The queen’s lounge

Head to the arabesque Queen of Sheba to unwind with friends by the pool on a pleasant night, and enjoy savouries and the heady perfume of oriental shisha

Prior to visiting the Queen of Sheba, a shisha lounge at Layia Oak Hotel & Suites, Al Barsha, I must admit that the only thing I knew about the water pipe was that the Caterpillar used one in Alice in Wonderland. He smoked in solitude, prodded Alice with a series of curt questions and finally crawled off his mushroom and into the woods. That’s all!

Easy there, Alice. Once you’ve spent an evening with shisha, the root of the Caterpillar’s irritation is palpable. Smoking a blend of grape and mint flavour through a hookah is a profoundly relaxing way to spend an evening, and anyone who threatens to take you away from it fully deserves a sound walloping.

Queen of Sheba is a gorgeous room — dark, elegant and comfortable, just by 
the stylish poolside terrace. You can choose from their selection of tea and coffee, mocktails, energy drinks or the strawberry smoothie — which is a blend of fresh strawberries and ice cream — just right to start 
the night.

Once you’ve taken a good snort of the flavoured shisha, you’ll likely forget your worries for the day and get charged up with the football match playing in front of you on the flat screen. And you can order appetisers from the café’s exhaustive Arabic menu — Sayniah for the vegetarian and Sayniah Extra for the meat lovers where apart from hummous, moutabel, tabouleh, fattoush, labneh, kibbeh, cheese, spinach fatayer and pickles, you get the mixed platter with delicious lamb and chicken offerings. You can also order for salads, burgers, sandwiches or the shawarma — all at reasonable rates.

Queen of Sheba is an absolute must 
for those who want to savour a private evening out. If you have guests in town, it is always worth taking them to a shisha lounge 
as it is a truly Arabian experience and at 
this tranquil lounge that is quiet, exotic and relaxing, close friends can really have lots of fun. Fancy an evening filled with true Arabic delights? The Queen of Sheba will not disappoint.

raziqueh@khaleejtimes.com

In seven words: Perfect venue for flavoured shishas and appetisers

What we liked: Lanterns emanating dim, romantically dusky lighting

What we didn’t like: Having to make do with Haagen Daz’s ice cream for dessert

Restaurant best for: Chilled night out with friends and family

Cost for one: Dh140-200 (including shisha)

Did you know: It is believed that Abul Fazel Gilani, a Persian physician in the Mughal emperor Akbar’s court, who “first passed the smoke of tobacco through a small bowl of water to purify and cool the smoke” and thus invented the hubble-bubble or hookah.

Contact: Queen of Sheba, Layia Oak Hotel & Suites, Al Barsha, 
04-4377888

• Food and Dining