Habibi, what can I say? One of the best experiences I've had in the city. True, authentic, classic, Lebanese dishes. I walked in and felt like family. Everything is incredibly fresh and flavorful. Ambiance is a vibe. Open until 2AM so you're never rushed. The food blew me out of the water. The hookah was affordable, fun, and had a bunch of different flavors and price points. Attendant was very attentive with all of our needs. The owner is there almost every night and he felt like a long lost uncle to me. He even sent over complimentary dessert. I've been thinking about this place every day since I've had it. I NEED to come back. read more

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My husband and I were sat down immediately and placed orders for the combination appetizer (labneh, hummus, wraps, salad, falafel) and the mixed grill entree. He also opted for hookah which is very strong and well-priced in comparison to most places. It was $40. The mixed grill is a very big portion with lamb chops, chicken kofta, meatballs, you name it. Very well spiced and delicious, was cooked perfectly and paired well with the side dishes. The service was attentive and frequently came to check in and see if the coals were burning and we were enjoying our time, overall great experience and food! 10/10 read more

Layali Beirut Cafe Restaurant - Mixed grill - Hookah Bars Near Me - Astoria, New York

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The service was soo bad. One guy was sleeping he just came and just gone. Don't recommend come here

Walked in here at like 7 & was overwhelmed by the items on the menu since there are so many choices, 50+. We ended up ordering at like 7:20 but our food still came on time. They gave us 5 dates to break our fast. For appetizer, we ordered Jalapeño poppers. They were oozing with melted cheese. The sauce on the side was really good too. This place has THE BEST jalapeño poppers imo since it wasn't spicy, at all. After a day of fasting, I knew I wasn't gonna be running to the bathroom constantly cuz of spicy food. Even when I'm not fasting, I tend to not get jalapeño poppers since they're too spicy elsewhere. They also gave us 3 other sauces: a minced green chili sauce, a garlic sauce, & a sour cream based sauce. I liked the latter the best. My cousin got filet mignon with fries. The steak was good although a bit too burnt on the side. I also wish the steak was bigger. He also got fried rice which was good. My brother got lamb chops which he liked & I didn't try. It's 4 chops with a jalapeño & a slice of grilled tomato. My sister got lamb Tajine which was better than I expected. It was in a tomato sauce & didn't have the stench in the lamb meat that other places that claim they sell lamb have. I got the shrimp Tajine which was good, very different from anything else I've ever had. Not sure how else to describe it. We ordered way too much food. The Tajine servings were way bigger than I expected so we ended up taking our leftovers to go. My sister ordered Arabic coffee which we didn't realize would be black. It was way too bitter so we also asked for milk. It was still bitter with the milk but bearable. The server was kind enough to mix the coffee & the milk in a bigger cup. The service is excellent. read more

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After hearing great things (& the yummy looking food pics on Yelp), my boyfriend I decided on this place for a Friday night, after work dinner. The vibe was casual and cozy and perfect for the low key evening we envisioned. The place is filled with mostly young people enjoying hookah and breaking their fasts with shared plates around the table with friends. For my boyfriend who is Muslim, the loungey vibe without the alcohol and a strictly halal menu made him feel like he was back home in Dubai. We didn't partake in hookah, and were probably the only table there that did not have a hookah tableside, but service looked great and there are a variety of flavors. We ordered the: Hummus: simple, creamy and delicious with savory and sweet notes Mixed Arayess: a combination of meat and cheese pressed between two fresh pita. These were good with tender flavorful meat and a mild cheese (just wish the cheese was slightly more melted/it was served hotter) Mixed grill: everything you would expect from a standard mixed grill. It had a combination if chicken, lamb and beef chops and kebabs served with rice and a few grilled veggies. It was good and a great choice if you are hungry but don't want to feel icky after (super clean meal). Tips: Being cash. We didn't find out until the end of the meal that they did not accept cards. They do take venmo and zelle, but cash would have just been easier. If you are easily irritated by smoke, do not eat indoors. Its not a very large restaurant and each table had a hookah. It gets pretty smokey. read more

Layali Beirut Cafe Restaurant - Mixed grill - Hookah Bars Near Me - Astoria, New York

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I was iffy at first coming here. But I gave it a shot anyway. The hookahs were good and the guy who made and served the hookahs was very nice. The hookahs were tasteful and greatly priced. Took us a little while to order because they only had 1 waitress. And the poor lady was on break so we didn't want to interrupt. After ordering it took us a good 45 minutes to receive the entrees. Which wasn't all that. I had the falafel sandwich with fries (dry). And my guests had the combo plate with meats and rice. Lamb chops were super small and was mostly fat on there. Bill was kind of high considering the size of the entrees. It is wheel chair accessible and kid friendly for the most part. The environment inside was clean & middle eastern themed which was pretty cool. Different than the rest of spots on the block. read more

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Places like this are why I love living in New York. This spot is super ethnic and has an awesome vibe. I came to smoke hookah on a Saturday night and was instantly transported to the Middle East. From the decor to the music to the staff's clothes, I was in Lebanon. Their prices are fair and the service was excellent. Definitely worth coming back, perhaps to even eat dinner next time. read more

Attention to service is not a thing here. You better get your orders in one go or you would have to hunt down your waiter. We didn't see the waiter until we were leaving after our order. This is very chill place. We spent a good hour just smoking and chatting with a pot of tea. Love the tea set and almost want to buy a set if they sell them. After we got out hookah, we got a coal refill once after 20 mins or so and then that's all you got. He went on to watch someone else playing game a few tables away. We have to wave down a guy name Sinbab who convinced us to come to their shop initially to get our bill. They take Venmo, cash or Zelle. Good bye to your credit card point. Also it's weird to add a 18% tip to the bill for a table of 3. I didn't complain as it's pretty late but I bet someone did. read more

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My husband and I come here all the time for hookah and dinner. The fried rice is absolutely one of our favorites paired with the garlic sauce. Each dish is so simple and flavorful. The flavors remind us so much of our recent trip to beruit. read more

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This is my go-to hookah spot for years now! It's cozy and very chill, you're able to speak to your company without yelling over each other like other noisy hookah spots. The flavors are fresh, they come over consistently to change the coals and check in on you. The wings are also super tasty! The owner is also such a welcoming host, which is so nice to look forward to. Just keep in mind they do not take card! Only cash, venmo, or zelle. (Maybe cash app too...not too sure). read more

Come for some of the most delicious Lebanese food and stay for some of the best Shisha on Steinway. Good: simply delicious. All their grilled meats are well seasoned, moist, and amazing. Try their mix platters. Shisha: some of the best I have anywhere, including various countries in the Middle East. Attentive coal service and variety of tobacco flavors. Service: slow and inattentive waiters, but maybe friendly once you get them to come to your table. read more

Very Expensive place , food is excellent, mix grill hummus and spicy rice really good Service is also good read more

This is a romantic hookah lounge. Among the many hookah lounges on Steinway this one has a fancier vibe. The decor and the fixtures are beautiful and the music isn't blasting. It is easy to have a conversation. Another thing that sets them apart is they sell food. Other places only offer drinks and hookah while allowing you to bring food from outside. Maybe I'll come back af try a dish. The shisha/hookah is decent. It's pretty light which is nice because it doesn't hurt your throat. I ordered a ginger drink which was very very strong. I didn't enjoy it but it was nice to get bits of ginger. Customer service was okay. The waiter with the glasses was working hard and was very friendly. It just like he was the only one working. There was another waiter or worker here too but he just kept walking back and forth, playing with his hair and acting like he didn't understand what customers wanted. At least that's what I experienced when I asked him for something. He never brought the things we asked for, the other waiter did. Before we left service around us did pick up though. Other servers came to clean the tables, collect checks and check on customers. Mera's Tip: Enjoy the decor with a hot cup of tea. read more

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Want to share my wonderful experience with Layali Beirut cafe. We made reservations for iftar dinner and were greeted immediately as we walked in. The table was set and ready. Service was quick and attentive. Inside ambiance was perfect example of Middle Eastern flavor, nice and cozy. Place was clean and distance was observed. But the best thing was the food. For starters we had lentil soup and Liver, both are super delicious. For entrees I had mixed seafood tanjine and it was very good and very generously portioned, enough to feed 3 people! My family had duck with rice and they loved it. We also had excellent cup of tea with mint and excellent baklava. Overall it was awesome experience and we will be back to try some other items from the menu. read more

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Amazing treatment fruits plate Saturday night Nice music beautiful decoration Staff are friendly amazing food fabulous hookah It is awesome place read more

Layali Beirut Cafe Restaurant - Layali Beirut beautiful fruits plate Saturday night - Hookah Bars Near Me - Astoria, New York

The owner is a very welcoming host, however his staff, the waitress mainly, was very rude once the owner has left. I think her name was Elham, she kicked some customers out to leave and close the venue early than the actual closing time. The place is a cool spot, but management needs to find better waitresses that are more welcoming to guests, so that guests can come again. I don't think me or other guests will visit this place again, especially that are plenty of similar venues around it with more hospitable staff! I recommend management to find more polite abd hospitable staff, otherwise this venue is going to lost customers left, right abd center. read more

Truly the most disappointed I've ever been in establishment.The server called Elham with nastiest attitude,perhaps the worst service in all New york city.I totally understand that they close at 2 am and they want to go home,but it was 1:46 they should be as ready to serve someone as 1:59 she started to kick us out even before 1:46 saying we are closing in a rude way. That's bad customer service.I would gave it one star for the benefit of the doubt that the hookah is good. read more

I do love Layali Beirut! If you are looking for the authentic experience, then this is the place. My friend and I went there recently for a couple of nights in a row, and were not disappointed either time. The owners, two brothers from Lebanon, have decorated the place with authentic majalis (low Arabian sofas), pillows, and decorations. The room is dimly lit, but so is the Middle East. The entire lounge/restaurant (because it's really both, and not one more than the other) is cramped, but again, so is the Middle East. There's only one unisex restroom, and....you know. The food, though, is prepared and spiced appropriately for the Middle Eastern palate. The shisha (if you like that) is smokey and flavorful (according to my friend). I think they use Starbuzz tobacco, FYI. Our waitress both nights was simultaneously attentive enough and rude, which is authentic. Whenever I get the urge to feel like I'm in a busy street somewhere in the Arab world, I long for this place. It's just authentic out the wazoo. Wallah. read more

Layali Beirut Cafe Restaurant - Ask for the swordfish. - Hookah Bars Near Me - Astoria, New York

I had a great time here tonight. The service was polite and attentive, the place itself was relaxing and well lit. The atmosphere is laid back- perfect place to end the night after going to bohemian beer garden.We got the peach hookah for $8, then each person got a drink +cappucino +banana milk with honey +strawberry juice +virgin pina colada +sahlap (spelling?) everything was great and the coals were changed frequently. we really enjoyed ourselves and the bill was mindblowingly cheap. with tax and 15% tip each person paid $9. try to find an equally wonderful place in manhattan. bet you won't! read more

I don't know if the Shisha was all that, but Falafel was great, and the fried egg plant was incredibly tasty. I could go vegetarian off of this menu... mint tea was disappointing, but as Mia noted, the atmosphere is probably the best in Astoria. The loud music, the hot videos on LCD's, the perfect lighting and the smoke, the crowd, everything makes for a great outing. Minor inconveniences: * Please DO NOT order steak here, it was chewy as hell, and my buddy's jaws started hurting after excessive mastication * They don't accept plastic, I mean Hello.... * Parking is hard to find, but that's kinda expected read more

Layali Beirut Cafe Restaurant - Hookah Bars Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Bad service, falafel was horrible, babaghanoug was watery, they don't take cards, only cash

Ever since my coworker tricked me into hookah saying " smoking hookah is just like inhaling water" she has successfully corrupted my body and soul and i've been hooked ever since. Besides on a mission to get all my friends addicted as well, i've been on a search for the finest hookahs my little lungs can handle. Layli Berut has some decent hookah for cheap.( 8 dollars, unlimited coal) Whenever I come I feel like as if i've escaped to another country since the crowd is mostly locally Lebanese. My favorite is getting their fresh pineapple hookah which they put the flavored tobacco on top of a whole pineapple. It gives the hookah a stronger aroma of the pineapple as you inhale. The servers the walk around changing the coal every now and then are awesome and really sweet. The other waiters...ehhh not so much. Service is slow and they aren't too helpful for english-speaking customers. I also don't think the food is remarkable but that shouldn't stop me coming back for a chill hookah night in queens. read more

Very nice and courteous staff and great Sheesha/hookah and Moroccan tea. Would love to visit again and enjoy the great atmosphere. Thank you to the staff for making us feel at home. Love from Bahrain. read more

Layali Beirut Cafe Restaurant - Lamb chops - Hookah Bars Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Quite simply, I loved this place. I can't wait to have a reason to return. And this is from the ANTI-Queens brigade over here! Quaint, plushy seating. Long lasting coals with smooth flavors. I'd go back in a heartbeat if I didn't have to muster up the mental strength necessary to make the trip to Queens. Clean bathroom facility-- which is pretty important to me. I would go back to try their food because everything looked and smelled amazing. I tried their fennel tea with their, presumably, organic honey and I would literally drink it for days. Gushing? Yes I am. Great place for talking and passing the hours as the service is attentive without being intrusive. Definitely worth trying. read more

The worst staff ever, and to be more specific the waitress Elham who literally kicked me and my friends out of the place as soon as the owner of the place left and before it was 2:00 AM which is when they close. She stood outside the restaurant and yelled at us from outside that they are closed in an extremely rude way. When I told her that it not 2:00 AM yet she said well it's minutes before they close. If this exact situation happens in any other place, the waiter/waitress would approach your table politely and tell you that they will be closing in exact number of minutes, not yell at you from outside!!!!! When I showed how pissed and unacceptable her attitude was and that I will speak to the owner about what she did, she started yelling at me again and was being sarcastic that she's not scared and that I'm not a partner of the owner!!!! Unbelievable!!! Unacceptable!!! I will make sure I go to the place and tell the owner everything since I know him years ago when he used to own another restaurant. I will never recommend this place to anyone and will make sure everyone knows what happened to my friends and I there. The rude and unprofessional waitress Elham ruined the whole experience at this place. Never ever will go there again. I might actually escalate this to the police because she assaulted me and my friends in a business place!!! read more

Amazing Amazing Amazing Food!!! If you enjoy middle eastern cuisine, I'm telling you look no further! Outstanding appetizers, salads, including the BEST CHUMUS in the universe!!! Fatoush, spicy potatoes cauliflower and chicken kabobs were all INCREDIBLE! Not to mention the Chill Ambiance. We have been dreaming about going back here and Going back tonight! I highly recommend Layali Beirut. read more

Went back for my girlfriends birthday party with several other people and had a blast. My friend Nat who lived in Morocco said it was as authentic as any place she has ever seen outside Morocco. Everyone was blown away by the pineapple hookah. We ordered this chicken pot thing that I wish I could remember what it was called because it was so tender and amazing. read more

Very nice place with friendly staffs and good food. Our waitress is Moshera , she give us all the details about the food and drinks , most important she is smiling and very happy person. I like that. We gone come back. Recommend this place. read more

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Probably the best place on Steinway right now. Always have a great time with friendly waiters and the absolute best hookah on Steinway. Make sure you order a fresh fruit (grape in a grapefruit). The steaks are also pretty good as well as the authentic Lebanese food. read more

Cute place, food was ok, good hookah, friendly staff Hassan was very nice but theere were some misses and I will give this spot another chance because everyone has their off days. So I will update it once I go again. read more

Good food, don't like the soup though. Hookah is great. Just wish the waitress was nicer. The owner is also nice.

This place is super cute! We tried the lamb chops, mango juice and orange mint hookah on grapefruit. - lamb chops: huge platter, so tender and flavorful and perfectly cooked - mango juice: actually made from fresh mangos and super delicious! While the food was delicious and the vibe was awesome, my favorite part about this place was the owner. Uncle Nabeel was super sweet and so welcoming. Treated us like we were family that he was having over for dinner at his house. Definitely coming back. read more

I've been looking for a place that feels like home in Astoria and it's always one good thing and something else missing. This place has beautiful decor. Amazing food and atmosphere. Nothing is missing. This is the new go to spot in Queens. Highly recommend. Absolutely love read more

If you want great hookah, great food, and great service, come here! Their hookah is always on point and the vibe is chill. The service is quick and the food is so good! Def a place to come relax smoke some sheesha and chill! read more

Me and my friend went here tonight. Waiter hit on my friend, asked if she was dating me and tried to get her phone number after being rebuffed. Neither of us were treated with respect. Don't go here! read more

I love this place! Best chill spot on the block for hookah and food. The staff is friendly and they have great service. Owners never disappoint with the delicious food and bomb hookah. Always good vibes there. read more

One of the newest additions to Astoria's "Little Egypt", Layali Beirut is a Lebanese inspired hookah bar. While many establishments in Astoria struggle like Gaza to reach sales high enough to offset the costs of heavy fines imposed by the city for the ridiculous smoking ban, the staff at Layali Beirut remains focused on providing their customers with what they came for - the ooey gooey... Not that ooey gooey, I'm talking about the flavored tobacco! Layali Beirut is immaculately decorated in comparisson to many other establishments on Steinway. However, that, and the large crowds, providing for intense people watching, remain it's only benefits over the other cafes on Steinway Street. Layali Beirut is among the Steinway Sheesha Spots (say that 3 times fast?) that has a kitchen. They serve food and get pretty pissed if you bring food from other places, unless it's very late at night after their kitchen closes (which I believe is at 2 am). Layali has definitely won over the younger crowd with LBC videos and a more aesthetically pleasing atmosphere, however, there are still the token old men. Apparently they were forced to take down the backyard tent because a woman NAMED Laurie Lunenberg complained about the smell. Yes bitch I did have to put you on blast and I'll do it again. All I can say is, it's a shame there aren't more wells in New York City when it comes to people like that. read more

Don't ask me how I ended up in this Little Egypt hookah bar last weekend when I basically never leave Manhattan. It just happened, ok? But I'm super glad it did. Walking into this place I felt like I was taken right out of New York, but where I was taken I can't exactly say. My interior design expertise and knowledge of world cultures combined to observe: "This place is tan with plastic grapes." It was either a hookah bar or an Olive Garden. Our gorgeous waitress wore kohl eyeliner for authenticity and suggested a tobacco flavor for us before taking our tea and coffee order. I've never smoked a hookah before, so I can't compare this to anything, but the staff was really attentive to it, constantly giving us fresh charcoal and stuff. It's so fun! It tastes delicious and you can suck a whole bunch of smoke in without trying very hard and go "Who are YOU?" and "Keep your temper!" My tea was delicious and made with actual leaves so that after I was done playing Alice in Wonderland, I could play Miss Cleo. My friend had this rich, thick coffee that was just to die for! The atmosphere was great. Other than the festoons of plastic grapes, the location was brimming with men chatting and playing backgammon and chess. It was cheerful and energizing and a generally positive experience. Yeah, brimming with men. All men. I'm not sure what was with that, but I passed it off as some cultural thing. Anyway, go smoke. read more

For some odd reason this place is listed as a Contracting company-- dudes, its a Hookah Lounge CURRENTLY, there is construction going on outside of the place, so the store front is covered in scaffolding The hookah is good and the food is average Service SUCKS. it is almost non existent, as you must throw your body in the way of whatever waitress or waiter comes your way in order to get noticed-- BUT you must avoid the hot coals used to refresh your hookah the decor inside isnt too hot. but it is def. worth it for the CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP and good hookah read more

Before you enter, expect to leave smelling like hookah and greasy lamb - but in an ok way that reminds you of the great time and good food you just had. This place is perfect for a small group of friends to share a few plates. Get a few appetizers and at least 2 entrees if you have more than 6 people like we did. Food was above average but not mind blowing. The staff was very accommodating to one of the members in our party that was carrying around a huge amount of luggage - they even helped him store it in the closet. The crowd was primarily older dudes, so if you are there to meet other diverse 20 somethings, walk two blocks south and make a right onto 30th Ave. But If you are sick of the great Greek restaurants in the hood this is a really fun alternative. read more