Went here around 11pm on a Sunday night, and really enjoyed the vibe. I believe the owner was my server and he offered suggestions as well as made sure I had everything I needed. The music was perfect, and it felt like a genuine, lowkey vibe. A place you may go with a girlfriend or your partner. I'm not a hookah smoker so my opinion may not hold much weight, but I thought it was good and satisfied the moment. Would definitely go again. read more

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The man running the counter offered the best service. I have no qualms with him. Unfortunately, the clientele at this location left a little to be desired. They were the most obnoxious, act like they own the place people I've ever shared a hookah lounge with. Definitely no lounge at all. The hookah was kind of mid for being $30+. I feel like everyone's just arbitrarily raising their prices and at some point it really has got to stop. Honestly felt like an unsatisfying waste of money. read more

Real lowkey and chill hookah spot. Good if you just want to duck off and not be around a lot of people and not loud music. But they do show the games! read more

10/10 best hookah place I been to best $30 I spent. I have been to way more expensive hookah spots where spent anywhere from $50-$70 for hookah and in the short amount of time that I have spent maybe I'm not a big fan or a big hookah person but that's $30 I spent I took three puffs and I was feeling it great and you'll get the feeling that you're looking for only downside is they do not serve alcoholic drinks and they do not allow any drinks bring brought in, but I completely understand when you mix alcohol and hookah it definitely hands the feeling and people can become very irrational and unpredictable. If you just wanna vibe out and smoke, some hookah , I definitely recommend. So affordable and so worth it I mix two different flavors, strawberry and rose. Quick fast and attentive service. They even refill the hookah for FREE the second time around the third time is a $5 charge might be $10 since times are different and inflation but it says $5 on the menu in red fine print at the bottom don't know if the menu is old or not. read more

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I live right across the street from this place and have never been interested in going due to reviews and how loud it usually is. My friend invited me out to eat dinner here and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The only reason I don't give them 5 stars is due to the music being way too loud for my preference. I don't like that people were yelling to hear each other, while you end up hearing the entire conversation of another table. The place is VERY clean and very well decorated. The staff is extremely nice and helpful with helping you choose food+drink. I REALLY enjoyed my food and I got a little of everything so I highly recommend this place for the vibes and the food. And of course if you're a hookah smoker. I will definitely be back. PS: they were super nice and accepting of my service animal. So I HIGHLY appreciated that. read more

A very laid back hookah cafe, its almost perfect to be honest. I came here after I dropped a date off at her home. I was in the area and wanted to smoke some hookah. The place is very chill and comfortable. I spent only $25 here and smoked hookah for over a hour. No one bothered me or rushed me to get out. This is a solid place to come alone and just unwind or bring a few friends. With that said, it almost perfect. Some minor issues that I had was that it was cash only. I had to find an ATM to take out money. There's no alcohol allowed here which can kill the vibe. I would've loved to have come here with my date but she wanted to drink. Other problem is that there wasn't much of a menu outside of the hookah. They have a few drinks and fruit but not much else. I did bring in outside snacks which didn't seem to be a problem. That said, I really enjoyed this place will come back whenever I'm in the area. read more

Chill vibe good hookah for cheap only takes cash but the person that owns the place sometimes can be rude

No frills hookah lounge with just the basics. Hookah was flavorful. No alcohol is sold here but the vibe was chill read more

Zoe Hookah Cafe - Hookah Bars Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Amazing customer, atmosphere, and hookah flavors. Nice little spot in Harlem's across from the Harriet Tubman statue. read more

Zoe Hookah Cafe - Hookah Bars Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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Poor customer service. Refused to service block women despite having an empty resturant.

They don't start the hookah for you. They don't serve alcohol. I did receive fast service though. Very attentive and nice. They use square coals which is great! Love that. They charge "tax" for the hookah. The hookah I got was $25 dollars in the menu. When I went to pay he said it was $31 because of the tax and I was paying in cash not card. I didn't like that at all. Trash. read more

Zoe Hookah Cafe - Menu - Hookah Bars Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Trash .... Burnt hookah coals They don't replace your coals unless you flag them down. Very rude owner. (manager) not worth it. Me & a friend use to go and they were ok but I guess they got comfortable cause we were "regulars" and started giving us sub par service. read more

This is a cool spot to come and wind down after work. Whether you're having hookah or a cup of tea. The only downside is the don't sell food. So if you are hungry you have to eat before you come or bring your food there as they encourage it. They provide forks and napkins etc. if needed. I'm surprised so many of the reviews are complaining about the owner as he is always polite to me whenever I go. I am not a smoker but love hanging out with my friends who enjoy Hookah. I also want to point out they do not serve alcohol and do not permit you carrying any inside the establishment. They do not have a private parking garage as most restaurants in this area don't but street parking has never been an issue on this block. I have not personally tried the juice bar they have but the pineapple was recommended to me by several people. read more

Zoe Hookah Cafe - Lounge set up. Waiting on our hookah. - Hookah Bars Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Here to set the record straight. The people who run this place are the nicest, most considerate owners Ive ever met. Smooth hookah. Sweet people. Always good company. My friends and I are regulars and they always serve us well unlike what some other people have said about feeling taken for granted. Never my experience. Price is right. Seats could be a little more comfy but the atmosphere makes up for it. I love it. Good wifi too. read more

I have probably gone way more times than this place deserves, I blame a couple of my friends for this. This place seems to have made no effort at all towards developing as a business since opening. Not sure if that is due to ownership changes or what. I am not a fan but there really are not many options in this area without a cab, so you go if you really, really want to stay local. However, be warned about the following: 1. The hookahs have fallen apart mid session which is never a good thing. 2. There is only one bathroom 3. They have the worst air circulation so expect to really get smokey. 4. Lighting is minimal and hides a multitude of sins in the decor/furniture 5. They are very cheap so you wont break the Bank but you get what you Pay for. 6. Still "working" on their liquor license-- but this has been ongoing for as long as they've been open. 7. Crowd is random but dont be surprised if it gets pretty loud. You have been warned, so go at your own risk. read more

Its been a while since I've been here but I decided to try it again and I'm so glad I did. First I met the owner and the owner was so nice and so gracious that it just changed my mood when I came in. I also noticed that the servers were much better then what I experienced years ago. They were so kind so attentive and really interested in making sure that all my needs were met at the hookah bar. I even had their organic lemonade which was absolutely delicious I strongly recommend it. If you want a nice casual hookah spot where you can enjoy friends and smoke a little this is definitely a place to come. While there is no alcohol license I don't think you always need alcohol to have a good time. read more

Zoe Hookah Cafe - Hookah - Hookah Bars Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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Horrible. The hookah was burnt out within 15 mins, over priced, dirty inside. I can't believe this place is still open.

Inconsistent, to say the least. Their nonexistent liquor license makes for a very boring hookah spot. Their flavors are okay for the most part but the strength of the hookah in general is always different (not sure how, maybe the coal or the equipment). And the music is great if you're lucky and if it's a little busy... otherwise be prepared to be bored with ALL their TVs to be muted and on some sports game. Maybe one of your multiple screens should have something other than sports (or different types of sports) to satisfy different clientele (or at least some kind of music, regardless how busy or dead it is) -- just a tip. At least the service is always friendly. read more

This place is very chill ..it only serves nice filled aromas of hookah ..no servings of alcohol ..I actually respect it..you can come and get what you came for..no obnoxious rude people ..why?? You guessed it..,no damn alcohol !! Most gentlemen frequent this place (nice eye candy too) ..while my friend and myself sat back n I puffed my life to Blue Mist..we just kept staring at all the opposite sex as if we were in a dimly lit music video with no music ..still and all a great time n go get your hookah on!!! read more

3.5 actually If you mostly smoke hookah on the Lower East Side or in Astoria, then you are likely as wary as I am when it comes to uptown hookah spots. There is often price-gouging, charges for changing the coal, badly packed hookah that burns, and other markers of people who don't know what they're doing and only offer hookah because it's trendy. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that Zoe Cafe does not have those problems. It's not a perfect place, and I will probably still take myself way downtown more often than not. But this is a good alternative for people who live in the upper reaches of Manhattan and sometimes don't want to spend an hour plus getting home after a smoke. The Zoe Cafe definitely looks the part of a hookah lounge, as in there are places to lounge. Some of the seating is at normal tables, but a lot of the little enclaves are designed for relaxing, even getting vertical. Many squishy pillows as well. It's also got some nice ambiance going on with the lighting. A place to get comfortable and smoke. I do have two quibbles on this front: the TVs and the music. I know it's in Harlem, but must we have sports on the TV? And must we play hip-hop? It IS a hookah lounge. At least turn the music DOWN. Sometimes the sports on the TV is silent, which is fine. The last time I was there the guy working turned the music off to turn the TV up and watch American Ninja Warriors. We left. They do not have a liquor license yet (though they've been open over a year) and you can't even bring your own alcohol. This is not a big deal for me, but for some it's a dealbreaker. I'm more put off by the lack of food options. At least they do let you bring your own in. Must buy drinks from them. The first night I was there the place didn't get really full until after 9pm. Good for me, as I prefer a quieter experience. The first guy to serve us was a little bit odd and it seemed like he would rather be relaxing than dealing. But later on the other guys who took care of drinks and coals were very nice, attentive, and sweet. There were four of us at the table and we had one hookah to start and no one bothered us about it. I ordered a second hookah since none of us were drinking. I felt kind of bad. But, again, no one gave us attitude about it. They have Starbuzz flavors and Blue Mist was awesome, as always. We also did a Rose and Mint combo, which was also tasty. And they were great about changing coals and no, it did not cost extra. Overall, the first night was so pleasant that I keep going back. I get food beforehand, though, and come prepared to drink a lot of tea. read more

Ok soooo, I called around 10pm. Spoke to the person in charge and I was told they are open until 2am. I arrived at exactly 1:50am, and guess what.... the doors were locked. I look in and theirs at least 10ppl smoking hookahs. So.... I call and spoke to the same person I spoke to earlier. I asked "Hey... I thought you close at 2am i'm in front of the door", This dude states "Yes you have to be here before 2am." I then said "Well it's 1:51am it's definitely before 2am" and he says "Well u can't come in". We connect through the door eye to eye in hopes he sees the " I would never come here nor recommend this place for the rest of my entire life". Plus he clearly can't tell time. read more

Just music, hookah, TVs, and tea. No food. No wine. No liquor. Just music, hookah, TVs, and tea--and me in the corner yawning because Im hungry and bored and I don't even like stupid hookah but my friend invited me so she could set me up with her friend who turned out to be ugly, rude and short. Ending up going down the block to Harlem Tavern to meet and have drinks with another guy. read more

Visited this spot for a spontaneous girls night out and was interested in doing hookah in Harlem. Super glad I came here. This spot is really relaxed with good vibes. The DJ delivered great music and accepted requests. The waitress was extremely attentive and proactive with service. Only thing is there wasn't a full bar, only beer and wine... So if you are looking for an extreme turn up this isn't your spot. The lights are dim and intimate so you can enjoy conversation but not be bothered by anyone else's happenings. Will definitely come back here again:) read more

Went here and left did not bother its looks like a crack house might get bed bugs in there. but in short the sign on the door says.... NO Liquor NO Food NO BYOB Just dusty old couches that look like they have bed bugs. read more

This is the worst hookah lounge ever. They don't serve any alcohol. The service horrendous. They serve watered down smoothies and dry chocolate cake. Do not waste your time coming here. read more

If I could give no stars I would. They are super rude and racist. We weren't in this place longer than five minutes before they asked us to leave because we wouldn't put our dry umbrellas on the floor as demanded. I've been warned about this place but I wanted to smoke hookah. I'll never be back. read more

Zoe Hookah Cafe - Poor service and it's empty - Hookah Bars Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Ghetto !!! use to be nice comfy spot when they first opened. Everything is the same .. music comes from I believe the radio . Same hookah raggedy seats... read more

This place is small, there's no seating if you waiting, staff was rude, I advise you to go somewhere else.

Reading these other reviews I don't know what people are really expecting. Is this a 5 star Hookah Lounge? No. Are you gonna get caviar and be smoking outta gold hookah pipes? No. For what it is it just fine. They have a couple different sectioned couches that large groups can chill on and be comfortable. The place looked clean (it was dimly lit so it coulda looked like hell when the light are on but hey) and the hookah is moderately priced and good. The customer service here was solid and they have good music playing. Its a decent place to come to if you have nothing else going on, in the neighborhood and just want to chill and smoke with friends. Would I order food here? No. Would I come back again? Yes. read more

It's an alright hookah spot if you just want to get a good one and get nice before doing plan B. Reasonably prices. Service were exceptionally fast read more

Super low class. I was also cheated for $10. My bill was around $35 i gave the cashier/waiter a $50 bill and all i got back was $5 change i didn't notice until I got home. ... Crooks! read more

I would not come here again. The owner is very rude and disgusting. He makes the energy of the place feel very negative. He brought hookah out with no coal. The hell type of place brings hookah out with no coal... never have I experienced that. It was ten minutes my friend and I waited for some coal for a cold hookah. So I decided to get up so I can get his attention from the back "excuse me excuse me" the owner coming back with no sorry but "I know!" Ew! Who do you think you are that you can be that way towards people. You are one person taking care of more than five people at a place that plays only the radio with the five same songs on repeat. Get it together with your no liquor license location. You have no one helping you.. it's just you and your nasty attitude. If you don't want to work at your business.. get staff to work at your business so no one has to deal with your nasty attitude behind. Three dollars for a Snapple.. you must be kidding me and included gratuity.. I see why it's included! read more

Good music. Good flavors. Has 2 flat screen TVs. Could be more spacious. Slow service to get orders and to change coals. Accommodating to splitting the check for customers. Tried to use the address provide by yelp and it was wrong. 300 W. 121st is the address I believe. read more

Nasty attitude..rushed you when looking at the menu....forcing you to rush ya order and not know exactly what you wanted to get

So I came with my girlfriend and waited 30 minutes to get the coal. The waiter doesn't speak english at all!! They don't sell alcohol, the music is super low, the staff is weird and had a loud argument in the back where we heard them, the soft drinks are over priced, I had the " homemade" iced tea and it sucked big time that I returned it. The owner was upset that I didn't want it. It's basically a Internet cafe. You have to share your space with strangers it's not intimate at all and I seen people on CUNY first doing their homework! Midterms at that! Hope the smoke didn't damage their keyboard so it's safe to say I will never visit this place again and it's in Harlem so I figured it would be "lit" but it's not. I hope it close down in the near future. FYI there are no women staff so that's a major red flag! read more

I have been to this hookah spot a few times. It is a chill spot to just come and unwind before you head in for the night. They do not play music, there is no liquor, and it is small and intimate which is perfect for conversation. Tonight a couple of friends and myself came here to enjoy one anothers company and unwind. We were refused service because we were not purchasing what the owner wanted us to purchase. Apparently because there were 5 of us, we needed to purchase 2 hookahs. I definitely understand the need for 2 hookahs, if all of us were planning to smoke hookah, however only 2 of us planned to smoke hookah and the rest were going to enjoy beverages. The rule was not indicated anywhere and the owner was extremely rude and irrational. I attempted to speak to him in a calm manner about his mistreatment, but he shooed me away and told me that he was the only one who had to think about his $8000 rent. I definitely felt as though he was treating us the way he was because we were black. Nonetheless, I will not return to this business and I suggest you go elsewhere to spend your money as well. read more

The hookahs was 16$ and up. It was a semi quiet place, no liquor license yet and everyone was friendly. Definitely would go back.

Nice place , but our attendant was inconsistent in changing our coal, rude and ignorant. He told me I shouldn't have gotten my Arabic tattoo because I'm not Muslim and the way I dress is to much. If that isn't rude I don't know what is. Will not attend here anymore. read more

This place is absolutely FILTHY & HORRID! Do yourself a favor and go somewhere that actually has a liquor license and is sanitary. They failed their last health department exam as evidenced because they are still "grade pending". I visited for the second time because friends insisted and the verdict is the same- they are very disrespectful and racist. I'm not sure how they have lasted in the community but it's clear that they have no business acumen whatsoever as when we got there is was totally EMPTY!!! Should have been a sign. Again, I wouldn't recommend my worst enemy to this AWFUL establishment. BE WARNED!!! read more

Great hookah . Great atmosphere. Been going since they open and they treat me like family. Anyone who says this place is bad or talks I'll of this place is obviously and rubbed them the wrong way. They are great people. Best cafe in NYC. read more