Spile · Himarë · Albania
Fresh seafood and traditional dishes, served in Himarë since 1998
A family taverna on the Spile waterfront. 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 oak 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.
Anchovies, lemon, olive oil, parsley. A glass of white beside them. 
Whole fish, fried, on the copper platter, with lemon.
The room
Pale ash 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
Among the most-reviewed restaurants anywhere on the Albanian Riviera, and the same score on Tripadvisor.
Read the reviews on TripadvisorWhere it is
Spile is the waterfront quarter of Himarë — the beach, the pier and the coast road through town. We are on it.
Rruga Xhorxh Tenet, SpileHimarë 9425
Vlorë County, Albania
40.10161, 19.74535
Spile
Spile beach and its pier. The water below town. The headland at dusk.
3 frames of the town the taverna stands in.
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 sits a short walk from Spile beach on the coast road through town.
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?
Yes. Call +355 67 497 0164, or send the same number a message on WhatsApp. Booking ahead is the surest way to get a table on the waterfront side in high summer, and it is how the taverna takes reservations rather than through an online booking form.
How is Taverna Lefteri rated?
Diners score Taverna Lefteri 4.5 out of 5 on Google, and it is among the most-reviewed restaurants anywhere on the Albanian Riviera. 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 south of Llogara Pass. Spile is the beachfront part of town.