Welcome to Çka ka Qëllue...
Rustic restaurant with exposed-wood beams & brick walls offering modern Albanian & Kosovan dishes.
About Us
Çka ka Qëllu restaurant offers a modern selection of popular dishes and desserts inspired by the rich flavors of Mediterranean cuisine, highlighting the best of Albanian and Kosovan traditions. We prioritize healthy food made from fresh ingredients, so you can enjoy meals that are both delicious and nutritious. Our talented chefs, with their extensive experience, cook each dish with passion and care. We are dedicated to preserving Eastern European cooking traditions while adding our unique twist to Mediterranean favorites.
Our Story
The owner of “ÇKA KA QËLLU” was inspired to open his restaurant when his son asked him where he could take his friends for authentic Albanian cuisine. In his research, Ramiz came up empty-handed and decided it would become his life’s mission to bring Albanian cuisine and culture to NYC. After years of collecting 18th and 19th-century Albanian artifacts to decorate the space, Çka Ka Qëllu is now one of the most unique restaurant/museum experiences in the city.
Our Menu
PICKLED PEPPER
Stuffed with a medley of seasonal pickled vegetables, prepared in the authentic, time honored way
$5
CHEESE PICKLED PEPPER
A traditional combination of creamy cheese and pickled pepper
$5.50
ROASTED PEPPER
Sautéed with garlic and olive oil
$6
PEPPER DIP
A rich, velvety blend of roasted peppers and cheese for a bold, savory taste
$7.75
SAUSAGE DIP
Slow-smoked sausage and two cheeses melt together in this creamy, savory dip
$9
TARATOR
Chilled yogurt blend with minced cucumber and garlic drizzled with parsley
$6.50
AJVAR
A roasted red pepper spread with hints of eggplant and garlic
$6.50
CHEESE
Traditional feta cheese drizzled with olive oil and finished with a touch of seasoning
$6.50
FRENCH FRIES
Classic, crispy, golden french fries, lightly seasoned
$8.75
MIXED OLIVES
A selection of marinated olives, seasoned with a delightful mix of herbs and olive oil
$12
BAKED CHEESE
Baked traditional feta cheese topped with a medley of seasonal vegetables and a touch of seasoning
$15.75
SESAME BAKED CHEESE
Dipped in egg, coated with flour and sesame seeds, baked to golden perfection, and finished with a rich honey glaze. Served with warm bread for perfect bite
$15.75
GRILLED SEASONAL VEGETABLES
Charred and seasoned to perfection
$16.50
ÇKA KA QËLLU SOUP
Chicken soup with tender chicken, rice, and a mix of veggies in a flavorful broth
$11.50
MEDITERRANEAN SALAD
Arugula greens topped with goat cheese, sliced green apples, sweet red beets, crunchy walnuts, and dried cranberries, all tossed in a flavorful Çka Ka Qëllu dressing
$19.75
SHOP SALAD
Sweet cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and creamy shredded feta cheese
$19.50
VILLAGE SALAD
Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, sweet red onions, crunchy cucumber, feta cheese, and olives
$19.50
FLI
Delicate, golden layers of hand-baked batter, brushed with rich butter for a soft, flaky texture – an Albanian culinary masterpiece
$14
MANTIA
Crispy, golden-baked dumplings filled with ground veal and aromatic spices, served hot with a touch of traditional yogurt
$13.50
LEÇENIK
Cornbread made with spinach and three cheeses, complemented by a rich pepper sauce
$10
Traditional slow-cooked dishes prepared in an earthenware pot for a comforting and authentic taste of Albanian cuisine
TAVA DHEUT
A creamy and flavorful baked dish made with tender liver, peppers, tomatoes, cheese, and spices
$23
TAVA KOSI
A classic Albanian baked dish featuring tender lamb in a creamy, tangy yogurt and egg custard
$24
MAZË E ZIER
A rich and creamy blend of three cheeses and cornmeal, cooked with homemade butter in a pan until perfectly smooth
$22
SPECË NË MAZË
Fire-grilled cubanelle pepper, delicately sautéed in homemade butter and crowned with rich, artisanal cream cheese
$14
SUXHUK NË TAVË
A handcrafted blend of ground veal and beef sausage sautéed in olive oil, melted in a velvety fusion of three artisanal cheeses
$19.75
FASULË
A staple in Albanian cuisine, this traditional white bean stew is slow-simmered with aromatic spices and olive oil, creating a rich hearty broth. Enjoy it in its classic form or enhance it with homemade smoked meat $4 or suxhuk $4 for added depth and flavor
$19
SARMA
Cabbage leaves stuffed with seasoned ground meat, rice, and fresh vegetables
$24
STUFFED PEPPER
Tender peppers filled with a flavorful mix of seasonal vegetables, herbs, and rice
$23
MANTIA
Delicate ground beef-filled dumplings, baked to perfection and immersed in a luscious, house-made cheese sauce
$19
KAÇAMAK
A creamy Balkan porridge made with slow-cooked cornmeal, house-churned butter, and melted cheese
$18.50
GULASH
A traditional Balkan slow-cooked beef stew, simmered with onions, paprika, and aromatic spices, topped with mashed potatoes
$23
GRILLED BRANZINO
Grilled Mediterranean sea bass served with baked potatoes and grilled seasonal vegetables
$40
GRILLED OCTOPUS
Served with mashed potatoes and grilled seasonal vegetables
$31
QEBAPA (10 PCS)
Flame-grilled Qebapa, paired with rich kajmak and a side of cabbage salad
$22
Q0FTE (4 PCS)
Flame-grilled medallions of seasoned ground beef and veal, paired with rich kajmak and a side of cabbage salad
$23
QOFTE SHARI
Flame-grilled seasoned veal and beef mix, filled with melted cheese and chopped smoked meat served with golden potatoes topped with creamy house-made kajmak and a side of cabbage salad, bringing the rich flavors of the Shari Mountains to your table
$27.50
SUXHUK (3 PCS)
Flame-grilled, handcrafted blend of ground veal and beef sausage, served in mazë, and with our leçenik (cornbread made with spinach and three cheeses, complemented by a rich pepper sauce)
$21
GRILLED CHICKEN
Grilled chicken, herb-marinated and grilled to perfection, served alongside smoky grilled vegetables and a side of cabbage salad
$26.50
FILET MIGNON VEAL SHISH QEBAP
Succulent, marinated filet mignon veal, skewered and grilled to perfection. Served with creamy mashed potatoes and a side of grilled seasonal vegetables
$26 .50
MIX GRILL PLATTER
A traditional selection of qebapa, qofte, and suxhuk, grilled to perfection. This platter offers a rich, smoky, and spicy combination of flavors, perfect for one person to savor a true taste of Albanian cuisine
$26.50
GRILLED LIVER
Seasoned with our special homemade blend, served alongside perfectly grilled seasonal vegetables
$24.50
TRADITA MIXED GRILL PLATTER
Combination of qebapa, qofte, sausage, chicken & liver
$44.50
SKENDERBEG
Named after Albania’s national hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu, this crispy, deep fried golden-breaded veal filet mignon rolls is stuffed with melted cheese and smoked meat, then served with baked potatoes and seasonal vegetables
$41
LAMB MEAT
Slow-roasted, tender lamb infused with our special house-blend spices
$59
VEAL MEAT
Flame-grilled thin cuts of marinated veal meat served with grilled vegetables and baked potatoes
$38.50
ÇKA KA QËLLU MIXED MEAT COMBINATION
Choice of five (5): lamb, liver, chicken, shish qebap, veal, suxhuk, and qofte. Served with grilled vegetables and baked potatoes. Served for two
$63.50
SPRING LAMB CHOPS
Juicy, perfectly grilled lamb chops drizzled with a light red wine, honey, and garlic sauce. Served with creamy mashed potatoes and tender asparagus.
$35
BAKLAVA
Layers of crisp filo dough, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with honey-sugar syrup
$11
SHEQERPARE
Traditional Albanian soft, buttery cookie soaked in sweet lemon syrup
$11
ALBANIAN TRILEQE
A cake soaked in a blend of three milks, topped with rich caramel cream
$11
EXCELLENT Based on 1402 reviews Denisse LApril 24, 2025 Beautiful restaurant, exceptional service, and delicious food! Alexander HongApril 24, 2025 Excellent food - hands down one of the best meals I've had in NYC, and I've lived here for 21+ years. Javier KohenApril 24, 2025 Lovely Albanian restaurant. Albania is surrounded by many countries with popular cuisines so many of the dishes on the menu felt familiar, and yet I was surprised when I dive into them and found unique spice blends and great cooking. The food was comforting, made fresh, and it felt new to me. The staff was friendly. The ambiance was warm and it felt a bit like being transported to another place and time. Aurel BrahajApril 23, 2025 Klajdi is very nice waiter . He knows stuff really well Knows how to explain the food and everything Great service and great food Renaldo BeqirajApril 22, 2025 Arben KadriuApril 21, 2025 Sarah DeeApril 20, 2025 As a Macedonian, bless. The food is so similar to ours, I absolutely enjoyed every bite. Beautiful. 🤩 George DushajApril 19, 2025 Çka Ka Qëllue : From the very first moment to the final bite, the experience was nothing short of extraordinary. The chef is, without question, a culinary virtuoso—each dish was a masterpiece, flawlessly balanced in flavor, texture, and presentation. Every course told a story, blending creativity with timeless technique, and showcasing the freshest, most thoughtfully sourced ingredients. The service was the definition of white glove elegance. Attentive without being intrusive, the staff anticipated every need with seamless grace and genuine warmth. Every detail, from the precision of the table settings to the perfectly timed courses, was executed with the utmost professionalism. This wasn’t just a meal—it was an experience, a celebration of excellence in every sense. If you’re searching for perfection in cuisine and service, look no further. This is five-star hospitality at its absolute finest. 🇦🇱🇦🇱🙏🙏 Daphne ShenApril 19, 2025 Before the temperature gets really heated, I decided to try some Albanian cuisine. My friend said he mistakenly thought it was Turkish (fair, since they got lots of influences from there). Exotic, and quite heartfelt food offered. Apps: Hot pita (complimentary) Steaming hot, out of the oven. Thin but very marshmallow pillowy interior. It got that nice bread gumminess and gluten-stretch to it . Ajvar Roasted pepper + eggplant dip. If you ever had the Trader Joe version of the pepper/eggplant dip, you kinda have the idea of the taste profile. Not spicy, sweet and smoky and roasty and topped with some feta cheese with some creaminess. Paired super well with pita. Main: Tava Kosi Lamb 🐑 + rice 🍚 in a clay pot baked with yogurt, egg + roux (essentially a egg+rice custard mixture, slightly separated). The custard itself is tangy, not very eggy. The lambness was kinda soaked in so the custard also tasted meaty. Quite addictive if you keep eating, feels like a savory Greek yogurt cheesecake. The lamb is fall off the bone tender. You taste the flavor of the meat itself as I don’t taste much seasoning in it. The custard is the star of the show. Tradita grilled platter Qebaqa, Qofte, sausage (Suxhuk), chicken, and liver with squash, potatoes, and cabbage salad. Kudos to the cabbage salad on there. It is refreshing, very peppery, and has a veg sweetness to it. Not your typical pickled sour sour cabbage styled. It got some crunchy texture and very flavorful. On the same level are the grilled summer squashes. Not mushy and seasoned right with that added smokiness. Potatoes are also good. Loved that slightly mushy-mochi texture. Warning to the grilled green pepper. Don’t take it unless you can handle taste-bud killer spicy. With regards to meat department, sausages (Suxhuk) are the best because they retained the fat inside. The other meats Qebaqa and Qofte are salted slightly over and are kinda dried after being grilled. My second favorites would be the liver and the chicken, for different reasons. The liver got good char and seasoning just enough to supplement the original organ flavor yet had quite a bouncy texture, not like a mashed/pate/choking texture. I liked it. Chicken is stringy as it is pounded so thin, but it got enough flavor to save it. Also it is not overly salty. Their decor and hospitality are also bonus. I wished I had brought more friends to try more dips, savory baked item, and more tava dishes. These are homey dishes, so don’t expected Michelin star finesses. They are just comfortable. And the amount of the food that you are presented with what you pay is amazing (by NYC standards ofc). kristina kondakciuApril 19, 2025 This place is adorable and it breathes Albanian culture. They did a great job decorating it. The food was amazing as well. The baked cheese and their tave e dheut is incredible. I loved the big meat platter that was suggested by our server Klajdi. He was very much on point with knowing what we would have liked and made some great suggestions. Appreciated the hospitality. Their bread is made to order and its incredible as well so make sure to ask for more. Wish i lived here because I would visit more often
HOURS
Monday - Sunday12:00 PM - 11:00 PM