Best hookah bars in Boston

This popular, low-lit Allston hangout goes beyond the pipe and offers desserts, coffee, tea and games. There’s even a movie night where you can smoke your way through an entire flick. For those seeking a more intimate engagement, you can purchase your own hookah to take home, or rent out the lounge for a private event. Before you go, call ahead to make sure it is open to the general public, and not being used for the latter.

Headlined as an Israeli coffee house, serving all-natural dishes, including hummus plates and zaatar, Andala leans into shisha’s Middle Eastern origins where a meal is accompanied by a smoke (or even post-meal smoke). Smokers can relax on an outdoor patio under a grape arbor. Nibble fresh pastries alongside sips of strong coffee, or order one of more than two dozen different teas to accompany a relaxing hookah session al fresco.

​​Hidden underneath Caffe Vittoria on Hanover Street in the heart of the North End, this former 1920s speakeasy is now a trendy cigar bar with hookah service, too. Choose a premium cigar to pair with a pour of top-shelf bourbon, rum or port, or pick from a variety of flavored tobaccos and base liquids for a single or dual shisha bowl.

With a counterpart in Las Vegas, you know this hookah spot is one to be reckoned with. Settle in with a hookah or two (all bowls include a free refill) and, if you’re feeling hungry, choose from a selection of subs and paninis. And if you’re feeling artsy, reserve a spot on Tuesday, when the lounge runs paint night; an evening of puffs and pastels make all of those wine and watercolors events so blasé.

At this Allston hangout, Middle Eastern foods and teas are paired with delicious flavored tobaccos like fruity watermelon or refreshing mint—all served up in a subtly lit, subterranean lounge for prime relaxation. Hookah aficionados flock to Habibi’s for its authentic attitude and furnishings that transport them straight to the Middle East. Since it draws in crowds, be prepared to wait in line on the weekends.

Some cigar connoisseurs will tell you that nothing pairs better with a smoke than vintage rum and whisky. And that’s exactly what you’ll find at Boston Cigar Club, alongside premium cuts of steak and nightly entertainment. Downstairs, you’ll find a selection of hundreds of cigars to purchase for smoking or stashing until your next visit, or to take home to enjoy at your convenience. It’s the largest cigar establishment in Boston and also offers a monthly membership for perks, like personal cigar locker storage and discounts when available (though you don’t need to be a member to stop by the lounge).

Just north of the city, this nightclub doubles as a cigar bar and hookah lounge—all while serving a curated list of craft cocktails, like the tequila-based Seal My Fate and bourbon-based I Don’t Want To Go Home. If you’d rather smoke your spirit, the club has a liquor license, so smokers can choose one of the 20 different flavored tobaccos and get lit with booze in the bowl instead of water.