I am writing this review with the objective to how this lounge would be for people without hookahs. Â Note: Â I visited this place with about 9 people and the place was empty because it was a Friday and this session lasted 330pm to about 630pm.
Location is really nice on the ever so busy Brighton Ave. Â They allow you to bring food inside, there is free wi-fi (request the password) and some nice places you could probably get food from is the Mixx (Frozen Yogurt) next door or the Bon Chon (across the street and a 5 minute walk away). Â They have a decent amount of couches (best get there early) and the lighting is decently dim. Â They have 3 television sets and they play nice, relaxing urban music. Â You can find paintings and art decorating the walls. Â I thought it was pretty nice but I expected more (since I am a hookah owner and going to a bar is more for the atmosphere for me than just smoking hookah).
The service was great, the server came by every 5 minutes and asked us if we needed anything and even switch out the flat natural coals for us when they were halfway burnt out! Â The server that my party had was very friendly and we enjoyed her company. Â She would even join in on our conversations once in a while. Â Service.. I give a nice 5 star. Â They even leave you tongs to mess around with the coals yourself.
The quality of the hookahs and shisha was excellent. Â They have their own blends that make for good sessions and you may request a bowl made of apple, melon, or pineapple for a small fee. Â They had a nice stock of KM hookahs as well. Â 2 hoses will cost you another $5 and you must order a hookah for every 4 people you have at the table. Â We had 3 hookahs because we have 9-10 people. Â Also, they have a menu of beverages and snacks you may order from. Â I cannot comment on this as we only ordered glasses of water.
Smoke quality was good, it varied from time to time. Â As a hookah owner, I know I could have managed the hookahs much better. Â There was up and downs with the smoke. Â The smoke was never the thunderclouds I could produce at home, but it wasn't so thin either (atleast not all the time). Â It helps a lot if you have tongs and manage to hookah yourself, asking for coals now and then and such.
In the end, my party of 9 - 10 paid $103 (which included tip) which rounded to roughly 10 dollars a person! Â This is not bad considering we had 3 hookahs running for a little more than 3 hours. Â It was a good experience.
As a hookah owner:
I would give this place a solid 3/5 because I expected the ambiance to be much more relaxing and the smoke was not 100% satisfying for myself (Good, but not awesome like I can make at home). Â 10 dollars a person wasn't so bad for 3 hours though!
In the perspective of a non-hookah owner:
This place gets a nice 4/5 stars! Â Come here to hookah and such. Â It's a good time y'all. Â I suggest you eat before, or bring in food from the outside. Â Enjoy the free wi-fi. Â Although I did not notice if they had any electrical outlets...
This is my first hookah bar I have been to, so expect a future update from me as I check out the other hookah bars in the area!
Im not sure if I can count with my hands how many times ive been to this place anymore, but its very frequent. I figured "hey, why dont i write a review?"
To reflect on my earliest visit to the Nile lounge, which was yesterday, we were greeted at the door by a very nice and pretty girl who politely asked for our ID's and as she saw mine she looked up with a very bright smile saying "happy birthday!" As we seated we ordered the hookah we wanted as well as some fried oreos and low and behold, a hookah was brought out to us as well as the oreos with a candle stuck inside one, they sang for my birthday, so sweet.
Now for the fundamentals, the hookah flavors are great, and it is constantly maintained by the staff, they would ask us if we needed anything every 5-10 minutes or so, and it wasnt annoying or anything, cause ive been to places where you want to ask for more water or something... and the waiter NEVER comes by!! So its always nice to see people taking their jobs seriously.
lighting is nice, people are friendly, hookah is good.
This place has awesome hookah flavors. My favorite was the one where they use a hollowed out pineapple instead of an actual bowl, giving the smoke a really unique flavor that you don't really find any where else.
The atmosphere is really good, although it can get a little loud when its packed. It also gets a bit warm at times, but thats probably just the result of having tons of burning coals in the room. They've always got great music playing, adding to the nice chill ambiance. One issue I have is that when they're busy, the servers sometimes take a long time to come and fix your coals for you, resulting in a useless hookah for a little bit until they find the time to come over.
They are a bit on the pricier side, and it sucks that you have to buy one hookah for every 4 people in your party, even if some aren't smoking. This has led to some more expensive nights for my friends and I, but its still always a good time.
This is a good place 2 go during the week after work just to chill and get a good hot tea! Â Love the hot tea..my couz introduced me 2 this place and when we used 2 live in allston we would go @ least 1 a mo. Â Hooka is good we smk'd 4 about 1.30..fun place though.
I def. would recco this place...during the week though.
I hate to do this Nile, but I have to update my review. I will still stand by the fact that the staff are super nice and very attentive even on a rather busy night.
That being said, after exploring more hookah options in the city and returning to Nile several times, I've realized they honestly need to step it up with the quality of their shisha, especially at the prices they're charging. The last couple times I've gone the shisha has been realllllly harsh. The flavor is already not very pronounced already and with the harshness it just overshadows anything enjoyable about the experience.
Plus the decorations are pretty bare, if they're going for an authentic hookah lounge look they really need to step up their game. Oh man would I love to give that place an authentic Middle Eastern makeover. They should take a few tips from Habibi's -- or even Sheesha lounge for that matter.
Sorry dudes :( Hopefully with the renovations etc we'll see some improvements.
I hadn't been back here since the first year they had opened when they had sponsored a number Yelp events. There was much promise for this place, especially since they were on the ground floor for this kind of establishment in the Boston area.
When we first walked in there wasn't any available tables or couches, so obviously business was good. They took our name and number and would call us when something opened up. There were two other hookah lounges in the area, and one that was in walking distance, so we walked over, but they too had nothing available either. We were called on are way back to Nile's and promptly seated when we walked in.
If I didn't go to the other lounge my 4 stars might have held, at least rounded up from 3.5, but after just walking in the other place the difference in vibe was obvious.
The vibe at Nile's is confused. You have loud hip hop, pop music playing, and high def screens with ESPN on. The other lounge was smaller, with rugs, couches, quieter background music, much more laid back and warm, convivial for good conversation.
The smoke, service, teas, and appetizer offerings are good at Nile's, but it's the vibe that is missing.
I'll need to check out the other lounge, but if their offerings match up with Nile's, that doesn't bode well for my rating for Nile's, sorry guys.
Nile's pretty cool if youre a younger college student and don't own your own hookah/don't have a clue
Pros:
tons of hookah flavors, really cool combos
Cons:
WAY overpriced
no parking/hard to get to if you don't live in the neighborhood
kinda disgusting inside, as it is a smoke zone
no alcohol
If you've never tried hookah before and you want to hang out with kids that are too young to go to bars, then this place will probably suffice.
Otherwise, I would suggest buying your own hookah and saving your money!
I'm not a huge hookah-er, but I've gone a few times during my time in Boston, and I must say, the Nile is a pretty chill place to come and hookah. Â The atmosphere is relaxing and the tobacco menu is creative. Â If you haven't hookah-ed before, I recommend the fruity pebble mix with a milk base (alot smoother for newbs). Â
The staff is really attentive, and they check in frequently to make sure everything is good. Â Its a little pricey - but well worth it if you are looking for a low key night where you can veg with a few of your friends.
The food menu is pretty decent as well. Â I've had the ice cream cookie dessert - it was pretty tasty. Â
The Nile gets a bueno from me - but it can be a little bit on the pricey side. Â Oh well.
After reading about these fried Oreos and looking forward to trying them for a few weeks, a friend and I decided that last night would be the night. Â We headed over to Nile to try the Oreos and grab a cup of tea. Â
As soon as we walked in we got a weird vibe from the place. Â The hard plastic seats and cafe tables made it feel sort of like the lobby of a pizza place. Â And while the smell of the shisha was really great and the music was ok, the lighting was pretty bright. Â It didn't have the comfortable, loungy ambiance that you'd probably look for in a hookah bar.
When we told the server that we were just interested in tea and Oreos, she told us that we had to order a hookah, because it was "the rule." Â Even though the place was dead (about 60 or 70% empty) and we probably would have been out of there in under 30 minutes, they wouldn't allow us to order anything unless we got a hookah as well. Â That's a pretty crappy way to run a business if you ask me. Â Since we didn't really want to sit there and smoke a hookah for an hour, we left.
Like I said before, the smell in there was great - I most definitely would have gone back another night to test out the shisha - just didn't feel like it last night. Â But now I don't think I'll be patronizing them at all. Â They can keep their mythical fried Oreos. Â I don't think a place with such unfriendly and unaccomodating business practices fits into my happy Allston neighborhood.
I am not a fan of this place - not impressed at all. The location is great despite sporadic parking and yet they don't seem to have taken advantage of both their business plan, location and what could have been one of the coolest places in town. Honestly, how many places in Boston can actually offer a shisha experience? None other than this. But despite that, they still manage to open a sterile, overpriced place with a poor menu for both drinks and food.
Sure, the owners are nice, and the staff is pretty attentive but the seating isn't very comfortable and a 20-25 a pop, the tab ads up real quick. Some might add stars because of the original selection of flavors for the water pipes, like watermelon and green apple, but I've seen those in other shisha places I've been too previously; once again, nothing I've never seen.
The music wasn't half bad but the plasma televisions were poorly placed and I felt like they killed the atmosphere to some extent. I was disappointed from the moment I sat down - I couldn't get really comfortable... It's not the staff... those guys are cool, it's more of the setting and atmosphere...
I'm not saying that I didn't have fun, but I left both annoyed at the huge tab for so little to offer and the fact that the Nile Lounge could be so much more. They could have some really cool, exotic drinks and juices and more middle eastern food... Some homemade mint tea too... I don't feel like that's a stretch for an Oriental/Egyptian themed place...
One more thing, if you group is too big, your pretty much screwed. The place isn't meant for groups of more than 6 people which is also frustrating since shisha is something that is meant to be done in groups...
After Shabu made big booboos and the zen was bro-ken, where else does a crew go to get their groove back than the Nile?
With the Swinging 60s fab decor, and the friendly, chill and skilled staff swinging the coal trays around like it was the censer full of incense at Catholic church, the good feelings were returned and the lounge atmos put the train of the evening back on the tracks. And no static whatsoever for bringing the boba in from the outdoors.
This place must be magic. It makes me like things I hate!!!
Cigarettes: BOOOOOO.
Fruity Pebbles shisha: YAY! Who knew milk in the base made a smoother smoke? This, me likey! No ashtray mouth, no stinky clothes.
Oreos: Yuckitude, regardless of what age I've ever been.
Fried Oreos: How did the elves do it? These tasted nice and soft  like chocolate Munchkins. Oh, swoon.
Cool place to go to meet up with friends and just chill out!
The Nile Lounge is a great spot for smoking hookah. Â What I like about it in comparison to Tangerinos (another hookah bar/Morrocan restaurant in Charlestown) is that this place is actually spacious: I don't have to topple over people just to grab a chair! Â The Nile has a nice range of tobacco flavors, though I only recommend sticking to the basics: apple, strawberry, mint, or peach. Â Anything else is risky. Â The waiters are very attentive and helpful, assisting virgin cherries that have never smoked before in getting started. Â
The atmosphere is good, too. Â It is a popular place for the young guns; mostly 20-28 year olds go here. Â Unsurprisingly, the crowd is mostly Middle Easterners, Armenians, Greeks, Persians, Turks, and Indians, though people of all backgrounds are usually present. Â
The one complaint I have is that there is no bar! Â A hookah experience is not complete without being able to suck down a drink with tequila! Â It's too bad, especially since it's usually open until 1 AM.
Overall, I'd say this is an awesome spot to come to with a group of friends after going out to eat on a Friday night. Â It's nice and relaxing.
After seeing Allix T's update on her review, I realised I really need to update mine too. Just to say this:
I still am utterly hopelessly in love with Nile and foresee this as a very long-term relationship.
Alex, Brendan and all their staff are still fantastic and lovely and wonderful and spectacular.
The shisha is all really great and my dream of them making real-fruit shishas with watermelon base and apple-bowls came true. And are delicious, delicious, delicious.
I love them extra-much because they put my artwork on the wall for decor, sale, and my artist's ego. Thank you thank you thank you! :)
I try to come here as often as I can because I LOVE THIS PLACE. Always. xoxox
Verging on a year strong of solid, almost weekly, visits to Nile Lounge. Alex, Brendan, Steve, and staff are awesome - the perfect hosts in every way. Â
I love that they now have a small food menu down pat and are constantly offering innovative hookah add ons (watermelon shisha pipe anyone?). Â For those who can have dairy I'm told you'll need to sit down after trying the fried oreos or Nile Pile. Â Other folks rave about the fries with spicy homemade ketchup (if you've got a savory tooth that is).
I'm a total yuppie so I also love that they carry Pellegrino water along with their soft drinks and selection of teas.
And I can't thank them enough for the work they do with me hosting Kick For Nick events.
Mark your calendars - the next one is August 2nd (shameless plugs away).
FRIED OREOS! SPICY KETCHUP! And oh yeah HOOKAH!
Really fun place to catch up with some friends. Flavors range from fruity pebbles to some kind of apple with an actual apple piece on top. So i'm not exactly a fan of smoking but i'd come back every day for the fried oreos if my body didn't hate me so much afterwards.
This place is cool, because its not typical. Â
Firstly, it isn't your typical hookah setting - it's more like a cafe set-up, which lends itself nicely to either group conversation or just a couple friends around a table swapping the latest gossip.
Secondly, the couple flavors I tried were well-blended and fairly smooth...and the food was even good here! UM fried Oreo?? Whoever thought of serving those is genius...so simple and awesome. Â Even just the humus and bread plate was tasty if you're not into the fried foodstuffs and need a snack...
Lastly - its a hookah bar conveniently in Allston! Â That in itself makes this place original... before last week, I had all but given up finding a decent hookah lounge not too far from home. Â Now I have a recommendation for a new, different hang-out in the area - and it's Nile.
Decidedly different than what I'm used to in a hookah bar. When I think of hookah smoking, dim lighting, cushy sofas, and turkish rugs come to mind. Conjure up your best mental images of an opium den ;-)
This place pretty much breaks the stereotype. It more resembles a coffee shop than a lounge. That isn't a bad thing - its just kind of a different vibe than you would expect.
The hookahs were good - it was nice that they used stove-heated coals rather than the match-lit ones. Some of them still pulled a bit harshly, though. When i mentioned it to the server, she made some adjustments that helped somewhat.
Now, smoking cola. I'm not quite sure about that.
I came here with some yelpers who knew one of the employees which resulted in "special" treatment? Â I'm not sure what to call it. Â They came over and chatted. Â
The hookah was good, the prices were decent, and our water glasses were filled promptly. Â
My complaint.... Â the coals. Â They use little wimpy coals and if there are 4 people smoking on a hookah, the coal runs out fast and you have to wait around for someone to top you off (in California we fill up our own coals, which I like better). Â Our plum flavor also died out in under 2 hours which was a bummer. Â
Relaxing environment but.... MOAR PILLOWS PLZ!! Â Nice art on the wall, but the ambiance isn't the most relaxing... hard chairs, not enough couches. Â I would recommend they higher a Feng Shui master to come in and give this place a better flow.
Nile Hookah cafe is a fantastic space.
I had imagined  such a place in my chimeric state as a young girl. A place to chill, not be bothered, smoke and laugh with friends.
My impression is the Nile let's you dictate your own experience and create your own atmosphere. Similar to the Choose your own Adventure, you make of it what you want.
Charity art show with dessert and wine? Yes, please.
Meet up with friends for some deep conversation? Why not.
Bring your food from Super 88 and then indulge in some hookah? You know it.
    Art work on the walls, comfy couch, plenty of tables, nice open space and super friendly owners; Nile is a great place to host an event, art show, meet up or just to chill and enjoy their "special blend."
    There is no argument that their atmosphere is a personal encounter in its own right. Yet, the fact one has so much freedom when they come to enjoy the hookah or rent the gorgeous space for an event, is what makes the Nile unique.
Admittedly, I only said yes a few times, when the mouth piece came my way because I had a headache....burning was a special blend a few yelpers purchased and man, was it smoothe.
What I did experience was stellar and worthy of many repeat visits from me.
Never in my life did I think I would be reviewing a hookah lounge, let alone giving it a stellar review... however, I really enjoy this place!
They have a very friendly staff, and the place is very clean.... two very important things for any business in my book...
While Nile does not have the look which many typically associate with a hookah lounge (pillows everywhere and whatnot... I think someone mentioned that this is because of fire regulations, and that makes total sense of course...) they still manage to create an atmosphere that is comfortable.
Whether you are looking to sit back on a big cushy couch while you smoke hookah, or if you are more into sitting at a table and ordering some food... you can do either which is pretty cool.
Another thing I liked about the place is that the atmosphere and decor are not fake and overdone...
1-0-0!
How appropriate that my 100th review is for a sheesha place! Â While studying in the UK, I became hopelessly addicted to smoking sheesha. Â This was before the UK banned all indoor smoking and put all the hookah places out of business. Â It was the cool thing to do, and all my friends smoked.
So the Nile... We ended up here during a Yelp newbies event, and truthfully, this was the reason I went to the event. Â I was looking for a new place to go for hookah. Â Alex the owner is a Yelper, and I was very excited to finally meet him. Â He came out and smoked with us and gave us a little info on the tobacco and the products he used. Â
I love the Nile. Â Yihwa's artwork and the chill atmosphere make me want to come back, even if I am smoking alone! Â The double apple, as usual, was my favourite, and it was very smooth. Â They came by often and replaced our coals, which I thought was a nice touch, because many hookah places limit you on your coal. Â
The Nile will be the place that I recommend for a smoke!
Oh crap, my lungs are still mad at me....
Ok, let's preface this shall we? I have never so much as inhaled a cigarette never mind hookah. Â So let's just say I was a tad nervous walking in here. Â I tried my hardest to be like Trish and NOT give into the peer pressure. Â But I suppose I was mildly curious so I tried it....
Holy beejesus my lungs are on FIRE! So I tried it.....and, meh, I wasn't a fan. Â Half the time I was coughing my brains out, especially when I tried the double apple. Â Alex probably thought I was a loser, lol. Â My virgin lungs were screaming, so after about 3 hits, I was done. Â
However, just because I don't like it doesn't mean I want to knock it down. Â I did like how it actually tasted like the fruits they say they were. Â
I just want to point out, that I expected something totally different than what I walked into. Â I was expecting more couches at least....maybe because it said "lounge"? It felt a little industrial.....
Alex is super nice and I felt bad that I wasn't enjoying myself. Â Well I was, because I was surrounded by awesome Yelpers, however, unless I am with said Yelpers, I probably won't be coming back. However, if you enjoy Hookah, this is definitely your place. Â Although I do want to try those fried Oreos....
It pains me that I have to write a bad review about a HOOKAH place, of all things.
Reading the reviews, I was prepared for the starkness of the Nile. Â And honestly, why name an establishment the Nile when there is nothing remotely resembling the Nile region, or any place in Africa for that matter? Â Whatever, no matter.
But when we walked in, I felt like I was sitting in a frickin Starbucks. Â And at first, I thought to myself - yeah, I can totally see myself heading out on the B line to come here every so often to read or write for a while, puffing away.
Then the shisha came. Â
I'm no stranger to the hookah, and I'm no smoking novice. Â In my days I've enjoyed many, many, many a bowl, bong, joint, hookah, pipe, cigar, ciggie, etc... I loathe and am allergic to ciggies, but I still smoke the others.
NEVER in my life have I felt so sick from smoke. Â I drew a few long pulls and loved the taste of the double apple. Â But then 15 minutes later, I got horrific waves of hot and cold flashes and thought I was going to puke. Â It makes no sense because I looooooooooooooooove to smoke the shisha, and I always get such a great high off it and feel nothing but chill.
I really liked how the staff came around and adjusted the coals - you don't get that at other hookah places in Boston unless specifically requested. Â But that brings up another con. Â The staff is so busy smoking their own hookahs the entire time (which I would totally be doing the same if I worked here), you have to employ a distress signal to get their attention if you want or need something else.
Some people are raving about how good the price was, but I disagree. Â For just $5 more, head over to Charlestown or Newbury Street (on a nice day) for much better ambiance. Â During the summer I will head to Kashmir, but any other time I will remain loyal to the fabulous atmosphere and smoke of Tangierino. Â The only Nile I'll return to is the one in Egypt.
You know that packet of Strawberry Burst flavor Kool Aid that you saw at Stop and Stop and how ordinary it looks on its own?
The Nile is much like that when you walk by it. But when you add your friends, shisha, and tea into the mix (much like adding water to that Kool-Aid and having the Kool-Aid Man bust through the walls and goes, "Oh, Yeah!") <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2Fvideoplay%3Fdocid%3D3695071313723487032%26q%3Dkool%2Baid%2Bfamily%2Bguy%26total%3D265%26start%3D0%26num%3D10%26so%3D0%26type%3Dsearch%26plindex%3D4&s=c7e94c5fab18aeb5e190fefdc99319c895c5ba8b61dd97bd240c1a5d002d3b13" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://video.google.com/…</a>
You can really see how enjoyable this place can really be!
Be sure to be on the look out for artwork from local Yelpers and grab a Skittles to see if the Skittles smoke taste just like it as Orly did.
And don't forget to give owner and fellow Yelper Alex L. a hello when you visit!
<a href="http://aalewis.yelp.com/">http://aalewis.yelp.com/</a>
The Nile - Meet me in The Nile!!!
Well... I have to say that I absolutely love this place. I had my first hookah experience here one night during an after-after-party. Hehehehe and it was boat loads of fun.
But then we came back here another evening after Shabu. Another evening of fun. My only request is that the Nile eventually gets more of those comfortable micro-fiber couches they have. I like the fact that their minimalist, but more couches are a must. I'd say get rid of the tables and chairs and just do more couches and maybe like a few of those single big comfy chairs.
We had tried the Skittles (a new flavor that Alex is testing out), Watermelon (another new flavor that's out, but hasn't made the menu yet), and Double Apple. All very delicious. IMO I thought the Skittles was just right, captured the rainbow, it was magically delicious (oh wait that's Lucky Charms...). I could "taste the rainbow" and we did with some real skittles - compliments of Orly and running to Hess. The Double Apple was certainly too much for me. The Watermelon was juuuust right. Okay I feel like Goldie Locks and the 3 Hookahs.
With good company, this place is THE HANGOUT when you want to relax, have a few cups of tea, sit back, and smoke some shisha.
My only other complaint is that once this place fills up, the smoke level in here also fills up. Maybe a ventilation system to suck it all up? I was definitely getting a headache towards the end of the night after breathing in all the smoke released into the air. And I was an avid cigarette smoker since the ripe ole age of 13 so I should be used to it, and not.
Not what you'd expect, but surprisingly made for a chill and relaxing evening. Â Being a married old fartsky, I tire easily when thrown into the wild rhythms of the bar scene, in spite of desperately trying to hang on to my youth. Â There, I said it. Â I no longer have that much fun barring.
Doesn't leave many options. Â Stay home and farm adipocytes on the couch or go out and farm adipocytes at restaurants. Â (read: get fat)
OR...
Kick off my shoes and sit on the couch without having to eat or drink anything, or endure bad hip hop, or deal with, "so, where do YOU go to school?" and suck on a very tasty milk based Fruit Pebble shisha. Â Can't tell you about the price, because it's not a habitual pasttime for me. But I can tell you that time flies when you're having fun doing nothing: we were only supposed to stop by for 5 minutes, but the atmosphere is so relaxing, despite the lack of conventional cliche middle-eastern decor, that before we knew it, it was 2 hours later.
A word about the decor: I like that it's not the traditional... But I DO think it needs a bit more oomph, in the form of maybe some artwork.
Plus, how cool is it that two guys my age just up and opened a hookah bar? Â It's WAY cool!! Â I'll be back if even just to support them.
I sadly missed the Yelp Elite event here so we went on our own. The only times I've ever seen people smoking nargileh (aka shisha or hookah) was in Greece -- all old men sitting outside tavernas, puffing away. So I've always associated the sweet tobacco with old dudes from the Old World, sitting around enjoying their old ways.
The Nile Lounge really kicks this shit up a notch and makes it fresh and chill. There aren't enough couches here (you might have to fight for 'em) but the place is so down-low and mellow, it's a fantastic spot to hang out. From the chillout house music to the fabulous staff (very very attentive and super courteous!) the place is minimalist but inviting. This place is not some bastardized Orientalist dream ala Ali Pasha's palace -- the decor is decidedly Euro-modern and very simple, so put down your Said before coming in here, kay?
The nargileh itself is varied, all delicious -- in one night my group and I tried skittles (meh), double apple (WOOOOOOOW!) and watermelon (very nice). Â When this place filled up with customers at every table puffing away, I got really light-headed -- now I know why those old dudes usually smoke this stuff OUTSIDE! Â
They don't serve alcohol, which is a bummer and a shock for many who are used to downing a bit of ouzo with their nargileh, so go get a drink at a bar down the street before coming here (or maybe decide on going out after). Â The moment the Nile gets an alcohol license I'll bet the lines to get in will be out the door. Until then, the nargileh is fantastic and very well worth giving a try. Â I had a fabulous time here and will definitely come back. Bring lots of friends with you!
To totally cop Tom E's style, this is a multimedia review, so listen to this shiznat (the song is called "Bad Girl", it's hilarious) and read:
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5udcsqYAIB4&s=51af5c303ff975ca699864993cf5afe20dd5c6741a8cc74ac3f508baafc4c339" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
The Nile Lounge was part of one of the best nights I've had in Boston in a long time. Â I'm from Israel where we love us some nargila! Â Nargila, hookah, shisha, whatever you want to call it, it's awesome. Â Of course, in Boston there are very few hookah bars. Â And they are usually overpriced and the shisha is mediocre.
Enter Nile lounge.  Honestly, I don't need "Middle Eastern" decor.  When you go to a nargila bar in Israel, they don't look "Middle Eastern", they look like cool bars.  Because, duh, they're  in the Middle East.:)  So, I'm cool with the spartan decor at Nile Lounge, although my bony butt definitely preferred the sofas to those hard chairs.
My favorite was the double apple, and i will definitely try the triple apple next time to take it to the next level. Â I wasn't digging the skittles, too mild and the apple made it difficult to actually smoke, plus i got all munchie and got a huge bag of skittles that I proceeded to eat and feel really sick, but that was my bad, not Nile's fault. Â The watermelon was smooth and light and tasted good. Â Next time I will definitely hit up the mint grape too, that sounds goood. Â Good shisha, reasonably priced, and more flavors than i've seen anywhere else = this place rocks.
Tea and diet coke were good, but nothing goes with nargila like copious amounts of booze. Â So, if Nile Lounge gets a liquor license I don't think they'll be able to get me to leave. Â Plus I probably won't be able to resist dancing around in the smoke.
I'll leave you with an old school jam:
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DovwxXx-WrO4&s=c7d405b76e513d5fc9bc9fe7edc6c3bcf89ff7a9a1cec2972f3428d817a81234" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
The Nile Lounge is a great way to cap a day of r&r with new friends or old. Â Â
Everyone's commented on the decor. Â Honestly, when it's empty it feels more like a stark cafeteria space - fire code restricts more cushy furniture around all those burning embers ): Â It's well worth poaching one of the two couches if you really want to lay back and steep yourself in the hookah experience. Â The flavors run the gamut of extremely subtle to more potent and dizzying. Â Watermelon is pleasant and low key. Â Thrill seekers may wish to try the double or triple apple which is sure to make your table giddy with it's delightfully strong anise flavors. Â
Alex and Brendan were awesome hosts and they have a vision to continually grow and evolve the Nile. Â On the weekends the Nile Lounge fills up but you'll never be exposed to the tactless din of nearby Allston bro-downs. Â Prepare to relax. . .
Me at dinner: "So, am I driving back from the hookah place? I don't mind being DD."
Sasha: "Umm.. they don't serve drinks there.
Everyone else at the table: "WHAT!?"
We were all aghast, and now I was wary. No booze? Um...
Not quite sure what I was expecting as I stepped into the Nile Lounge. Something out of Arabian Nights? Rugs everywhere? Crazy lighting? (My only hookah lounge image comes from my visit to a place in Cairo).
No rugs, no silk curtains, and no belly dancers. Instead, couches and chairs centered around tables, huge hookahs on each one, the smoke filtering the dim light, some art on the walls, and the low din of of the people puffing away happily. I didn't even miss the drinks. People were sipping on tea (I ordered  a cup of Kona coffee) and chatting while passing around the hookah nozzles. I tried three and liked the Fruity Pebbles one the best - smooth and sweet.
Good?The set up lends itself well to conversation. Â The prices are good for big groups. They seem to have a good variety of teas. Easy to find/near the T. Ungood? I wish they had more couches and more color. I don't find the modern/minimalist thing as inviting, but in the end, it is not the lack of rugs or need for couches that defines what kind of time you have - its the company.
High quality Hookah.
What a fantastic place for a chill night.
I absolutely love hookah, and smoke it at home once in a while, but really it's a go out and enjoy kind of thing as opposed to a sit at home on my ass getting fat kind of thing.
I'm bringing my friends back because this is the kind of place that I would love to hang out at often.
The size is just right, the sheesha is good, and the tea just as tasty.
I like this place. I think this was a great forum for a yelp event. My only gripe is that it is sterile & somewhat clinical in it's decor. I think that the employee's and owner's are great, cordial, personable people. Their accomodating approach really ammends the aforementioned sterility.
The art on the walls from fellow yelper's really warmed up the room.
fun fun fun. gogogogogogogogogo
I'd been wanting to check out Nile Lounge for awhile, and the Yelp event gave me a great chance to check them out. The owners are super-cool, all-around nice guys. They know their stuff and use high-quality tobacco & supplies. Plus, they liked my artwork & wanted it on the walls, which always a good thing! (thanks!) The staff were very helpful and efficient, changing out the charcoals & tobacco, handing out more mouthpieces, and making sure everyone had teacups.
It's hard to believe that Boston didn't have a hookah bar until now, just a small smattering of restaurants & coffeeshops that also happened to have hookahs. During the day, it's a little spare, but at night it really warms up. The decor is very West Elm, and a touch masculine, but the couches are really comfy if you can score one. Definitely good for groups, too. I can't wait to go back and try the fried oreos (!), and I hope they keep using some the fantastic tea Tom E. picked out; it paired so well with the shisha flavors.
Thanks for giving me a reason for me to get out to Allston more often!
This place has a five-star restroom, let me tell you.
Read Yi-Hwa's review for all the handy factual information you might need to know. Â In summary: Â the shisha is great, the owners are awesome. Â Now, for the personal highlight of my trip --
What a fantastic restroom! Â Spacious, clean, AND the lighting gave me cheekbones. Â The mirror is large and is complemented by an equally large sink. Â The blue accent wall featuring the mirror and sink is a handsome touch, as well. Â Also appreciated is the large silver trashcan, the kind with the foot pedal controlling the lid. Â No paper towels on the floor in this establishment! Â Toilet's just a tad bit short, but I didn't let it ruin my evening. Â
There are so few acceptable places in Allston to pee, I'm very happy to have discovered this one. Â The sofas, shisha, Zero 7 on the stereo, Baraka on the plasma screens, and awesome staff are a nice bonus.
The night I went to the Nile Lounge was one of my best in Boston yet. When I arrived at 5 it felt a little cold and sterile, but a yelp-related turn around had the place moving up from 3 stars to 5 stars in 1 hour. Some amazing art work was up to hide the bare walls, great background music was playing and the TVs had beautiful scenes on the loop and shuffle.
Add to this a busy crowd, flowers on the tables and wonderful luxury teas and the atmosphere was all set for hitting the fantastic hookahs repeatedly. These are what you're here for and they are excellently maintained and pull very well. Took me back to my days a decade ago when we'd diligently try to smoke all and sundry through my friend's crappy shisha. Much better idea just to come somewhere like here and pay for really good flavors.
I never had the issue of being at college but being too young to hang in bars (UK is 18 for booze) but if I was in that conundrum right now, then this would be a tempting haunt. Especially if they keep up the great artwork and carry on serving the real tea I left them and not that cheap-ass Lipton shit.
"Hookah" conjures up images of of opulent furnishings, hazy and dim lighting the feelings of warmth. I agree with K.B. that at first Nile seems sterile because of it's modern decor and upright chairs. There almost needs to be more couches to call it a lounge, though the two L-shaped ones were very inviting. Looking around the thought and care is apparent: plasma tvs, wi-fi and a cool textured wall.
When I met the two owners all became clear: it's a (straight) man's world. That explained the sparseness of the menu and why the only tea offered was Bigelow. Get some big sipping mugs in warm tones, Mighty Leaf teas, dim the pretty overheads. Shisha is meant to be relaxing.
The flavor selection was excellent, with flavors I had never tried before (and I consider myself an aficionado). A mix of the grape and plum is delicious. And even without a liquor license I would be drawn back here because there is oh-so-much potential to enjoy. It just needs to mature a bit (for stars to be had). And Yelp is here to help!
I live right around the corner from this place. And I love hookah. But I've not been compelled to go in and check the place out. Why? It's lacking some ambiance. Some character. Some....plush decorations.
If you've ever been to that cigar bar in the North End and seen the dark, heavy curtains, cushioned booths and dark lighting, then Nile Lounge will disappoint you. Nile is more like tables with hard chairs around them like you're smoking hookah in a classroom. Not reminiscent of my late nights philosophisizing with friends while sipping wine and blowing smoke rings back in college.
But I give it 3 stars for BEING A HOOKAH BAR IN ALLSTON!
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