Gypsy Cafe

My favorite Columbus hookah spot... perhaps I'm a little biased because I've grown to get to know the staff. TRY THE CHAI TEA! Very laid back atmosphere.. weekdays and nights anyhow. Saturday nights after the bars, this has become the place to be. They play a variety of music. Most hookah spots in Columbus that I've visited seems to lean towards traditional Arabic music while Gypsy tends to play anything from hip hop to EDM to top 40. I prefer their hookahs to most others... and they're generous with the coals. Did I mention, TRY THE CHAI TEA?! :)

I'm not quite sure why some friends in college loved this place, because the one time I went, I wasn't too impressed.

I know most hookah lounges are supposed to mimic a stoner's basement, but this place is downright dingy. I came in here with a group of friends after attending an event at a bar up the street, and there wasn't a decent place for us to sit and share our two hookahs without having to get up and trip over each other. I was half-expecting to see some roaches or a rat the whole time we were there.

On the upside, it's pretty cheap and the flavors are really nice. I'd still rather go to the Shi-sha, whether I'm going solo, with my partner, or with a group. Definitely not coming back.

I enjoyed the laid back ambience of Gypsy's. The music playing has good variety (it was a 90's binge, when we were there), and not so loud that you can't carry on a conversation. Their seating arrangement encourages communal conversation, loved that. You get your money's worth here. Three coals for $11 - split it 3 ways, and you've got it made! You could spend the entire night inside smoking. The service was fast (the hookah, that is), and the flavor was decent. The people kept a good eye, and where always prompt to change the coal.

A friend also ordered a ginger cardamom tea and WOW - it was extremely tasty!! It was a perfect amount of ginger - sweet and flavorful, and left a spicey taste in the back of your throat. On the flip side, we sat for a good 30 minutes before it was brought out. Apparently their tea-boiler-doohickey was broke, so they had to do it on the stove, and this takes way longer, but the lady failed to tell us this until after we had to ask about the wait.