Resembling a Swiss chalet, the elegant interiors are great for long Albanian lunches or dinners. The cages containing Liza the bear, some monkeys, eagles and chickens around the lush terrace of this popular restaurant may cause you to raise your eyebrows, but they're housed in better conditions than animals in the local zoo. Near the Martyrs' Cemetery.
Sofra e Ariut comments
- Ton - Tirana, Albania
I do not agree with animals being imprisoned in cages just to attract people. But please do not generalise. If civilisation would only be measured from the way individuals treat animals or humans what would a great nation like the British one have to say, seeing how prisoners were treated in Iraq or at the way British gentlemen have treated animals and humans in Africa and elsewhere in the last 300-400 years. Please stay away from clichés!
EDITOR: Thanks. All points of view now represented - the discussion is closed. - 10
December
2009Anon - Tirana, Albania
There are neither laws to protect these wild animals in Albania, nor pets like dogs and cats. I'm sorry to agree with you, but yes, you can evaluate the civilisation of a country by the way it treats the animals (Ghandi), and considering this, even though I'm Albanian, I don't think our nation deserves to be called a civilised one. - 15
October
2009Edita - New York, USA
Wow! I cannot believe what I am reading. You're complaining about animals in cages? Umm, have any of you (Jenny or Matrapick) been to a zoo before? I believe the animals there are in cages. And the analogy of human rights to animal rights is absurd. Also, while my country has its own issues, like every country in this world, I doubt that tourists will not come to Albania because a given restaurant keeps animals in cages. I think this restaurant is beautiful, and perhaps one of the best I have been to thus far...and I have travelled quite a bit. The atmosphere is amazing! I totally recommend this restaurant.
EDITOR: The point was that at the time, the bear was kept in a home-made cage made of rusty iron bars only twice the size of the animal itself, Edita. In nature bears need huge areas and in most zoos they are are at least given a decent space to run. It has a larger enclosure now. - 03
July
2009Matrapick - Tirana, Albania
A totally agree with the English guy. I am an Albanian and even I don't go to that restaurant to assist to such a cruelty. But in a country where the human rights are hardly respected how can you expect to have respect of the animal rights? - 05
May
2009Jenny Bell - England
It is absolutely discraceful that this restaurant is allowed to keep bears in small cages as a novelty for customers. It is cruel and typical of the discraceful way many Albanians view animals. Albania will never attract English tourists to come on holiday with such cruelty.
December
2009