Several small family-run restaurants occupy the old shop fronts along the main bazaar lane, most operating without formal signage or fixed menus. The approach is the same at all of them: find out what has been cooked that day and order from that. In practice this means a selection of oven-baked dishes — stuffed peppers, white beans slow-cooked with tomato and herbs, lamb stew, and the inevitable byrek — kept warm in the traditional pots over low heat.
This style of eating is common across Albania and the Balkans, and Gjirokastër does it well. The produce comes from the surrounding Drino valley, which is fertile and well-irrigated, and the cooking technique — long, slow heat with olive oil and local herbs — is simple and effective. The fërgesë, a dish of peppers, tomatoes, and cottage cheese baked together, is a local specialty worth seeking out.
Most of these places have no printed menu and payment is by negotiation; the price is almost always fair. Eating early (noon to 2pm) gives the best selection before the pots empty.