Spile · Himarë · Albania
Fresh seafood and traditional dishes, served in Himarë since 1998
A family taverna in Spile, the waterfront quarter of Himarë, a short walk back from the beach. Our father Lefteri opened it in 1998 with our mother Mirela and our grandmother Maria. The three of us run it now.
Since 1998
The year is cut into the sign over the door, under the name and above the two lines that have always described the kitchen: fresh seafood, traditional dishes.
Nothing about that has needed changing. The rule beside this counts what the sign has counted.
Six names
Lefteri opened the taverna with Mirela and with Maria, our grandmother. The three of us run it now, and there has never been anyone else on the sign.
Read the family’s account- Who opened it
- Lefteri
- our father, who opened it
- Mirela
- our mother
- Maria
- our grandmother
- Who runs it
- Toqi
- runs it today
- Vangjel
- runs it today
- Mariana
- runs it today
The table
Seafood, plated the way this coast has always plated it: lemon, olive oil, a hot pan and not much else in the way.
Small fish, butterflied, with oil, lemon and parsley. A glass of white beside them. 
Whole fish, fried, on the copper platter, with lemon.
The room
Pale timber panelling, a fitted timber ceiling, cane chairs, tables laid.
It is a taverna, not a dining room with a dress code. Come off the beach if you like; the tables are laid the same either way.
See the photographsWhat diners score it
4.5 / 5
On Google
The same score on Tripadvisor. Both are open to read in full before you decide.
Read the reviews on TripadvisorWhere it is
Spile is the waterfront quarter of Himarë — the beach, the pier and the run of doors behind them. Ours is on Rruga Xhorxh Tenet, sixty metres back from the sand.
Rruga Xhorxh Tenet, SpileHimarë 9425
Vlorë County, Albania
40.10161, 19.74535
Spile
Spile beach and its pier. The water off the rocks. The headland, in the last light.
3 frames of Himarë and its coast, outside the door.
Questions
Where is Taverna Lefteri?
Taverna Lefteri is in Spile, the waterfront quarter of Himarë, in Vlorë County on the Albanian Riviera. The postal code is 9425. The coordinates are 40.10161, 19.74535, and the taverna stands on Rruga Xhorxh Tenet, with the nearest edge of the beach 60 metres away in a straight line.
How long has Taverna Lefteri been open?
Since 1998 — the year is carved into the sign that hangs over the door. Lefteri opened the taverna with Mirela and with Maria, the grandmother of the family. Today it is run by their three children, Toqi, Vangjel and Mariana, so it has stayed in one family throughout.
What kind of food does Taverna Lefteri serve?
Fresh seafood and traditional dishes — the two lines carved under the name on the sign. The kitchen is seafood-led, and it cooks the Greek and Ionian dishes this stretch of the Albanian coast has always eaten, plated simply with lemon and olive oil.
Can I book a table at Taverna Lefteri?
Call +355 67 497 0164. There is no online booking form on this site and no menu published here; the telephone is the way to reach the taverna, and it is worth calling ahead in high summer.
How is Taverna Lefteri rated?
Diners score Taverna Lefteri 4.5 out of 5 on Google, and it holds the same 4.5 out of 5 on Tripadvisor. Both scores are open to read in full on those platforms before you decide.
How do I get to Himarë?
Himarë sits on the SH8 coast road between Vlorë and Sarandë, roughly halfway along the Albanian Riviera. Buses and furgons run the SH8 through town in season; by car it is about an hour down the coast from the Llogara Pass. Spile is the beachfront part of town.