Nice place to lounge. Doesn't serve alcohol, so it doesn't attract the crazy people. People who work there are very friendly. Food isn't bad.
(5)
Shanna M.
A group of friends and I went here on the 4th of July on recommendations of other friends. We arrived around 9:30 pm and experience no wait time. We were seated and placed our order and quickly received our hookahs. The flavor was really good and the hookah itself was nice. The establishment was very clean and the owner was really nice. This place is also BYOB which worked for us (you just can't share with others). We were even allowed to play our own music which was great. Bill wasn't too pricey, only about $25 per hookah. Will come back next time I come to Philly.
(5)
Nic H.
I came here with my boyfriend after a first Friday. There weren't any other customers (it was really early), we were served right away and the servers (possibly siblings) were really nice. They explained anything we needed and everything was nice. We had eaten dinner before so just got a dessert to share. I don't know why people are griping about Hookah price. You're in Old City, what did you expect? It may be cash only, I am not sure because we paid cash. Overall I would definitely go back for Hookah, we stayed a long time and the owners did not care at all. They even changed the music to make us feel more comfortable I think (we didn't ask for it to be changed). It seems like a family-owned place and I personally like to support small businesses when I can, since I work for one. If you've never tried hookah it's a great place to go.
(5)
Neha S.
I went to this place during one of my weekend stay at Philly. At midnight I and my husband decided to take a walk near Penn's landing. Since we walked from our hotel to the river side we were lil exhausted and wanted to sit back and relax. Not quite inviting from outside, we simply went inside this place coz of its proximity to the location. Run by an Egyptian guy, the place was quite shady with a bunch of hipsters in one corner and a group of college students on the other. Anyhow, we ordered double apple flavoured Hookah with an ice tea. Since we were not looking for any fine dining experience, we did not expect anything great from this place!
(1)
Lauren G.
Stopped in for a coffee and immediately wished we hadn't. Place was empty except for 2 men that worked there?? Ordered 2 coffee's and they had none brewed (it's a coffee shop??) and had to get a guy who hung out outside to come in and make it. The place had a weird vibe. Didn't feel safe and I couldn't wait to get out of there. Wound up throwing the coffee out.
(1)
Sumin P.
The place was very empty. I thought it was because we were there early but the place never got crowded as the night went on. They are cash only which they failed to mention to us when we first got there -- we had to walk a block to get cash from an ATM machine. The hookah for two was $24 and I had better quality hookah. I would never go back.
(2)
Nico L.
I came here for hookah one slow Friday evening. This is probably my favorite hookah lounge to go to now. First of all, it's relaxed and comfortable. Couches everywhere. The owner, very friendly, chatted with us on the street beforehand. We went down to Rotten Ralph's to get some beer as this is a BYO. When we finally came back, we grabbed a seat. They had NBC on tv, which was odd since there was a medical special on. I'd have preferred some sports channel (Not ESPN though... something with live sports). The music they had playing was awesome, though it was hooked up to a guys iPhone. Every few minutes, I would hear a text message alert. We smoked, it was good quality, and eventually we got the bill. Not noted on the bill was a 5 dollar BYO charge. The owner came over and apologized for his server for not writing it down in our bill. It happens, I'm just happy he explained it to us. Will I come back? If I'm in the area, definitely.
(4)
Julia C.
They sell Middle Eastern foods ie Falafel and Fool, also coffee drinks. I came here with high hopes before Qfest to get a coffee and snack before my next movie. I decided to get a drink first and then maybe I would order food to go. I ordered an Americano - espresso and water. But, this one was served in a 12 once cup and he left no room for cream. They had splenda but the only "cream" was vitamin d milk and I prefer half and half with coffee. So, I ended up taking my drink by park and after a few sips tossed it because it didn't taste right to me. Too bad as this could be a possibility when going to Ritz movies. I wasn't impressed with coffee and probaby will not be coming back.....
(1)
Kevin R.
This is authentic as it gets for a Hookah bar....Arabic music and videos playing while mostly Arabic people enjoy a hookah while sipping coffee or playing cards with friends. Is it fancy? Not by a long shot but like I said it's the real deal. I really enjoyed the mix of jasmine and watermelon for my Hookah choice. This place isn't about fast service (although very friendly) so relax and soak it in.
(3)
Alexis K.
I've never written a review, but after going here I wish I'd had a better idea of what I was getting myself into. My boyfriend and I came here after dinner on a Sunday. It was fairly full of people. We ordered 2 waters a hookah to share and a coffee for me. The hookah menu had no prices listed and was fairly limited. The hookah came fast enough and wasn't too terrible. Although I will say we ordered double apple but I think it barely squeaked by as passing off as singular apple. The coffee, however, too forever. I actually assumed the waitress forgot and I wasn't getting it. When it did come it was barely recognizable as coffee because of all the cream she dumped in, and it was already luke warm. It had good flavor but that only goes so far when its tepid. We enjoyed the hookah, had a good long sit on a surprisingly comfy couch and then asked for the check. That's when I almost choked on the dregs of my cold coffee. The bill was $31. So roughly guessing, that one hookah cost about $22. This is not the first time I've been to a hookah lounge, and I know it's in the city, but damn! Probably won't be back there again. Side note: if you use the bathroom keep an eye out for the chunk they had to take out of the door so that it would open past the toliet without getting stuck.
(1)
Karla R.
Me and my boyfriend go here all the time. The owner is very friendly and we feel at home. We usually go there smoke hookah and watch a movie. There mango drink its really good with a lot of mango texture. If you want a nice, feel at home place, not to crowded then this is the place for you. Don't mind the bad reviews it has.
(5)
Christine L.
They didn't have half of the menu items available...and the ice cream that i did order was yucky ICEY. Hookah, however, was decent. The couches were comfy but the layout itself was a little strange. I think this place has potential, it's in a good location, but it does need a cosmetic and conceptual makeover. Overall, if you need a place to kick it with a group of friends, this place would fit everyone comfortably. If you're expecting a cute CAFE experience...look elsewhere.
(2)
Wally W.
I don't know what's with all the bad reviews here. Our group just came here to smoke hookah. The waitress was really responsive to our groups request (coffees, waters, coals, etc.). When we arrived, we requested that the doors/windows be opened to enjoy the fresh air. They had a pretty good list of flavored tobaccos. Apparently this place also sells food, but we didn't get any. You can bring alcohol in here, BYOB! The decor could be changed up, though, it's not really presentable from the outside.
(3)
love p.
Great! Got mint tea and a wonderful tobacco free hookah.. They have Starbuzz and Al Fakher, arguably two of the best brands. They also do really cute bubble hookahs! Really nice people. If they had trouble in the past, they have certainly changed! Sat next to the open window for a fresh breeze from the nearby water. Great for a really beautiful evening, either alone or with friends... Hookah is both very contemplative and very social!! The only thing I really wish they had is an olive plate. Maybe they'll add one when they read this. *wink*wink* :)
(5)
Fay H.
There's not much being offered in the way of beverages and such at this place. I wasn't too impressed.
(2)
Loy G.
a dimly lit and smoke filled room smelling of double apple and hints of mint. spellbinding arabic music, satellite tv from the middle eastern world, and neighboring conversations all in colorful languages i don't understand. i take a sip of sugary mint tea, take a deep breath, and then exhale a thick field of smoke while sinking further into the broken-in leather couch. i'm relaxed and slowly let the buzz fade away from a friday night out in old city. loose leaf mint tea, diesel thick turkish coffee, and starbuzz quality shisha all compliment the authenticity of the atmosphere. the hookah is packed so well that it hits perfectly without getting too harsh and lasts almost an hour. i flip my friend's turkish coffee back off his saucer. mysteriously, the dried up grounds predict that we'll be back to sphinx in the near future.
(4)
Elisa D.
Very chill place for hookah. I had the jasmine hookah which was great and very relaxing. Come here after getting a nice buzz from drinking elsewhere at the end of a night out on the town. The crowd can be a little off but the service is very good.
(3)
Andy M.
I thought I would try this place for lunch and found it completely empty, save one person napping on the couch. No staff to be found. (And apparently they only have coffee and ice cream, so lunch wasn't really an option anyway.) There are many better coffee/dessert options in the area.
(1)
Greg C.
I went here after dinner on a Sunday night and just wanted to have a hookah. As we first walked in i thought to myself this is not so bad judging on how comfortable the couches looked. Then we ordered tangerine dream.... While we were waiting for our order I noticed that there was no ambience to this place. No music playing at all. The only people there was the owners and one owe person. My date and I also took note that the only thing we were listening to was a television playing a over dramatic soap opera in Arabic. Our presence there felt awkward just as if we were sitting in a random persons living room. Once we gotten the hookah I thought things would lighten up but I just found myself not even wanting to be there anymore. We smoked for about 5 minutes before agreeing on leaving. So I went to pay out and found myself paying $22.00 for the single hookah I ordered. Rough! anyways I do not find myself going back anytime soon.
(2)
Pooja A.
This new place on the corner of S. Front and Chestnut is horrible!! We waited 20 minutes for falafel, which were $6.00 each, and they consisted of one piece of falafel with a spoon of tahini in a pita. It was not disgusting, just a huge waste of money and we had to go eat somewhere else because it was not close to a full meal. The people running the place don't seem competent. They were also out of 80% of the items on the menu.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : No Good For : Late Night Parking : Street Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Paid Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Cindy H.
Nice place to lounge. Doesn't serve alcohol, so it doesn't attract the crazy people. People who work there are very friendly. Food isn't bad.
(5)Shanna M.
A group of friends and I went here on the 4th of July on recommendations of other friends. We arrived around 9:30 pm and experience no wait time. We were seated and placed our order and quickly received our hookahs. The flavor was really good and the hookah itself was nice. The establishment was very clean and the owner was really nice. This place is also BYOB which worked for us (you just can't share with others). We were even allowed to play our own music which was great. Bill wasn't too pricey, only about $25 per hookah. Will come back next time I come to Philly.
(5)Nic H.
I came here with my boyfriend after a first Friday. There weren't any other customers (it was really early), we were served right away and the servers (possibly siblings) were really nice. They explained anything we needed and everything was nice. We had eaten dinner before so just got a dessert to share. I don't know why people are griping about Hookah price. You're in Old City, what did you expect? It may be cash only, I am not sure because we paid cash. Overall I would definitely go back for Hookah, we stayed a long time and the owners did not care at all. They even changed the music to make us feel more comfortable I think (we didn't ask for it to be changed). It seems like a family-owned place and I personally like to support small businesses when I can, since I work for one. If you've never tried hookah it's a great place to go.
(5)Neha S.
I went to this place during one of my weekend stay at Philly. At midnight I and my husband decided to take a walk near Penn's landing. Since we walked from our hotel to the river side we were lil exhausted and wanted to sit back and relax. Not quite inviting from outside, we simply went inside this place coz of its proximity to the location. Run by an Egyptian guy, the place was quite shady with a bunch of hipsters in one corner and a group of college students on the other. Anyhow, we ordered double apple flavoured Hookah with an ice tea. Since we were not looking for any fine dining experience, we did not expect anything great from this place!
(1)Lauren G.
Stopped in for a coffee and immediately wished we hadn't. Place was empty except for 2 men that worked there?? Ordered 2 coffee's and they had none brewed (it's a coffee shop??) and had to get a guy who hung out outside to come in and make it. The place had a weird vibe. Didn't feel safe and I couldn't wait to get out of there. Wound up throwing the coffee out.
(1)Sumin P.
The place was very empty. I thought it was because we were there early but the place never got crowded as the night went on. They are cash only which they failed to mention to us when we first got there -- we had to walk a block to get cash from an ATM machine. The hookah for two was $24 and I had better quality hookah. I would never go back.
(2)Nico L.
I came here for hookah one slow Friday evening. This is probably my favorite hookah lounge to go to now. First of all, it's relaxed and comfortable. Couches everywhere. The owner, very friendly, chatted with us on the street beforehand. We went down to Rotten Ralph's to get some beer as this is a BYO. When we finally came back, we grabbed a seat. They had NBC on tv, which was odd since there was a medical special on. I'd have preferred some sports channel (Not ESPN though... something with live sports). The music they had playing was awesome, though it was hooked up to a guys iPhone. Every few minutes, I would hear a text message alert. We smoked, it was good quality, and eventually we got the bill. Not noted on the bill was a 5 dollar BYO charge. The owner came over and apologized for his server for not writing it down in our bill. It happens, I'm just happy he explained it to us. Will I come back? If I'm in the area, definitely.
(4)Julia C.
They sell Middle Eastern foods ie Falafel and Fool, also coffee drinks. I came here with high hopes before Qfest to get a coffee and snack before my next movie. I decided to get a drink first and then maybe I would order food to go. I ordered an Americano - espresso and water. But, this one was served in a 12 once cup and he left no room for cream. They had splenda but the only "cream" was vitamin d milk and I prefer half and half with coffee. So, I ended up taking my drink by park and after a few sips tossed it because it didn't taste right to me. Too bad as this could be a possibility when going to Ritz movies. I wasn't impressed with coffee and probaby will not be coming back.....
(1)Kevin R.
This is authentic as it gets for a Hookah bar....Arabic music and videos playing while mostly Arabic people enjoy a hookah while sipping coffee or playing cards with friends. Is it fancy? Not by a long shot but like I said it's the real deal. I really enjoyed the mix of jasmine and watermelon for my Hookah choice. This place isn't about fast service (although very friendly) so relax and soak it in.
(3)Alexis K.
I've never written a review, but after going here I wish I'd had a better idea of what I was getting myself into. My boyfriend and I came here after dinner on a Sunday. It was fairly full of people. We ordered 2 waters a hookah to share and a coffee for me. The hookah menu had no prices listed and was fairly limited. The hookah came fast enough and wasn't too terrible. Although I will say we ordered double apple but I think it barely squeaked by as passing off as singular apple. The coffee, however, too forever. I actually assumed the waitress forgot and I wasn't getting it. When it did come it was barely recognizable as coffee because of all the cream she dumped in, and it was already luke warm. It had good flavor but that only goes so far when its tepid. We enjoyed the hookah, had a good long sit on a surprisingly comfy couch and then asked for the check. That's when I almost choked on the dregs of my cold coffee. The bill was $31. So roughly guessing, that one hookah cost about $22. This is not the first time I've been to a hookah lounge, and I know it's in the city, but damn! Probably won't be back there again. Side note: if you use the bathroom keep an eye out for the chunk they had to take out of the door so that it would open past the toliet without getting stuck.
(1)Karla R.
Me and my boyfriend go here all the time. The owner is very friendly and we feel at home. We usually go there smoke hookah and watch a movie. There mango drink its really good with a lot of mango texture. If you want a nice, feel at home place, not to crowded then this is the place for you. Don't mind the bad reviews it has.
(5)Christine L.
They didn't have half of the menu items available...and the ice cream that i did order was yucky ICEY. Hookah, however, was decent. The couches were comfy but the layout itself was a little strange. I think this place has potential, it's in a good location, but it does need a cosmetic and conceptual makeover. Overall, if you need a place to kick it with a group of friends, this place would fit everyone comfortably. If you're expecting a cute CAFE experience...look elsewhere.
(2)Wally W.
I don't know what's with all the bad reviews here. Our group just came here to smoke hookah. The waitress was really responsive to our groups request (coffees, waters, coals, etc.). When we arrived, we requested that the doors/windows be opened to enjoy the fresh air. They had a pretty good list of flavored tobaccos. Apparently this place also sells food, but we didn't get any. You can bring alcohol in here, BYOB! The decor could be changed up, though, it's not really presentable from the outside.
(3)love p.
Great! Got mint tea and a wonderful tobacco free hookah.. They have Starbuzz and Al Fakher, arguably two of the best brands. They also do really cute bubble hookahs! Really nice people. If they had trouble in the past, they have certainly changed! Sat next to the open window for a fresh breeze from the nearby water. Great for a really beautiful evening, either alone or with friends... Hookah is both very contemplative and very social!! The only thing I really wish they had is an olive plate. Maybe they'll add one when they read this. *wink*wink* :)
(5)Fay H.
There's not much being offered in the way of beverages and such at this place. I wasn't too impressed.
(2)Loy G.
a dimly lit and smoke filled room smelling of double apple and hints of mint. spellbinding arabic music, satellite tv from the middle eastern world, and neighboring conversations all in colorful languages i don't understand. i take a sip of sugary mint tea, take a deep breath, and then exhale a thick field of smoke while sinking further into the broken-in leather couch. i'm relaxed and slowly let the buzz fade away from a friday night out in old city. loose leaf mint tea, diesel thick turkish coffee, and starbuzz quality shisha all compliment the authenticity of the atmosphere. the hookah is packed so well that it hits perfectly without getting too harsh and lasts almost an hour. i flip my friend's turkish coffee back off his saucer. mysteriously, the dried up grounds predict that we'll be back to sphinx in the near future.
(4)Elisa D.
Very chill place for hookah. I had the jasmine hookah which was great and very relaxing. Come here after getting a nice buzz from drinking elsewhere at the end of a night out on the town. The crowd can be a little off but the service is very good.
(3)Andy M.
I thought I would try this place for lunch and found it completely empty, save one person napping on the couch. No staff to be found. (And apparently they only have coffee and ice cream, so lunch wasn't really an option anyway.) There are many better coffee/dessert options in the area.
(1)Greg C.
I went here after dinner on a Sunday night and just wanted to have a hookah. As we first walked in i thought to myself this is not so bad judging on how comfortable the couches looked. Then we ordered tangerine dream.... While we were waiting for our order I noticed that there was no ambience to this place. No music playing at all. The only people there was the owners and one owe person. My date and I also took note that the only thing we were listening to was a television playing a over dramatic soap opera in Arabic. Our presence there felt awkward just as if we were sitting in a random persons living room. Once we gotten the hookah I thought things would lighten up but I just found myself not even wanting to be there anymore. We smoked for about 5 minutes before agreeing on leaving. So I went to pay out and found myself paying $22.00 for the single hookah I ordered. Rough! anyways I do not find myself going back anytime soon.
(2)Pooja A.
This new place on the corner of S. Front and Chestnut is horrible!! We waited 20 minutes for falafel, which were $6.00 each, and they consisted of one piece of falafel with a spoon of tahini in a pita. It was not disgusting, just a huge waste of money and we had to go eat somewhere else because it was not close to a full meal. The people running the place don't seem competent. They were also out of 80% of the items on the menu.
(1)