One of the most reliably good restaurants in Gjirokastër, Kujtimi sits in the bazaar district in a stone building with a terrace looking over the cobbled streets. The menu is rooted in southern Albanian cooking: tavë kosi (lamb baked in yoghurt and eggs), byrek (flaky pastry filled with cheese or spinach), roasted lamb on the bone, and a rotating selection of oven dishes that vary with the season and whatever is available from local farms. The food is unpretentious and generously portioned.
The local white wine and the house raki — a grape or mulberry distillate that is the national spirit — are both worth trying. Gjirokastër raki has a local reputation; if you are offered a glass by the owner, accept it. Vegetarians will find the bean dishes and cheese byrek reliable options, though meat dominates the menu. Prices are low by any European standard.
Lunch service typically runs from noon and is the busiest period; the kitchen slows down by mid-afternoon and picks up again for dinner from around 7pm.