Le Caire Lounge

by Elle T.

typically i hate these kinds of places but i was with some college guy friends from out of town who were in the mood for hookah and cheap wine. well they got it here. the decor/ambiance was better than i expected. and they had a decent bellini. however..the food..we ordered hummus..basic..you would think. it was watery. like really watery. like the hummus seriously was looking a bit like the runs..at least the warm pita was good?

by Mark A.

I had to sign up in order to write a review.:). Well I'm glad to do so especially after i saw the last review by Jessica which i think it was so harsh as i have been to Le cair few times and i always have a great time whenever i go there and i don't think it deserves such a bad review. I haven't tried their food YET but they are always generous with the liquor, the drinks are strong and last time we got free tequila shots. Also smoked hookahs there and I love it "I think that what keeps me going back there"Well I hope my review would be useful

by Namrata A.

I was digging the intimate environment.  I thought the hookah was just fine, but friends claim it wasn't that great.  They played a mix of music.  The hookah prices were a bit steep ($20 on the weekend) since this is the LES.  I think I'll be back for a try once more, though, for happy hour since then the prices are decent.

by Nihar S.Michelle N.Anton G.Namrata A.Tiffany V.

Maybe this one will be slightly biased as I went with a friend who knew the owner...but you too can benefit from this review. It's 2 floors with the first floor being street level and then a loungey basement. The clientele were normal NYC'ers as it did seem too far for the BT crew to hike that far east. The music was good...nothing to write home about, but the typical music you figure you'd hear in a modern bar/lounge. From what I remember, the drinks were well priced for Manhattan and the hookah was great. What set the night up perfectly was that they carried a type of tequila that I have only seen here. Ridiculously good. Dos Lunas is the name and if you can find it ANYWHERE....let me know and I'll pay you double. I've been searching for a bottle from the second I left this place but can't find it."Oh, but I don't like tequila". Fret not...it doesnt taste like tequila. It's like drinking water. I swear. Smooth as water and when its chilled, there is hardly any taste. Which was quite dangerous as the owner (my friends friend) gave us shot after shot of Dos Lunas. So many, in fact, that I started a 45min conversation...and we'll just leave it at that for yelp. Seriously though, there's another hookah lounge a block away which is overly pretentious -- this one is what a lounge should feel like...chill, friendly people ready to mingle...AND DOS LUNAS!Maybe our mistake was coming here for dinner.  Or not reading Jessica F's review prior to coming here as we had the same exact experience.My boyfriend and I came here for dinner in the middle of the week and there was nobody else there.  Usually I take that as a sign but we decided to live dangerously.The tables are very low and we ended up sitting on the floor.  Which would have been fine if we didn't wait an hour and a half for the food.  Without water.  I was told that my order (fish) would take a while, which I was fine with.  You know, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, even an hour.  Not an hour and a half!!  It wasn't even that good!  On top of that, we had the same suggestion regarding water.  They don't provide water because it's "not good".  How can water in NYC be not good???   People have entire conversations about how NYC water is the best!  (Trust me, I've experienced them a few times).While waiting for an hour and a half, we took a look at the bar prices, ridiculous.  Save your money and have a better time elsewhere.  Did we order dessert?  No, my legs and butt had fallen asleep and we were anxious to be gone.Nothing special. The music is too loud to carry any sort of conversation and seemed pretty generic. The place seems to be a local hangout for middle-eastern boys and girls, so if you're there with friends you probably won't care anyway.I was digging the intimate environment.  I thought the hookah was just fine, but friends claim it wasn't that great.  They played a mix of music.  The hookah prices were a bit steep ($20 on the weekend) since this is the LES.  I think I'll be back for a try once more, though, for happy hour since then the prices are decent.This is by far my favorite hookah lounge in the city!! It is so chill and small, and great place to go with a few friends or just your other half for some intimate quality time together. I love the dim lights, the curtains separating some of the booths, the couches, and all hidden downstairs area. The food is great and they even send you coupons via email for offers for food and drinks! I would definitely suggest this spot for a night out!

by MissP ..

This is my 'First impressions' list so it only gets 3 stars. Not because I didn't like it, but because I give my all my 'First Impressions' reviews 3 stars since I haven't had a complete experience I can base more stars on. Anyway, this place was a very good first impression. I was there on Friday night Aug 11th around 2am I think. Le Caire is great in terms of ambiance. We (2 people) were the only ones there which was too bad since I think it  deserves to be full of people. It's one of those places that gets better when it's full. It's decorated in lush tones of reds and oranges, at least it seemed that way by candle light. The hookahs were very beautiful and though I did not smoke at this visit, I definitely intend to do so when I return. I did have a very nice Anise tea though--!This post is also a way to give it more attention I think it deserves.

by Emily Y.

Didn't partake in the hookah option as other patrons have.Had the vegi combo (falafel sandwich, dolmade, and yogurt). It thought it was interesting how the falafel was donut-shaped like the Indian Vada. - Good.Spanikopita (called spinach pie there). - Good.Baklava - Good, but maybe too nutty.I ordered a coffee but they took forever and later told me that they had to send someone to buy the creamer. So I told them I could just have the guava juice instead.Nobody else came after us, which was weird. The table height was irritating. It was awkwardly low. Music (some of which I actually enjoyed) was a bit loud and there seems to be a dance floor next to us with no one dancing.Overall good but pricey (but we used a http://restaurant.com coupon). Nice atmosphere for a bunch of friends.

by Nihar S.

Maybe this one will be slightly biased as I went with a friend who knew the owner...but you too can benefit from this review. It's 2 floors with the first floor being street level and then a loungey basement. The clientele were normal NYC'ers as it did seem too far for the BT crew to hike that far east. The music was good...nothing to write home about, but the typical music you figure you'd hear in a modern bar/lounge. From what I remember, the drinks were well priced for Manhattan and the hookah was great. What set the night up perfectly was that they carried a type of tequila that I have only seen here. Ridiculously good. Dos Lunas is the name and if you can find it ANYWHERE....let me know and I'll pay you double. I've been searching for a bottle from the second I left this place but can't find it."Oh, but I don't like tequila". Fret not...it doesnt taste like tequila. It's like drinking water. I swear. Smooth as water and when its chilled, there is hardly any taste. Which was quite dangerous as the owner (my friends friend) gave us shot after shot of Dos Lunas. So many, in fact, that I started a 45min conversation...and we'll just leave it at that for yelp. Seriously though, there's another hookah lounge a block away which is overly pretentious -- this one is what a lounge should feel like...chill, friendly people ready to mingle...AND DOS LUNAS!

by Samantha G.

I really love this place.  Let's just clear this up before I go any further:  it's not really my kind of a place, to be honest.  I'm not into house music or fancy-ish places.  I prefer a dive bar anyway to a beautifully decorated, sophisticated hookah lounge.  However, I have grown to love Le Caire.  I was passing by about two summers ago and started talking to this guy outside, who turned out to be Basem, the owner.  He's a really awesome guy, and we have actually become good friends.  He runs his business with pride, and really really cares about his customers' enjoyment.  The weekends can get packed, but the crowd is usually so friendly and fun that it doesn't even bother me!

by Nihar S.Michelle N.Anton G.

Maybe this one will be slightly biased as I went with a friend who knew the owner...but you too can benefit from this review. It's 2 floors with the first floor being street level and then a loungey basement. The clientele were normal NYC'ers as it did seem too far for the BT crew to hike that far east. The music was good...nothing to write home about, but the typical music you figure you'd hear in a modern bar/lounge. From what I remember, the drinks were well priced for Manhattan and the hookah was great. What set the night up perfectly was that they carried a type of tequila that I have only seen here. Ridiculously good. Dos Lunas is the name and if you can find it ANYWHERE....let me know and I'll pay you double. I've been searching for a bottle from the second I left this place but can't find it."Oh, but I don't like tequila". Fret not...it doesnt taste like tequila. It's like drinking water. I swear. Smooth as water and when its chilled, there is hardly any taste. Which was quite dangerous as the owner (my friends friend) gave us shot after shot of Dos Lunas. So many, in fact, that I started a 45min conversation...and we'll just leave it at that for yelp. Seriously though, there's another hookah lounge a block away which is overly pretentious -- this one is what a lounge should feel like...chill, friendly people ready to mingle...AND DOS LUNAS!Maybe our mistake was coming here for dinner.  Or not reading Jessica F's review prior to coming here as we had the same exact experience.My boyfriend and I came here for dinner in the middle of the week and there was nobody else there.  Usually I take that as a sign but we decided to live dangerously.The tables are very low and we ended up sitting on the floor.  Which would have been fine if we didn't wait an hour and a half for the food.  Without water.  I was told that my order (fish) would take a while, which I was fine with.  You know, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, even an hour.  Not an hour and a half!!  It wasn't even that good!  On top of that, we had the same suggestion regarding water.  They don't provide water because it's "not good".  How can water in NYC be not good???   People have entire conversations about how NYC water is the best!  (Trust me, I've experienced them a few times).While waiting for an hour and a half, we took a look at the bar prices, ridiculous.  Save your money and have a better time elsewhere.  Did we order dessert?  No, my legs and butt had fallen asleep and we were anxious to be gone.Nothing special. The music is too loud to carry any sort of conversation and seemed pretty generic. The place seems to be a local hangout for middle-eastern boys and girls, so if you're there with friends you probably won't care anyway.

by Anton G.

Nothing special. The music is too loud to carry any sort of conversation and seemed pretty generic. The place seems to be a local hangout for middle-eastern boys and girls, so if you're there with friends you probably won't care anyway.