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I find hookah (or shisha) a really nice way to unwind and chill with friends. I also love a well-crafted cocktail in a speakeasy. So when I moved to New York City, I obviously started looking for good hookah bars in the city. Here is a list of my best hookah bars in New York City-
Now I understand that the best hookah places in NYC can be subjective, as such this is a list of my recommendations for the best hookah lounge that I experienced. If that interests you, keep reading on.
PERGOLA
What to expect: Good music (gets louder at night), amazing food, good cocktails, great hookahs
Best time to visit: Afternoon, Evening
My Google timeline states I have been to this place more than 20 times, which clearly shows you how much I love Pergola! I have spent a lot of time in Pergola working, meeting friends, watching games, and reading.
Pergola not only serves really good hookah but also comes with a great ambiance. I really enjoy the music that they play, even though it gets really loud at night. I usually prefer going to Pergola in the afternoon or in the evening.
Pergola gets really packed in the evening, so I would definitely ask you to make reservations. They will decline if you go without a reservation at night.
Pergola has amazing hookah but what makes it special is the choice of cocktail they offer. They have some of the best sangrias.
Pergola also has a good menu serving really good spicy hummus (order it with all fried pitas) and fries.
All in all expect good food, good music, good drinks, and really good hookah.
36 W 28th St, New York, NY 10001, United States | MAKE A RESERVATION
CLOISTER CAFE
What to expect: Outdoor garden seating, good ambiance, good choices of drinks
Best time to visit: Afternoon, Evening (during summer)
I found about Cloister Cafe really late. But Cloister soon became one of my favorite hookah bars.
Cloister Cafe has a really good ambiance due to the outdoor garden and the fountain area where they serve hookahs.
They also have a good selection of beer and food
238 E 9th St, New York, NY 10003, United States | CALL FOR RESERVATION
ARABESQUE
What to expect: Huge crowds at night, good music, belly dancing
Best time: Late evening, Night
Arabesque is another good hookah place in Midtown NYC.
Usually crowded with folks from companies around, Arabesque provides a good environment to chill.
At night the music gets really loud. In addition, they have belly dancing on the stage at night.
I really like the Moroccan tea that they serve with the hookahs.
4 E 36th St, New York, NY 10016, United States | MAKE A RESERVATION
BABYLON HOOKAH LOUNGE
What to expect: Really loud music at night, good hookah, paan flavor, cover charge at night, dancing
Best time: Afternoon, Evening
Babylon Hookah Lounge is one of the most marketed bars or restaurants in NYC. If you’re into hookah, you have probably heard of Babylon NYC. Babylon is like the 230 Fifth of hookah places.
It is almost like a tourist trap.
I personally have a love-hate relation with Babylon. I really love Babylon during the afternoon or evening. It is really quite and chill.
However, the bar turns into a club at night which I really don’t like. The music gets really loud. They also start charging a cover at night which makes the whole experience really expensive.
But a lot of my friends really like Babylon since not everyone likes to have hookah in a quiet environment.
208 E 34th St, New York, NY 10016, United States | CALL FOR RESERVATION
HORUS CAFE
What to expect: Small intimate place, good hookah, good Egyptian tea
Best time: Afternoon
Horus Cafe in Alphabet City is well known in NYC for hookahs.
Horus Cafe is usually packed since it is really famous but also, has an intimate setting.
They have a good selection of food on their menu and I really like their hummus.
293 E 10th St, New York, NY 10009, United States | MAKE A RESERVATION
So these were my absolute favorite hookah bars (lounges) in New York City and I hope you will enjoy my recommendations.
There are a number of hookah places in New York City which I cannot cover in one post. As such, I have created the Google Map list of hookah places in NYC for everyone. Feel free to check it out, add it to your maps, or even share it.
If you liked this post, you might also like my other blog posts about Indian food places, rooftop bars, and speakeasy’s in NYC and UES.
