Red Poppy

Staff is very helpful with matching flavors to your wine-- and there's only a $5 corking fee.  Great ambience, and the best AC in town for those summer months.  Not too loud to study, and a fantastic, soulful music selection in the background.  Great art, comfy chair, amazing tea and fun people watching.  Perfect date night spot, or a fun location for a get together with friends.

So comfy this is by far the nicest and cleanest hookah bar I've ever been to! and it's safe to say the cheapest too! We had Apple and banana flavored and it was very good, Nessa had some tea that was pretty good I tried a small sip. On Thursdays and Sundays they have all you can smoke for $10. You can only smoke from the hookah no outside tobacco.
They have floor seating and couches and chairs. Great for groups and people that don't smoke can enjoy some flavored tobacco, much smoother and easier to smoke then cigarettes.

gorgeous, cozy, dimly-lit, a little bit smokey, incense-y, brightly colored with numerous private spaces. great for groups to enjoy a hookah on a weekend night. perfect for a date. stop by during the week and bring a book or something to work on as you enjoy the highest quality shisha in all of iowa. (i can say this. i'm arab). the poppy only uses romman tobacco and 3 hose mya hookahs. awesome. choose from 20+ different flavors and you can mix 2 - 3 in one bowl for no additional charge. thanks sakshi and mayes!

groups of 7 or more must order two hookahs. you'll want an extra one anyway. believe me.

thursday night is 10 dollar night where they charge a 10 dollar cover for unlimited hookah all night! be sure to arrive early (around 7 or 8) before all of the seats are taken.

the red poppy is versatile.
the red poppy is a little bit magical.

the red poppy has truly succeeded (opened in 2004) in providing downtown iowa city with a hip & chill alternative to the raucous bar scene.

the crowd is diverse. ranging from 18 year olds who cannot yet enter iowa city's dozens of watering holes to iowa grad students and young professionals.

music is en pointe. everything from french cafe and traditional middle eastern/arabic music to some reggae and brazilian, to more indie folk/rock. it's loud enough so you can hear it but not obnoxious to where you are screaming over it.

some thursdays - the poppy offers a belly dancer or a palm reader (you can get a detailed personalized reading of your own) or some other special event where the cover price may be increased. but come on classy people, it is worth it. [check their website for details].

the poppy does not serve food. but they do have a brilliant, extensive organic tea menu and a 5 dollar corking fee for BYOWine. and no, wine in a box doesn't count. major plus - you can also bring fancy beers that 'look like wine.' no. keystone light doesn't count.

and as per the owners (sakshi and mayes) - i can't say enough good things about them. go to the poppy. meet them. talk to them about their wondrous little creation.

mayes blows glass and sells his creations at the poppy. he also takes personal orders and i've seen him produce the most lovely wine glasses, wine corks, jewelry, pipes, etc. he works straight from the basement of their iowa city home. = good for those who love to buy local.

after spending 4 years at the university of iowa, i can say my best memories somehow involved the poppy, the people there, and its truly special ambiance.