The 5 Best Shisha Lounges in Dubai
We just love to relax and lounge around as we catch up with some friends, and this is even made better with that sweet smoke that we get from shisha.
Shisha and shisha lounges are big in Dubai as it is largely a part of Arabian culture, and it truly makes us think that this country knows how to sit back, relax, and enjoy a puff of flavored smoke.
So we went and tried out some of the most recommended spots in the city to give you Dubai’s best shisha lounges.
How We Picked Dubai’s Best Shisha Lounges
Before we get right into our list of Dubai’s best shisha lounges, here are the factors we considered for our entries:
1. Smoke Lab
| Criteria | Rating |
| Selection | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Ambiance | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service Quality | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Food and Drink Menu | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
With an amazing range of shisha flavors and an unbeatable cool space, Smoke Lab offers a premium shisha experience through innovation and creativity.
Smoke Lab has around 18 flavors, some of which are house blends that we cannot find anywhere else. Our favorite flavors are pan vanilla, Kolkata mint, Karachi pan, and Zafran spring water.
However, the shisha menu has too many options that have mint in it, and when we are all sharing each other’s shisha, the mint can get too overwhelming.
When it comes to its ambiance, we love the combination of the exposed cement and brick matching the masculinity of the leather chairs, and softened by the glowing neon lights.
The space has a hard and cool space that feels exclusive and rich without feeling too frigid and restraining.
On top of that, the regular live music makes the space feel so much alive every night.
The service was also fantastic. We love how our waiter expertly recommended some dishes that would greatly complement the flavors that we had.
On top of that, everything got on our table in a timely manner.
The food and drinks menu was adequate. Smoke Lab covers all the bases from appetizers to desserts with its dishes.
The drinks offered a nice range of cocktails, smoothies, and coffee. However, overall, we just needed a little bit more uniqueness to the menu because its offerings were all very common dishes.
Pros
- Has a great range of shisha flavors
- Luxurious and casual ambiance
- Has live music
- Knowledgeable and efficient staff
- Great range of food and drink offerings
Cons
- Shisha flavors have a lot of mints
- Food and drinks are not unique
Customer Reviews
My friends had hookah and it was really good
“The place looks nice and the waiters are very friendly. I was down with a cold and one of the waiters suggested some soup that gave me an instant relief, loved it. They were very keen on service. My friends had hookah and it was really good. Their menu mostly has Indian cuisine that we really enjoyed.” —Quinter Olwala, Google Reviews
The optimal spot for socializing with friends
“The optimal spot for socializing with friends is where you can find the finest Shisha, accompanied by friendly waitstaff and excellent service. Be sure to experience their aromatic Coffee, which comes highly recommended. Additionally, they offer entertainment options such as games and live concerts.” —Aasim Jamal, Google Reviews
2. The Courtyards
| Criteria | Rating |
| Selection | ★★☆☆☆ (2/5) |
| Ambiance | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service Quality | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Food and Drink Menu | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
If the ultimate Arabian fantasy with beautiful tents under a starlit sky in the middle of the beautiful garden is how you want to experience your shisha, then The Courtyards has you covered.
We want to start with the ambiance of this place because it is one of the most otherworldly places that we have ever experienced.
From the beautifully landscaped garden with date palms and manicured Bermuda grass to the piles of padded cushions and fairy lights that wrap the tree trunks, the space is taken from a storybook.
The warm lighting makes it cozy enough for the energy to feel laidback and relaxed, which just adds the cherry on top.
However, this is brought down by its severely limited shisha selection, which is just strawberry and apple.
We were disappointed to know that this shisha lounge chose to keep its selection down to just these couple of flavors which does not even make sense with the space’s theme.
The food and drink selection is somewhat better with its beautifully curated Arabian cuisine. Its mezze plates have diverse flavor profiles that play around with the few shisha flavors it offers.
The service is very efficient and the staff was courteous and accommodating throughout our entire experience.
Pros
- Beautiful Arabian decor
- Cozy and relaxing ambiance
- Excellent service
- Great Arabian food and drink menu
Cons
- Shisha flavors are limited to two
Customer Reviews
Brings you back to the traditional Arabic atmosphere
“The place is just amazing. Brings you back to the traditional Arabic atmosphere, which makes it perfect to chill with family and friends.
Reasonable prices considering it is within one of the most luxurious hotels in Dubai.
Plenty of food and drink options on the menu
Shisha is available.
Excellent customer service.
Recommended place” – Antonio, Google Reviews
People come to smoke shisha here
“Atmosphere is nice, with a digital art installation and Arabic ambiance, the food is ok, people come to smoke shisha here” – Veronika Pereseina, Google Reviews
3. Smoky Beach
| Criteria | Rating |
| Selection | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Ambiance | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Service Quality | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Food and Drink Menu | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Located by the shores of swanky The Beach, Smoky Beach offers one of the coolest shisha experiences with its waterfront bar and its view of the famous landmark Ain Dubai.
With a pretty amazing selection of shisha flavors, we love that it has variations on the classics like blue mint and iced mint star, but also got its one homebrew shisha cocktails like the smoky special and pink colada.
We also love the fact that a lot of its flavors complement the energy of the place with its relaxing swanky beachside vibe.
And speaking of its vibe, it definitely has that luxurious yet casual beach club feel with its wicker couches, colorful cushions, and big umbrellas.
However, it does not really do much to separate its decor from any other beach club. Oftentimes, it feels like it is another trendy beach club following whatever is popular at the moment.
It is made up by the excellent service that we got. Our waiter and the hostess were both friendly and accommodating despite the busyness of the place.
The kitchen prepared our food and drinks in a timely manner, and we have no complaints about its quality.
And while we’re on the subject of its food and drinks, it definitely lives up to its reputation as one of the best restaurants in the JBR neighborhood.
Pros
- Luxurious beachside location
- Great range of shisha flavor offerings
- Excellent service
- Known as one of the best restaurants in the JBR area
Cons
- Decor feels generic
Customer Reviews
This is a very nice place to relax at Jumeirah Beach
“This is a very nice place to relax at Jumeirah Beach. With an awesome view of Al-Ain. Personal are serving people with a smile. The drinks are freshly made. The music is relaxed and not so loud. The best way to reach Smoky Beach is by taxi or the metro which stops a bit further down the street.” – Ed Bouwman, Google Reviews
Smoky Beach is a great place to relax and take in the beauty of the city
“Smoky Beach in Dubai is a great place to relax and take in the beauty of the city. The view of the Ferris wheel is breathtaking and adds a festive feel to the atmosphere.
The drinks and food options were great, and the service was outstanding. You can relax at their lazy beans, take a swim and then enjoy the views. Highly recommend this spot to anyone looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.” – Anastasios Naos, Google Reviews
4. Kana Cafe
| Criteria | Rating |
| Selection | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Ambiance | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Service Quality | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Food and Drink Menu | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Known to be the latest hit in the shisha lounge scene of Dubai City, Kana Cafe draws in consistent throngs of crowds both tourists and locals alike with its shisha selection.
From its trademark shisha flavor, the Saloom, which we recommend to every first timer to its more adventurous offerings such as the apple fakber, cappuccino, cocktail, and gum, Kana Cafe has an intriguing selection that tempts us to come back.
We also love that it really knows that it wants to breathe a new life into the shisha pastime, and it does this with its amazing selections.
And when it comes to its ambiance, we love the eclectic contemporary vibe that we get from its colorful armchairs and metalwork that occupy the space.
However, the place does feel overcrowded with all of these tables and decor that it feels like a cafeteria more than a nice cafe.
The service can also get bogged down just by the sheer number of tables that the staff has to serve during peak hours.
While we usually don’t mind since we were just sitting there with our shishas, our food and drinks definitely took some time to get to us.
And speaking of the food and drinks, the offerings that it had were unremarkable. Nothing really stood out to us, but it was good enough for our shisha experience.
Pros
- Great unique shisha flavors
- Eclectic contemporary vibe
Cons
- The space is overcrowded
- Service can get slow during peak hours
- Mediocre food and drink
Customer Reviews
A well spent weekend evening at this place
“A well spent weekend evening at this place. The staffs were amazingly kind. Huge seating indoors to watch live sports. Outdoor seating with stunning lake view.
Their jumbo shisha is a must-try. It lasts more than 3 hours.
Also, we had their seafood pizza, Stromboli, and steak tacos.
Google Map to this place is kinda tricky. They have this massive outdoor parking but it gets full most times.” – Evan Bose, Google Reviews
Great place to relax
“Great place to relax and eat (and maybe have some nargila), the food is good and the staff is very kind and helpful” – Kathy Issa, Google Reviews
5. Buhayra Lounge
| Criteria | Rating |
| Selection | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Ambiance | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Service Quality | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Food and Drink Menu | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Located at the Palace Downtown, Buhayra Lounge offers an incomparable shisha experience that is elevated with the view of the iconic Burj Khalifa.
Its range of shisha flavors covers the classics such as apple, grape, mint, rose, orange, gum, and watermelon.
And if you think these are too safe, Buhayra Lounge also offers blends that combine three of its offerings for a more fun experience.
However, if we took away these blends, we are disappointed that its plain shisha flavors are relatively basic and common.
The Arabian building that plays as the centerpiece of this space does more than enough to create a fantastical Arabian Night vibe that we enjoyed.
However, the furniture did not match its surroundings. The tables and chairs felt contemporary and minimalist which went against the extravagant lights and landscaping.
The service quality, on the other hand, was nothing short of excellent. Our waiter was friendly throughout the entire time we were there and accommodated our requests very well.
We appreciated how efficient they were in every step of the service. From offering recommendations and taking down our orders right up to getting our orders to our table, the staff did everything in a timely manner.
On top of that, the food and drinks were top-quality. We have no complaints about anything that we ordered.
Pros
- Great range of shisha offerings
- Excellent service
- Great range of food and drink offerings
Cons
- Shisha flavors are somewhat simple
- The furniture feels generic
Customer Reviews
Absolutely amazing!
“Absolutely amazing! The place is beautiful with a great view of the Burj Khalifa and the fountain. The staff is super friendly. I love that you get a lot of shisha and drinks as well for the price.” –Pooya Ranjbar, Google Reviews
Highly recommended
“Celebrating our Engagement Party dinner at Buhayra Lounge!
Great place, an amazing location, with the perfect view of Burj Khalifa & the fountain. The food was so tasty. And the staff were responsive to our demands.
Special Thanks to Mr. Safraf the manager of Ewan restaurant and Ruwan Kumara the pastry chef
Highly recommended” – Rasha Al-Sbei, Google Reviews
FAQs about Shisha Lounges in Dubai
We hope this helped you find your favorite shisha lounge in Dubai. Also, if you’re looking for more hangout places, then check out these articles: