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Terra Restaurant Tirana / Review

Lamb lollipops @Terra

We cannot hide from the fact that there is still a marked lack of professionalism in our country, no matter how patriotic we are. Therefore, when I personally hear about the opening of a hotel chain in Albania, I get excited. Unlike our redeemed way of working, where we are proudly non-perfectionists in: "heh mooo, what did you do...", in fact, the details really DO make the difference!

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However, the details in the case of international hotel chains are translated into protocols that are carefully reviewed before being assigned, and their non-implementation is not easily accepted by the board.

When do the hotel chains become not so professional in our country? Eh, yes, when they are intertwined with local management, of course!
That in fact... the desolate networks want a powerful local to get a construction permit, and also to avoid being blackened by huge fines, if only to have some security (the security of them...), that having domestic support, they will have financial stability. They want deserts, they want to pay taxes one by one, but our tax law changes from 2 times a year so they are afraid to penetrate 😅

And to return to the Terra restaurant, without going into too much detail, being the restaurant of the Marriot hotel in Tirana, I had high expectations.

Location: 10/10

At lunch on a cloudy Saturday, we parked at Air Albania and stopped for a redeeming meal. The restaurant is located in the center of Tirana, so the location is quite convenient.

Ambience: 9/10

The ambience is typical of a high standard hotel restaurant. With a modern interior, I loved the fact that while it has that Marriott elegance, it was as cozy as it was warm in the lighting. We sat at the tables near the glass and did not feel the cloudy weather.

9/10 service: Professionalism should be the order here, so I would just like to comment on the standard. That Saturday, the waiter service was very attentive. I was impressed by the fact that at the beginning of the service, the gentleman asked us if we preferred some ice or lemon in our water glass.
We were asked if we had any allergies and the ingredients of the dishes were carefully described to us.

Although I have it as a principle: "after sunset", that lunch I had a craving for a cocktail. I had never experienced tasting a cocktail in gelatin form, and the waiter offered to help me make my choice. I liked that guy, he was really attentive.

On my second visit, we were 4 couples over the festive nights. That night, we were served by another waiter who was attentive but not as detailed as the first. The latter tended to be a bit hasty...

Food 8.5/10: the restaurant's cuisine is Mediterranean, combined with elements from the Middle East, with dishes such as: Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Muhammra etc. What I really appreciated about Terra was the menu content itself. Despite the imperfection of some dishes, such as the arancini, I appreciated convenience (with concentrated quantities, not mind-blowing 10-page menus), as well as the content of interesting and unconsumed dishes for the market. In the end, what I've been looking for for a long time is "a different hand" and a dish after which I don't say: "it's the 30th time I eat it".  

Various @Terra appetizers

Lamb lollipops (820L): A lamb served as a lollipop arouses curiosity without question. The lamb was very tender, those rice popcorn and green sprouts on the menu were missing, however the taste was good. Overall I enjoyed it as a dish, but the 'Chianti jus' (wine sauce), could not balance the dryness of the meat.

Ravioli with peas (1,100L): It is not a usual choice to have peas with ravioli, but the combination turned out to be very successful, with rich and balanced flavors, although I would have preferred shelled pistachios. The winter squash filling and the pistachio mint pesto added freshness to the dish, while the crunchy cheese was the perfect finishing touch. I recommend it as a dish.

Among the aged meats we tried on the second visit (I can't say about the prices because we didn't pay ourselves this time), the Rib Eye from Australia was our favorite.

Passion fruit cream (900L): With peanut butter cookies, caramelized citrus peel, pistachio and basil sponge – this dessert had it all to please the palate. 

Summary.While: We enjoyed both visits to this restaurant, so I recommend it for a relaxed but not necessarily formal meal. The menu itself creates comfort with antipastos, pizzas or cocktails. Also, some of you have written to me about some issues about 'business lunch'. As long as I haven't tried it, I can't write for sure, but I would recommend that the management pay attention to maintaining the standard. On the other hand, I would suggest more information or consistency in the provision of meals. There is a bit of confusion about the 'brunch' offering. 

And to wrap it up: instruct the young girls and boys who deal with the maintenance of social networks to write some automated message to thank those who tag them. That tag is sometimes worth a lot more than a few posts with professional photos… 

Comment

  1. My experience is similar to your first visit. We were served by a very attentive, very kind waiter, who had previously worked at the Ejona restaurant. It absolutely suited the international hotel chains and gave all the necessary charm to that dinner.
    The alcohol used in the cocktails left a negative impression on me (eg Beefeater gin, which is available at Spar and costs 2500 Lek a bottle). The cocktail cost about 1500 Lek and my expectations for a cocktail with such a price and in an international hotel chain, are a little out of tune with the bottle of alcohol I buy at the market.

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