By Prishtina Insight

It isn’t easy to write a top list of any kind in Kosovo, especially about food, bars, and restaurants. Let’s just say people are passionate about their haunts and hang out spots, and any attempt to rank or list them requires a great deal of thought, tact and diplomatic skill.

This list details our favorite places to sit outside during the summer. Special consideration was given to serious and important factors such as: 1. the amount and level of foliage and/or green space around, 2) noise levels (minus points for too many youths), 3) how much fun we’ve had at a given location, and 4) what the drinking was like.

Here’s to the coming summer, and to sitting outside!

1. Il Passatore

Il Passatore comes to life in the summer. Run by Antonella, an Italian expat who’s been living in Kosovo for well over a decade now, Il Passatore offers fresh, home cooked Italian meals every day except Sundays. Located in a small house in Taslixhe, Il Passatore’s quiet garden is covered in shade and foliage. Go here either to celebrate your anniversary with a loved one or with a group of friends on a hot summer night, and order copious amounts of wine.

Address and directions: Hil Mosi street, the first turn past the Viva Fresh supermarket on Nazim Gafurri street, and then a right turn.
Find out more: give them a call at 038 516 473, in English, Albanian, or Italian.

2. Image – Lali’s Restaurant

Te Lali’s patio is where you want to sit at the end of a long day. Located in one of the quietest and greenest neighborhoods in Bregu i Diellit, the typical clientele are people who live in the area and a steady stream of Lali’s friends who’ve made the place their second home. The charm of Te Lali is in what it doesn’t offer: no annoying Top 40 music, no white tablecloths, and a menu that consists of whatever happens to be good and fresh in the kitchen. Go here to recover from a the previous night, drink coffee with an old friend, have a beer with your father, or eat like a king.

Address and directions: Just off Hyzri Talla street, on a pedestrian walkway. Look for a set of stairs across the street from the shopping mall on Hyzri Talla.
Find out more: 045 599 767, or search for IMAGE – Lalis Restaurant (yes, without the apostrophe) on Facebook.

3. Miqt Taverna

Miqt Taverna’s cozy outdoor seating, located in a tiny alley is best suited for this set-up: several friends, a generous amount of finger food, and a lot of drinking. Get there early, because the best real estate here disappears fast. Alternately, if you get there before or after the lunch time rush or prime drinking hours, you have a quiet, shady nook in the middle of the city to enjoy the summer in. But we say go here when you want to get together with friends you haven’t seen in a while.

Address and directions: Just off Mother Teresa Boulevard, turn at the Anker watch shop and go through the alleyway. You’ll find Miqt Taverna right beside Foto Nesha.
Find out more: 045 999 957, or search for Miqt Taverna on Facebook.

4. Mezzeria

As the name implies, expect mezze at Mezzeria, and lots of it. They have some of the most comfortable outdoor seating in Prishtina, and their food offerings have gotten interesting as time has gone by – their mini-burgers and their fine steak filet being two recent examples. Mezzeria is that perfect in-between place: appropriate for your friends, and appropriate for your parents. Go here to celebrate a friend’s birthday, or to eat dinner with your relatives.

Address and directions: Fehmi Agani 52/2, meaning take the turn at Kafet e Vogla. Turn left, and walk until the end of the alley, and voila, there it is.
Find out more: 045 663 665, or search for Mezzeria on Facebook.

5. Villa Germia

Bear with us here: When most people think about Villa Germia, they think about exhausted families with cranky children who’ve been playing in the park all day. I’m talking about Villa Germia in the morning, especially on a weekday morning, with the sun rising over an empty park and the sound of birds chirping – you get the idea. Go here if you finally make it out of bed in time to go for that morning run.

Address and directions: You’re at the gate to Germia, by the pool? Good. Keep walking into the park for about twenty minutes, it’ll be on your right.
Find out more: 038 51 77 41, or search for Villa Germia on Facebook.

6. BackGarden
BackGarden’s name gets right to the point. This pub has a garden in the back, and especially during the day, it’s a tranquil place to sip a beer and forget about things. It offers a nice balance to the more lively evenings when it draws a big expat crowd.
Address and directions: Fehmi Agani Street 14, Prishtina. It’s between Mother Teresa Boulevard and Fehmi Agani Street.
Find out more: 045 411 418 or search for BackGarden on Facebook.