Farm 88: The Chic Farm-to-Table Escape Just Outside Tirana

Some of the best meals around Tirana aren’t in Tirana at all. Twenty minutes southeast of the city, where the apartment blocks give way to hills and vineyards, there’s a place called Farm 88 — a chic, organic farm-to-table restaurant with a big garden, a pool, and food that comes largely from the countryside around it. I’ve been three times in the last couple of months, mostly with family, and it’s become my go-to answer when someone asks where to eat “somewhere nice, out of the city, but not a whole day trip.”

Here’s an honest local’s rundown: what it’s actually like, what you’ll pay, how to get there, and what else is worth a stop in the same pocket of countryside.

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Where is Farm 88, and how do you get there?

Farm 88 sits in the countryside near the village of Mullet, which is part of the Petrelë area southeast of Tirana. The easy way to picture it: you take the Tiranë–Elbasan motorway out of the city, come off at the Mullet exit, and you’re basically there — it’s only about 300 metres from the highway.

From the center of Tirana it’s roughly 13 kilometres and about 20 minutes by car (a bit more in traffic, but this is the opposite direction from the daily jams, so it’s usually smooth). A taxi or a Bolt out will run you a modest fare, and there’s plenty of parking on site — this is the countryside, not Blloku, so leaving the car is a non-issue.

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What it’s actually like

The setting is the first thing that gets you. The main dining area is a glassed-in garden room — floor-to-ceiling glass on the garden side, so you’re basically eating inside the greenery. Cane-backed chairs, white linen, a wine rack along one wall, a stone pillar or two. It reads “chic” without being stiff; you can turn up in nice-casual and feel right.

Outside, there’s a proper landscaped garden — mature trees, a manicured lawn, soft evening lighting, and (a nice touch that my kids clocked immediately) a life-size bronze horse standing out on the grass. A travertine terrace wraps around the building for outdoor seating when the weather’s good, which in Tirana is most of the year.

The whole place is well kept and clearly built with some money and care — this isn’t a rough-and-ready village grill, it’s a designed, “come for the afternoon” kind of spot.

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The food: organic, farm-to-table, honestly priced

The kitchen leans farm-to-table, with a lot of the produce and meat sourced locally — the menu literally flags the village and organic (“bio“, “fshati“) origins of several dishes. It’s a mix of grilled Albanian meats, risottos and pastas, and big fresh salads, with proper desserts to finish.

To give you a real sense of what you’ll actually order and pay, here’s roughly what a family lunch looked like on one of my visits (with my sister and the kids):

The whole spread — starters, mains, sides and desserts for the table — came to about 9,450 Lek, roughly €90. For the setting and the quality, that’s fair: mid-range by Tirana standards, and a real bargain compared with what a chic garden restaurant like this would cost anywhere in Western Europe.

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The pool and the evening scene

Farm 88 isn’t only a restaurant — there’s a pool area too, and it plays two roles depending on the time of day. During the day it’s family-friendly: there’s a bigger family-style pool and a separate very small pool for young kids. In the evenings, the pool area shifts gears into a more chic, party-style scene — music, a dressed-up crowd, drinks.

I’ll be straight with you: I haven’t done the full pool day myself. My oldest went out with friends and spent the afternoon at the pool (I came to pick him up), and my own visits have been about the food and a relaxed drink in the garden. So take the pool as “it’s there and it’s a whole scene in its own right,” rather than a personal pool review — but if you’re after a countryside spot where you can swim, eat well, and stay into the evening, this is set up for exactly that.

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Is it good for families?

Yes — that’s genuinely one of its strengths. There’s space for kids to move (garden, lawn, the little bronze horse to go look at), a kids’ pool, and a menu with enough range that fussy young eaters and adults after organic lamb are both covered. It’s the kind of place where a long weekend lunch doesn’t turn into a battle to keep children at the table. I’ve brought mine more than once and it works.

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While you’re out here: the Mullet–Petrelë countryside

One of the reasons I like Farm 88 is where it is. This little pocket southeast of Tirana — Mullet, Petrelë and Mumajes — is quietly one of the best areas near the city for a green half-day, and there’s more here than a single restaurant. If you want to make an afternoon of it, a few places worth knowing (these are on my own “go back and eat properly” list rather than places I’m reviewing here):

Put together, you’ve got the makings of a proper day out of Tirana: a castle, a couple of farm-to-table kitchens, and 20 minutes of driving instead of two hours. (I’ll be updating this section with first-hand notes as I work my way back through the Petrelë kitchens — check back.)

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Know before you go

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Frequently asked questions about Farm 88

How far is Farm 88 from Tirana?
About 13 km and 20 minutes by car, southeast of the center, just off the Mullet exit of the Tiranë–Elbasan motorway.

Does Farm 88 have a pool?
Yes — a bigger family-style pool plus a small pool for young children. In the evenings the pool area becomes a more chic, party-style scene.

Is Farm 88 good for families with kids?
Very much so: garden space to roam, a kids’ pool, and a broad menu. It’s an easy choice for a relaxed family lunch out of the city.

How much does it cost to eat at Farm 88?
Mid-range for Albania. Mains are around 1,500 Lek (~€15), and a full family spread with starters, mains and desserts runs roughly 9,000–10,000 Lek (~€90).

What kind of food does Farm 88 serve?
Organic, farm-to-table cooking — grilled Albanian meats (village lamb chops, organic veal), risottos and pastas, big fresh salads, and desserts, with much of the produce sourced locally.

Do you need to book?
It’s a good idea on summer weekends and for larger groups; the best garden tables go early. Message them on Instagram or call ahead.

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