One of the more lively places in Soho…read more
Yeah Soho is usually chill and all, everyone does some small talks, sips some wine, but Sahara is something different. The ground floor is, almost intentionally, always overcrowded. As in, at its full capacity, you will have a difficult time getting in or out of the place. But it's great in a way no one actually sits uncomfortably.
On the upper floor, which they only open it over weekends, is a semi-secret room that imitates a traditional Arabic/Middle Eastern social lounges (no I have no ideas what I'm talking about, but you'll understand once you are there). People take off their shoes and sit casually on the floor with mats and cushions. Pretty unique experience in Hong Kong.
Drinks are okay - nothing fancy, but you have your usual suspects all available here.
Shisha are good - very traditional, very raw in taste. Nothing to strong. Imagine Bloop, Boba Bear, or Vibe are like the "connoisseur" of shisha, Sahara will be like the down-to-earth, day-to-day friendly kind of shisha (in terms of taste, not here to recommend anyone to have shisha everyday).
The food is surprisingly good. I didn't have the chance to try it until recently (usually I'm only here for drinks and shisha), but I liked their meat platter a lot (I don't know the actual name of the dish).
And lastly, staff are utterly fun and friendly - they like to engage with the customers and actively make the place as lively as possible. Also interesting to note that, music (and the staff clapping along the music) is noticeably loud here, but having good chitchat here is not a problem at all. I'm not sure if it's the interior design, but I enjoy all the time I am here with good friends.