbps), air conditioning, basic refreshments, 24/7 access, private desk options, and great views up next to Lulu Cafe, it’s a great option for getting out of your living space!
With prices starting from 3 EUR per day, there are 3-day, weekly, and monthly memberships to choose from.
Notes On Albanian Coffee Culture
One of the most underrated (and pleasant) surprises that we encountered when visiting Albania, is the thriving coffee scene.
No matter where you go in the country, it’s guaranteed you won’t be far from a cafe with older guys enjoying an espresso and a chin wag. I guess it’s the equivalent to the retired guys you see drinking pints in the local pub at noon in my native Scotland.
However, shorter coffees such as espressos and macchiatos definitely seemed to be the most popular among the locals. We found long milk-based brews like flat whites and cappuccinos to be hit and miss outside of Tirana so we decided to fully embrace our macchiato era! And we never had an issue finding a strong and tasty one wherever we were!
So depending on the cafe, you may, like us, have to join the locals and switch from cappuccinos to macchiatos in order to ensure a strong caffeine fix.
Something you’ll also notice in Saranda is that many of the cafes double up as stylish cocktail bars, so don’t be surprised to see alcohol being served too. But don’t worry, I’m not talking about rowdy and drunken places, but rather elegant bars that have both options on the menu.
Helpful Phrases For Ordering Coffee In Albania
A language barrier shouldn’t be too much of a problem when getting a coffee, but some effort to use even a little of the local language is always appreciated.
I’m not going to overload you but a couple of useful phrases that are helpful include:
- Hello: përshëndetje (persh-in-det-yay)
- Thank you: faleminderit (fal-ae-min-derry)
- One coffee: një kafe (nee-ya-cafe)
- Two coffees: dy kafe (doo-cafe)
To Finish
A good coffee scene only adds to a destination’s appeal in our eyes and we’re fortunate to be spoilt for choice in Saranda!
I hope this guide is helpful for your Saranda planning and make sure to check out our guides for Himare, Porto Palermo, Grama Bay, and Filikuri Beach if you’re heading up the coast too!
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