Photo: Contiki
Albania is well and truly a European hidden gem, and for more reasons than one. Blessed with turquoise coast lines and impressive cliff faces, mountains inland and wonderful local communities, Albania is a little heaven on earth, and pop ‘it’ girl Dua Lipa agrees.
Speaking of Miss Dua, do you know what her favourite MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience is? A local sustainable dinner at Mrizi i Zanave! Well, okay, so technically she hasn’t been to this restaurant with Contiki, but she has been before, and it’s no surprise why! Set in the rolling hills of Albania and flanked by vineyards and syrupy sunsets, Mrizi i Zanave is a farm and restaurant which prioritises local ingredients, and which will teach you all about traditional Albanian food and sustainable farming.
We chatted to Albana, our local guide, as well as some fellow Contiki travellers Jayden, Alysiah, and Samar, to learn more about this fabulous experience, and now we are here to impart this knowledge onto you. So, let’s find out what makes Mrizi i Zanave so special.
Why is Mrizi i Zanave Agrotourist Restaurant so special?
We caught up with Albana, our local guide, to get her expert opinions on this wonderful farm and restaurant.
“Mrizi i Zanave is a special place not only because it’s a charming restaurant with amazing food, but also because this is a place filled with opportunities as it allows people to work and grow, and travellers to enjoy everything the farmers, restaurateurs, and Albania has to offer.”
“The business was started by Italian immigrants who moved in search of a better life. They found Albania and along the way, the restaurant was born. The beautiful Albanian weather and rich land made for a perfect opportunity to improve their own lives, and the lives of others, as well as cultivate the land.”
“Mrizi i Zanave is about food, but it is also about involving everyone in the local village to participate, help each other out, and live together.”
Image source:Contiki
How do Contiki travellers help support the local farm?
“Mrizi i Zanave is an expanding business, both farm and restaurant, and by visiting and dining with us travellers are directly helping to support the local community.”
“You can come and enjoy the fantastic local food, taken directly from this land, and it’s something that everyone visiting in Albania wants to do because of how beautiful this place is. This is an amazing place, and you will always have a good time enjoying the farm and the restaurant together.”
Travellers Jayden, Alysiah, and Samar were lucky enough to sit down for a meal at Mrizi i Zanave and get the full experience!
What does the name ‘Mrizi i Zanave’ mean? How beautiful is this restaurant and farm?
“The first part of the name, ‘Mrizi,’ means beautiful, and ‘Zanave’ is the name of these little fairies in Greek Mythology, so together, the name can mean something like ‘beautiful fairy garden,’ which is exactly what this place is like.”
“It definitely fits the name – on a scale of 1 to 10 this place is absolutely a 10. Sunflowers and fresh fruit grow everywhere, as well as wild fruit, but more than that the people add to the beauty as well. Everyone working here’s kindness and generosity has been outstanding. Everyone makes you feel right at home”
“This experience truly is farm to table in the sense that everything you eat can be seen all around you as you’re sat and walking around. You sit with grapes hanging above your head and it’s these grapes that are used in the wine you’re drinking. It’s really amazing.”
Image source:Contiki
Do you think travelling to local areas like this, argrotourism farms like this, is important? Why?
“Absolutely, I think it’s very important to visit agrotourism farms because they provide jobs for locals and when you visit these kinds of places, you’re putting money back into the community and supporting them.”
“Everything they do here at Mrizi i Zanave is self-sustainable, and travellers help to keep these farms and efforts alive so they can keep going and locals don’t have to leave and find jobs elsewhere away from home.”
“You’re supporting someone’s dream, also. Everyone here was sharing something with us that was so special to them and their own day to day life and you can’t help but just feel grateful for being here and for being a part of it.”
Has this dining experience changed your perspective on Albania? In what way?
“It’s definitely opened my eyes to Albanian food and the cultures surrounding it. We’ve seen so many cool things being made here, things like pine syrup and so many different fruits and berries that I didn’t know the names of. These are elements of Albania that I didn’t know about before, and that I do now.”
Image source:Contiki
What was your favourite dish here?
“The food is amazing and all of us are definitely full – plate after plate of delicious food just kept coming out. I had blueberry pasta which is such an unexpected combination but was so nice, and everyone, even the non-vegetarians, agree. Its made my tongue purple, which is just part of the fun.”
“The pork skewers were fantastic, including the fatty bits which some might avoid, and all the desserts were amazing. We had ice cream at the end, which was so ideal for such a warm summer day.”
Would you recommend this experience to other Contiki travellers?
“100%. This isn’t like any other restaurant experience, you know? You’re not just going and enjoying a delicious meal (though there is that). You’re hearing about the local stories and seeing the production of the food you eat and how the land is cultivated. It’s a true farm-to-table experience which makes you appreciate it all the more. Everything tastes slightly better, everything feels slightly better.”
“After the meal my tummy is full, my heart is full, and I would love to come back and do it all again.”
Image source:Contiki
If this authentic and sustainable farm-to-table dining experience sounds like a bit of you, then hop on our Albania Beaches and Peaks trip to experience it for yourself (and fill your belly)!
