Loading...
The Beginner's Guide
What Is a Shisha Lounge?
Never tried shisha? Here's everything a first-timer needs to know — what a shisha bar actually is, how it works, what to order, what it costs and the unwritten rules — written by the team at Fire & Ice in Hatch End.
So, what is a shisha lounge?
A shisha lounge — you'll also hear shisha bar, hookah lounge or hookah bar, they all mean the same thing — is a venue built around the shisha pipe: a tall water pipe through which you draw cooled, flavoured smoke from tobacco molasses heated by charcoal. It's an unhurried, social ritual that originated in Persia and India and spread through the Ottoman world, and today it's a fixture of London nightlife.
What separates a good shisha lounge from a plastic table on a pavement is everything around the pipe: comfortable seating, proper heating and shelter, fresh coals changed without asking, a real drinks list and a kitchen. Because UK law requires shisha to be smoked in an open-sided outdoor space, the best lounges invest in a heated shisha garden with a retractable roof so the terrace is usable in January as well as July.
Your First Visit
How a shisha bar works, step by step
1. Arrive and take a table
Head to the shisha garden — at Fire & Ice that's the heated terrace at the back with the retractable roof. Walk-ins are welcome, but on Friday and Saturday evenings it's worth booking.
2. Choose a flavour
Pick one flavour or mix two. Classics (Double Apple, Mint, Grape) are smooth for beginners; frozen fruit blends like Frozen Mango or Blue Mist are sweeter and more aromatic.
3. Let the team set it up
Your shisha is packed, lit with natural coconut charcoal and brought to your table ready to smoke. Each guest gets a fresh disposable mouthpiece.
4. Take it slow
Draw gently and steadily — pulling hard burns the molasses and makes it harsh. A bowl lasts around 45–60 minutes; the team will swap your coals as they fade.
5. Order food and drinks
Shisha is a social, unhurried thing. Pair it with a cocktail or a mocktail, share a few mezze plates, and settle in.
6. Mind the etiquette
Pass the hose folded back on itself or handle-first, never pointed at someone. Don't light cigarettes from the coals, don't blow smoke at other tables, and let staff handle the charcoal.
Flavours, brands and what it costs
Shisha molasses comes in hundreds of flavours from a handful of respected brands. Al Fakher is the classic — smooth, traditional flavours like Double Apple, Mint and Grape. Starbuzz is the modern favourite, known for “frozen” fruit blends and sweet mixes such as Blue Mist and Love 66. Savacco is the premium end: bold, complex flavours for people who already know what they like.
Across London a shisha typically costs £25–£50. At Fire & Ice, Al Fakher is £30, Starbuzz £35, Savacco £45 and our house Signature blend £50 — and you can mix up to two flavours in one bowl at no extra cost.
First-timer questions, answered
What is a shisha lounge?
A shisha lounge (also called a shisha bar or hookah lounge) is a venue where guests relax over a shisha pipe — flavoured tobacco molasses gently heated by charcoal and drawn through water — usually alongside drinks, food and music. In the UK, shisha is smoked in a covered outdoor area, so most lounges have a heated terrace or garden.
What's the difference between shisha and hookah?
Nothing — they are two names for the same thing. 'Shisha' is the usual term in the UK and the Middle East; 'hookah' is more common in the US and South Asia. You'll also hear 'narghile' or 'hubbly bubbly'. A shisha bar and a hookah bar are the same kind of venue.
How does shisha work?
Flavoured molasses sits in a clay or silicone bowl at the top of the pipe, covered by foil or a heat-management device with hot coconut charcoal on top. When you draw on the hose, air passes over the heated molasses, the vapour travels down through water in the base — which cools and smooths it — and up the hose to you.
Is it my first time — what should I order?
Start with a classic, mild flavour such as Double Apple, Mint, Grape or Watermelon, or a fruity mix like Frozen Mango. Tell the team it's your first time and they'll suggest something smooth and set everything up for you. Mixing two flavours is popular — mint with almost anything works.
How long does a shisha last?
A single bowl usually lasts 45 minutes to an hour, longer if you pace it and the coals are managed well. The team will change your coals as they burn down. If you want it to go further, ask for a flavour upgrade or a re-head, which refreshes the bowl.
How much does shisha cost?
In London expect £25–£50 depending on the brand and venue. At Fire & Ice, Al Fakher is £30, Starbuzz £35, Savacco £45 and our Signature blend £50, with re-heads from £20 and an ice pipe for £5.
Do I have to be 18 to smoke shisha?
Yes. Shisha contains tobacco, so it is strictly 18+ in the UK and venues may ask for photo ID. Under UK smoke-free law it must be smoked in a sufficiently open outdoor space, which is why shisha lounges use covered terraces and gardens rather than indoor rooms.
Can I eat and drink at a shisha lounge?
At most lounges, yes — and it's the best way to do it. At Fire & Ice the full Mediterranean menu, cocktails and mocktails are served to your table on the shisha garden, so you can make an evening of it.
Ready to try it?
Our shisha garden in Hatch End is open six days a week, heated and covered all year, minutes from Harrow and Pinner. Tell the team it's your first time and they'll look after you.