Eating in Dhërmi splits neatly in two: seafood by the turquoise water on the beach below, and traditional Albanian home cooking up in the old village on the hill. The shore is where the beach clubs and fish restaurants gather; the village is where the family tavernas cook the recipes of the Himarë coast. This is a guide to the best of both. For the full list, see our restaurants page.
Beachfront seafood
Right on the Dhërmi sand, tables sit a few steps from the Ionian:
- Vela e Bardhë (€€) — a beachfront spot pairing a laid-back bar with a proper kitchen: grilled fish and seafood by day, sunbeds and cocktails by the water. Made for a long, slow lunch with your feet near the shore.
- Luciano (€€) — a relaxed seaside restaurant overlooking Dhërmi Beach, with a boho terrace tucked under the pines and a menu leaning on fresh fish and seafood. The setting above the turquoise water is the reason to book a sunset table.
- Noah on the Beach (€€) — a scenic table right above the water at the quieter end of the beach, where the view is as much the draw as the plate. Come at dusk for grilled seafood and a glass of wine over the Ionian.
- Summer Dream (€€) — over at Drymades near the sea arch, a sea-facing terrace rated among the better kitchens on that stretch — fresh seafood and Mediterranean plates with the Ionian right in front of you.
- olio (€€) — one of the most popular tables on the sand, a stylish Italian kitchen on a sail-shaded deck running down to the sunbeds. Come for pasta and seafood as the string lights come on at sunset.
- Ristorante Pano Marko (€€) — a long-standing seafront taverna at the quiet western end by the government villa, with big windows and an olive tree over the water. Simple and honest: same-day grilled fish and wild greens.
- Soleil Restorant (€€) — a polished, plant-filled dining room at the Perivolo end, leaning on seafood and Mediterranean plates like shrimp pasta and grilled fish.
- Salinas Restaurant (€€) — the full-service restaurant of the Salinas Beach complex, a thatched terrace opening onto the palms and water for Mediterranean plates and wood-fired pizza.
- Morsi Drymades (€€) — over at Drymades, a stylish Italian-leaning spot split between a deck hanging over the turquoise water and a boho kilim-cushion corner in the greenery.
Polished beach clubs
For a step up, the design-led beach clubs on the shore:
- Aloni (€€€) — a polished beach club and restaurant with sunbeds and a boardwalk to the water, and a whitewashed, plant-filled dining room behind. Works for a daytime swim-and-lunch or an unhurried dinner.
- Royal Blue Restaurant (€€€) — a beachfront restaurant under arched, plant-draped verandas, serving seafood and Mediterranean cooking — the likes of lobster linguine and shrimp risotto alongside the day's grilled fish.
- SALT Green Coast (€€€) — the smartest option a short drive up the coast, an upscale sea-facing pavilion at the Green Coast resort in Palasë, with cushioned banquettes and hanging lanterns lit for the blue hour.
Traditional cooking in the old village
Up the hill, the village tavernas trade the sand for views and home cooking:
- Zoe Hora (€€) — a family-run restaurant up in the old village, with sweeping coast views and cooking that keeps to traditional Albanian and Greek-influenced Himarë recipes. Best enjoyed slowly as the sun drops.
- Taverna Fevan (€€) — a traditional, family-run taverna above the coast road serving honest Albanian home cooking: fish casseroles, stuffed vegetables and grilled meats from a shaded terrace with a mountain-and-sea view. A warm, unhurried welcome.
- Grill House Amici (€€) — a highly rated grill house on the flat below the village, near the old campground behind the beach, cooking grilled meats and Mediterranean plates on a leafy, sea-view terrace shaded by banana palms. A well-priced alternative to the beachfront tables.
- Panorama Dhërmi (€€) — a view restaurant up towards the old village, where a covered terrace looks straight out over the coast. Come for breakfast, a coffee or an unhurried dinner as the sun drops over the Ionian.
- Mom's Food (€) — a tiny family kitchen up in Vuno village, a handful of tables on a bougainvillea-shaded terrace over the olive groves. Exactly what the name promises: home-style Albanian dishes, made to order.
Breakfast & budget bites
Not every meal is a long seafront lunch:
- Barba Niko Bakery (€) — the village go-to for a morning coffee and warm byrek, plus fresh bread and simple sweets. The easy, cheap start before the beach.
- Drymades Village Restaurant (€) — a simple, budget-friendly spot where locals eat, honest traditional Albanian cooking at fair prices, and one of the few places open outside the summer season.
- Jon Restorant (€€) — a design-led spot on the beach road behind the sand, under a rope-and-macramé ceiling, serving wood-fired pizza, pasta and burgers — a reliable, well-priced choice a short walk from the water.
Worth the drive to Himarë
Some of the coast's best-loved tavernas sit a short drive south, around Himarë town and its beaches — an easy trip if you have a car and want a change from the Dhërmi sand:
- Lui Potam (€€€) — a hugely popular seafood taverna on the pebbles at Potam, worth the drive for the day's catch off the ice, red prawns and grilled fish with your feet almost on the beach.
- The Jester's Taverna (€€) — a busy, string-lit terrace on the Himarë–Livadh road, leaning on seafood meze and fresh fish under yellow-striped awnings.
- Taverna Velco (€€) — a long-loved, vine-shaded taverna at Potam cooking honest Greek-Himarë home plates: grilled fish, meze and slow-cooked classics.
- Taverna Pirosia (€€) — a cheerful blue-and-white pergola near the Himarë seafront, strung with hanging petunias, for grills, meze and fresh fish.
- Cibo Mare e Terra (€€) — a polished, rattan-lit Italian kitchen in Himarë town splitting the menu between seafood pasta and wood-fired pizza.
- Sofra e Bregut (€€) — a traditional grill house on the Himarë seafront road for mixed grills, meze and a generous cooked breakfast.
- Taverna Dhimo Celos (€€) — a tiny, top-rated family taverna up in the hills above Himarë, built around the grill: lamb chops and garden meze with an olive-grove-and-sea view.
What to order: Riviera specialties
Beyond the grilled fish, look for the dishes that define Albanian and Himarë cooking:
- Tavë kosi — Albania's national dish: lamb or veal baked in a tangy custard of yogurt and eggs until golden, a recipe barely changed since Ottoman times.
- Fërgesë — roasted peppers and tomato baked with soft cheese in a clay pot, rich and bubbling; a Riviera staple.
- Byrek — flaky filo pastry filled with cheese, spinach or foraged mountain greens, eaten any time of day.
- Grilled octopus, calamari and mussels — pulled from the Ionian and served simply with the region's own peppery olive oil and lemon.
- Raki — the local clear grape spirit, usually homemade and — unlike Greek ouzo or Turkish rakı — carrying no anise; poured before a meal as a gesture of welcome. To drink with the food, look for a crisp local Shesh i Bardhë white.
The old-village and nearby Vuno tavernas do these best, cooked slowly with herbs from the hillsides.
A few tips
Beach tables and sunset spots fill up fast in high season — book ahead for a front-row seat over the water. The €€ beachfront tavernas and village kitchens are the everyday choice; Aloni and Royal Blue are the €€€ splurges on the sand. For the classic Dhërmi day, pair a beach lunch below with a slow dinner up in the village. See our things to do to fill in the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you eat in Dhërmi?
The choice splits between beachfront seafood on the sand (Vela e Bardhë, Luciano, Noah on the Beach), polished beach clubs (Aloni, Royal Blue) and traditional tavernas up in the old village (Zoe Hora, Taverna Fevan).
Where is the best seafood in Dhërmi?
The beachfront restaurants on the Dhërmi sand — Vela e Bardhë, Luciano and Noah on the Beach — serve fresh grilled fish a few steps from the water, best at sunset.
What are the local dishes to try in Dhërmi?
Look for tavë kosi (Albania's national dish — lamb baked in yogurt-and-egg custard), fërgesë (peppers, tomato and soft cheese baked in a clay pot), byrek (filo pastry with cheese or greens), and same-day grilled octopus, calamari and mussels with the region's peppery olive oil. Wash it down with homemade raki (grape spirit, no anise) or a crisp local Shesh i Bardhë white.
Can you drink the tap water in Dhërmi?
No — stick to bottled water. Along the Riviera the supply is limited and often tank-fed, so tap water is not recommended for drinking; bottled water is cheap and sold everywhere.
