Special Café
‘The Sweatpants Shisha’
Recommend Special to your friends for a night out, and you’re likely to be met by an eye roll and scowl of disdain. The understated little shisha chain may not suit the more glamorous of Abu Dhabi residents, but for Special aficionados, it’s got an unbeatable charm all its own. The three spots (all located within a couple block radius on the Corniche, in a serious oversight of strategic planning) offer low-key, outdoor dining and smoking, for a budget that’s bound to make any wallet happy. If you can overlook the shabby paint job and lack of servers, the Specials are charming little nooks that don’t purport to offer any more than the basics. It’s a nice change of pace from the more upscale venues – you can show up at Special in sweats and a baseball cap and no one will blink an eye. The dark grassy area gives enough space between tables that smokers are afforded privacy, and the overall vibe is best described as ‘grandma does shisha.’ Its slogan is fascinating: ‘surpassing your expectations’. The café chain either has an ironic understanding of its own down-home niche, or a severely overworked marketing manager. Ah well, it’s a fitting motto – Special is akin to the slow kid in the family who miraculously pulls a B on his pre-algebra exam instead of a D. You’ll show up expecting the worst, but instead find you rather enjoy yourself.
Al Khalidiyah, Corniche
The Pool Bar
‘The Spiritual Shisha’
This hidden gem is arguably the best shisha spot in the city. It’s a true local joint, hidden so well in the Al Bateen Marina that if a friend didn’t let you in on the secret, you’d never know it existed. The dowdy parking lot exterior (lit by fluorescent signs) may fool you into thinking you’ve entered a ’90s grunge bar, but round the corner and the infinity pool overlooking bobbing sailboats will convince you otherwise. It’s a classy but quiet joint, a refuge for the city’s elite who’d prefer to puff on their shisha far from the prying eyes of a late night social scene. The shisha is top notch, as is the service – the reclusive nature of the place means you’ll never be fighting for a seat. Smokers will unwittingly while hours away at the pool bar, lulled by the hushed burble of the gulf waters lapping against docks. It seems miles apart from the rest of the city – zero traffic noise prevails as you manage to make your way through the tangle of back-alley streets you must take to find it. Come to the Pool Bar when you’re looking for a little soulful shisha spirituality.
Marina Al Bateen Resort (02 665 0144)
Hardwalls Café
‘The Serious Smoker Shisha’
The tastiest shisha in the city can be found in the most unlikely of places: a dark, drab little corner of Marina Mall. In terms of ambience, Hardwalls Café isn’t trying too hard. The seats lining the interior look out onto fluorescent linoleum spotted with the stains of a thousand toddler sneakers, and the noise of strolling shoppers will be the soundtrack to your smoke. Head deeper into the café and you’ll feel like you stumbled into an Old West saloon, with lighting so dim and smoke so thick you’ll be hard-pressed to see more than a foot in front of you – making it likely you’ll trip face first over an old man attached to his shisha pipe like it’s the last bag of oxygen left on earth. So why does Hardwalls make the shisha café cut? Simply put, it’s the tastiest, sweetest, smoothest smoke you’re likely to partake in during your Dhabi days. For those who’ve figured this out, Hardwalls is a necessary stop on their shopping tour, despite its less than appealing interior. It’s shisha for the serious smoker: the person who doesn’t care about petty things – like visibility in a café.
Marina Mall (02-6814200)
The Village Club
‘The Social Shisha’
Walk around the corner in the Village Club and you’ll be greeted by lively chatter from a lawn packed with shisha smokers. It’s a relaxed, communal atmosphere, with frequent live performances that inspire impromptu swing dancing up by the front stage. Patrons range from overexcited three-year-olds ducking in and out of chairs as their parents chat nearby, to 20-somethings enjoying a smoke before venturing further into the evening. It’s a multicultural venue, frequented by locals and expats of countless nationalities, and if it weren’t for the tendrils of apple-flavored smoke drifting from every table, the Village Club would look a little bit like a big block barbeque.
It can be quite difficult to flag down a waiter, given that it’s a popular venue spread over a very large area, but going in search of one will give you a chance to stroll through the myriad groups and soak in the familial atmosphere. The Village Club suits the needs of the social shisha smoker.
One To One Hotel (02 495 2000)
