Zenobia Lounge

by Natalie R.

I went to an event that had this food catered, so my review is only for the food. This was, hands down, the tastiest Middle Eastern food I've had in a while. Amazing: the hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouli, spinach pie, balela, grape leaves, and pita chips. Good: the falafel, pita bread, and almond/nut cake-like dessert. I will definitly be going to this place soon- and having all of the above with some hot turkish coffee!

by Jennifer I.

LOVED it! I'm not a big hookah smoker but my friend took me here on my first trip to Georgetown this past weekend. We had the grape tobacco and it was incredibly smooth and had a good, clean aftertaste. The waitstaff was super nice and spoke arabic to my friend, which made it feel even more authentic for me (the non arabic-speaking white girl from New Jersey). We shared a pot of the mint tea that was delish and I also treated myself to some iced coffee, because apparently I can't hang like I used to (I was yawning big-time by 10:30 and it had nothing to do with the place or my company!). Also, they have plastic covers you use to place over the mouthpiece on the pipe that wipe away any germ concerns (I referred to it as the hookah condom which my friend thought was pretty funny) for those of us that are share-a-phobes. We had just eaten dinner before we got there so we didn't try the food, but it did look pretty good--next time I go there I wouldn't mind trying something to eat as well. And don't worry, per DC law, all of the smoking takes place outside on the patio so if you just want to go for a bite or some tea sans hookah, you can do that, too. I can't wait to go back (even though I was told if you smoke the entire hookah by yourself it equals a pack of ciggs...and it can be addictive....so I'll just have to make sure I always go with a hookah buddy!).

by Hanitizer H.

I love the owners, but they need to get people to work there who want to be there, not putting their sad face when they serve you. There was a lady that once pushed us to order hookahs, I do not smoke hookah. Other than that love the teas, the little pastries they have. It keeps getting better and they keep adding and upgrading new things. The atmosphere remains the best thing about this place. I am willing to change my feedback.

by Jessica Parker


We just discovered this place last week and we love it .. they have covered heated patio outside with large TV and nice music ..I think hookah is only allowed outside at the patio but it is FULL .. the place was crowded so we had to go and come back after 20 minutes. Well, The food is great .. we tried chicken kabob with yellow rice (you can order side French fries or Middle Eastern salad).. prices are very good and staff are really friendly and polite.. We are definitely going back to Zenobia and soon ..it is our new favorite place in Georgetown Washington DC ..

by Jobin A.

Zenobia is the closest substitute I've found for smoking shisha that compares to the middle east. Their shishas can be smoked for more than an hour without getting all ashy. A major problem for several other shisha places in DC where they give you a shisha pipe and it quickly burns out because to the little tobacco put in. Their food is great as well.I recommend this play if all you want to do is smoke shisha and not interested in drinking.

by AC V.

This is a great hookah bar. That said, I'm low-balling my review for several reasons. A) The iced tea is not iced tea, but hot tea poured over ice, in small portions. B) There is a weekend minimum spending amount of $10 per person which means on a quiet Sunday evening, it's not a good place to hang.  C) The service is slow. S-L-O-W.  But!And this is a big BUTThe atmosphere is great, you don't have to have shisha if you don't want to.  The drinks you do get are wonderful, besides iced tea. Haven't tried the food and can't speak to it. The music is great, usually (as far as I've heard, arab dance kind of stuff). And it's far enough from the strip that it's not overwhelmingly crowed. Oh, and did I mention the hookahs always seem well washed and well-maintained. Much better than nearby Prince Café.The outdoors area is a quirk. If it's cold out, not so good for shisha. If it's raining, probably the best bet in town other than Soussi. It's covered, but there is little air circulation, so if you're with a friend who doesn't want to get smokey, this is not the place for you.

by caitlin r.

I've been here multiple times.  The hookah is great- I discovered blue mist (blueberry-ish) and I'm hooked.  The lemon is a bit harsh on the lungs and some of my friends liked the peaches.  But try the blue mist!Six months ago, the staff was more laid-back, the bathrooms were cleaner, they didn't have a minimum/person, and they would bring you glasses of water.  And it seems like the price goes up a little bit with each visit, hmmm... Gratuity is now included in the check.  The patio is cute (the wind blew off part of the plastic roof last time), and it doesn't have the sketch, scummy vibe of most hookah places.Still the best hookah place I've been to, even as it has gotten more popular.  I agree with the other reviewers, Zenobia seems quite authentic.

by Fuz K.

A nice place to rest your feet, smoke some hookah and relax after shopping in Georgetown. The place has a nice quiet ambiance. Inside it has nice couches and tables, but you cannot smoke indoors here.Their outdoor patio area is quite pleasant as well, but the chairs are uncomfortable for people who are smoking hookah and would be spending long enough time there.The service is too slow. I hope that they've taken note of the need to hire more waitresses. I'm talking SLOW. Even for someone who is more patient than I am, it would still be a pain because it took nearly 20 minutes just for our drinks to show up. It was also annoying that they didn't have a lot of the drinks shown on the menu.

by Candace H.

Still three stars - I've returned three times since my original review.  Important Notes:1. The food has gotten incomparably better.2. During one of my visits, a rat decided to run back forth throughout the outside Patio as about six guests shrieked and ever-so-slightly moved their feet up to their chairs.  When the cashier (only person there at the time) was notified, he was completely indifferent and even shrugged his shoulders.3. The last time I was there, the shisha downright sucked.  I'll give them another try on this, because so far 50% of the time the shisha has been great.  It's also less expensive than other places as far as I can tell.  But the last time I was there they definitely hadn't cleaned out the pipe in between uses, which caused the flavor to be nearly disgusting.4. They have heat lamps outside on the Patio now.5.  Definitely open until at least 2am on weekend nights.I'll give Zenobia a few more tries... I mean, they've got a great location, the patio is nice, the food's nice.  But I hope they improve their shisha. Zenobia is a lounge, cafe, outdoor shisha bar, store, and Info Center (titled AIRC - Arab…

by Shuki L.

This place was amazing! When I came to DC to visit, my friend who lives here took me and I really enjoyed it. The people who work here couldn't be nicer, the environment is very chill (I went around 3pm on a Saturday), the tea was delicious and the hookah was great. If you're in the mood to relax and hang out while drinking real arabic tea and smoking really good hookah, definitely come here. I didn't have any of the food here, but my friend assures me that it's good. Next time I'm in DC you'll find me here!