Top 5: Hookah Bars in New York City

Babel Lounge

This East Village hookah bar is on the higher end of the list. Babel has a cosmopolitan feel with DJs entertaining two rooms, one Top 40 and the other electronic. The place is particularly popular on weekends with live belly dancing.

Kazuza

Kazuza is a more low-key spot reliable for great food and cheap shisha. The Lower East Side lounge serves authentic fare like kebabs, falafel, hummus, tabouli and moussaka, in addition to traditional bar food like wings. Fridays and Saturdays are particularly wild with belly dancers, but it’s a good place to have a smoke any day of the week; they’re open until 4 a.m.

Pergola

If you’d like to enjoy some shisha with fine dining, head to Pergola, a two-story restaurant/hookah lounge. The place has high ceilings so you can eat lamb burgers and bronzino without dealing with a smoky atmosphere. The place is pricey, but great if you want a more polished hookah experience. Come in on Tuesdays to hear live Spanish guitar.

La Sultana Café

If you prefer a more divey feel, La Sultana Café in East Village is a small, Moroccan lounge that’s cozy and affordable. The cash-only bar has cheap drinks, but keep in mind that there is an 18 percent gratuity, three-person limit on hookahs. Aside from that, you have a friendly staff that’s never pushy and will replace your coals to keep the shisha burning.

Falucka Lounge

Technically they are just a bar, but they host regular hookah nights in a proper Middle Eastern setting. Falucka has an intimate feel thanks to translucent curtains draped over tables, giving parties some privacy while the DJs spin a fusion of house, techno and Arabic music.