For our first night in “Përmeti”:https://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/review/attraction/200783-review-sightseeing-in-and-around-p-rmeti, south east Albania, we wanted somewhere simple to eat. “Hani I Kikes”:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hani-I-Kikes/577463398959734
appeared to fit the bill: it was described in Bradt as being friendly and welcoming with traditional Albanian meals and a good selection of wine. There were three of four high stools and tables on the pavement with an open fronted dining area with wooden tables and chairs. Although there then appeared to be another more enclosed area, we didn’t explore.
Although it looked busy on arrival, a family group and a single guy soon left, and so we were on our own: in fact, there were no other diners all night. There was a chalk board outside in Albanian, and having read there was little English spoken, we were relieved to be presented with a simple laminated menu in English. This was divided into soups, salads, traditional dishes, starters and meat dishes.
We chose wine by the glass and then what was described as a “sharing plate of cold meats, rice, vegetables, salad and salsce kosi etc.”. We didn’t know what the latter was, and it wasn’t clear what the ‘etc.’ would be.
We were a little surprised at the dish served. The long sharing plate was dominated by a huge bowl of soup which was very tasty and full of vegetables and a piece of meat, which Roy said you could cut with your tongue as it was so tender. There was a mound of warm rice with a few small pieces of meat on top, dressed and chopped lettuce and onion, slices of tomato and cucumber, a half chilli pepper complete with seeds, and a cream cheese dip (obviously the salsce kosi), along with a halved apple (the area is noted for them). It was all a little bizarre but filling, along with three complimentary slices of a rather dry brown bread. We indulged in a second glass of wine, poured from a large plastic bottle which had obviously contained something else originally. The glass was full to the brim, slightly warm and wee coloured, but at 100 Lek or 75p it was a bargain.
With a bottle of sparkling water, the bill came to 800 Lek – dinner done for £6.
