Smoke Rings

- Neha Gupta Kapoor

The UAE newspaper, Gulf News reported last month that it is now illegal to smoke shisha (hookah) while driving. Disobedient drivers will be fined DHS 800/₹13,955. That’s how popular shisha is in Dubai. While some locals may be habituated to smoking water pipes with high nicotine content, the version of shisha found in restaurants and touristy places are virtually harmless with negligible tobacco content.

And so, if you’re looking for some cultural downtime in Dubai, it would be a good idea to add shisha to your list. There are several shisha flavours that one can choose to puffon, ranging from fruit to mint. Though they’re commonly available at several F&B venues of the city, there are a few who offer more than just a shisha experience. Here is a list of five places where one can grab a drink and enjoy a good meal while sampling shisha to last a long evening.

360 Degrees

It rises from the sea — well not quite literally though. A pathway from Jumeirah Beach Hotel continues over the sea and ends at an anchored glass-walled circular room with rooftop seating. This party destination is known to have one of the best views of Dubai on one side and waters of the Arabian Gulf on the other side. The most desirable seats, of course, are at the lounge deck on the roof; but when it gets too hot or too cold, the plush sofa seating inside, by the windows are good enough. The indoor restaurant, The NineZero has a pan-Asian à la carte food menu, but the setting is more like a lounge bar and nightclub. Sunset is the best time to visit because the views are stunning in the afterglow; especially if you have a shisha in one hand and a flavoursome cocktail in the other.

• Jumeirah Beach Hotel; open daily 5pm-3am; tel: [phone]; jumeirah.com.