As prevalent in components of the Middle East and India as delis or Starbucks are in the United States, with one on each nook, hookah lounges and hookah bars, once quite rare in the West, have lately been seeing an increase in well-likedity here. From the friendly ambience of many of those institutions to the uniquely relaxed temper of hookah smoking and the kid-in-a-sweet store variety of flavorful tobaccos available, hookah lounges and bars have quite a bit on offer.
A lot of this upsurge in popularity is because of college and university populations, who find hookah lounges an attractive way to spend quality time with buddies in a sober, however socially simple, environment. Hookah lounges are big with sororities and fraternities, however there are older sets of patrons on the scene as well, and a multiplicity of ethnicities and people from all walks of life might be found in various hookah lounges.
Totally different hookah bars and lounges offer totally different things to go with the smoking experience. At some lounges, an older clientele involves play cards, backgammon, or chess, while pool tables, video games, and big screen TVs are on offer for the younger crowd. Many lounges serve meals and drink, from Turkish coffee, spicy chai, and honey-drenched bamieh fritters to foie gras and Moroccan spiced lamb, while hookah bars supply everything from wine and cocktails to package offers–together with private booth or lounge, hookah, drinks, and appetizers–which run about $a hundred twenty five for four. Rental costs for hookahs in lounges generally run from $5 to $20 an hour, with tobacco prices from $four to $9 per bowl. No matter’s on offer, folks really feel comfortable sufficient to linger, gathered around the hookah pipe.
Somebody on employees–often the proprietor–is always pleased to assist those new to the expertise of hookah smoking and guide them by means of it. Pipes are generally prepared for the patrons with whatever unique taste of tobacco they choose. There’s normally a hookah coal provider, circulating by the lounge with coals and tongs to replenish any waning hookah coals.
Music ranges from jazz to hip hop to tablah-backed Middle Japanese pop music, décor from re-interpretations of a Cairo café to tiki hut to sophisticated bar. Whether the folks come to play games, drink cardamom-infused coffee, sip cocktails, or just kick back and chill out, hookah lounges and bars supply a novel multicultural take on an age-old tradition.