A note from Jonida and Uarda on what it took to get here.
The Back Room opened its doors in Tirana and we have been wanting to write this post since before the paint was dry.
This is the story of how it happened, and what we hope you feel when you walk in.
It started as a what-if
We have been best friends long enough to have had a lot of honest conversations about what we actually wanted to do with our time. Somewhere between too many cups of coffee and a running list of places in Tirana that felt like they were missing something, the what-if became a real question.
What if we built the room we kept looking for?
Not just a beautiful space. Not just good coffee. A place that felt warm and considered from the moment you walked in – the kind of place where you sit down and immediately stop wanting to leave. That is what was missing from Tirana’s coffee scene, and that is what we set out to create.
We got the room right before anyone else came in
Before a single customer came through the door, we sat in every chair. We tried every table. We moved things around more times than either of us wants to admit. We brewed specialty coffee at different times of day and paid attention to how the light changed the feel of the room.
If something did not feel right to us, it was not ready. That was the rule, and it held all the way through.
Why specialty coffee and why The Barn Berlin
We had both been drinking specialty coffee long enough to know the difference it makes. Not just in taste, but in the whole experience of being somewhere that takes quality seriously without making you feel like you need to pass a test to enjoy it.
When it came to choosing a roaster, The Barn Berlin was the clear answer. One of Europe’s most respected specialty coffee roasters, The Barn works exclusively with single origin, traceable beans – roasted to bring out what is already in the bean rather than mask it.
We are currently pouring a Catuai Natural from Minas Gerais, Brazil on espresso. For filter, we rotate single origin beans from Ethiopia, Kenya, Burundi, and Colombia on V60 and cold brew. All four origins are available to take home as 250g retail bags.
What you will find on our menu
Our full menu includes espresso drinks from classic to flat white and cortado, V60 pour over, cold brew, a three-option matcha menu, chai latte, turmeric latte, organic hot chocolate, kombucha, and fresh orange juice. Our in-house desserts, including a vegan loaf, are made fresh every day.
Free Wi-Fi is available. There are good chairs and good light. You are welcome to stay as long as you like.
Come and find us
We are on Rruga Sulejman Delvina in the Sheshi Wilson area of Tirana – one of the most walkable and lively neighbourhoods in the city. Open every day, Monday through Sunday, 9:00 to 18:00.
Follow us on Instagram at @__thebackroom for updates on new beans, what is on the counter, and any changes to hours.
We are very glad this room finally exists. Come and sit in it.
The Back Room is a specialty coffee shop in Tirana, Albania. We serve single origin beans from The Barn Berlin, roasted for espresso, V60, and cold brew. Find us at Rruga Sulejman Delvina, Sheshi Wilson, open daily 9:00–18:00.