Gypsy Cafe

Have been to many of the Hookah bars in Ohio but this one take the prize for being the worst. The place was disgusting everything was beyond dirty the pipes haven’t been cleaned in years. The people there were all the wonderful «We hate America» group it should be more like «We Hate taking a Shower» group.

Gypsy Café is how I usually end a fun night out in the arena district/​short north. The service is great, the owner usually pops up every now and then to check up on things. It’s street parking but since I usually arrive past 10 pm, all the meters are free. The ambiance is laid back and cozy, quite welcoming whether it’s your first time there or if you’re a regular. Not too loud, you can hold conversations with your friends and relax after a wild night. The prices are fair for your hookah, they also serve some food and drinks, no alcohol though. The seating arrangements are interesting, different areas to sit depending on how big your group is. Great place to check out!

Just a typical hookah place (NOT A BAR) in the area of the Short North. The prices were fair, and I think maybe even a little cheaper than other hookah places in the area. But maybe that’s because they don’t serve any alcohol, only turkish coffee drinks or something. I really found it sad they weren’t serving any alcohol because that is what i was hankering for that night. Oh well, I survived. The flavor list was a little short in my opinion, and then later on when i tried it I found the flavor weak. Likely will not be bad, since there was not anything special or unique to this place.

Oh god oh god! Fate is playing against us every time we try a hookah place. Why is it so hard to find a nice hookah place in Columbus???
Epic flavor failure… It’s just smoke generating pipe. No kick in it and almost nil flavor. Though the place looks good from outside, nothing much inside.
I don’t even know why I write a review for these kinda places.

Do not go here. I am a disabled veteran with a service dog. The «owner» refused me service in violation of Federal Law. Complaint of discrimination will be filed with dept of justice. Nice to see this is how they treat veterans in this town.

Hookah past midnight on my first night in Columbus. Should be a receipt for success. Sadly it was just barely satisfying at the Gypsy Café.
The environment inside definitely reminds me of someone’s basement. Clouds of smoke everywhere with the ever tantalizing smell of flavored tobacco filling every inch of your body. On a decently busy Saturday night, we got our hookah on but were a bit taken back by one policy:
** Three (3) person max per hookah. If there’s anyone else in your party, you’re required to purchase another one. **
Not that it’s expensive or anything (for $ 12-​$ 15 a hookah, it’s not a bad deal), but the fact that you need to buy another one if you have more than three people was a buzz kill. We only wanted to really do hookah for a little bit, and eventually people in our group started leaving before it even came out.
Once it was down to just four of us, one of my friends insisted she would not smoke and we tried to get a refund for the second one. Nonetheless, it wasn’t allowed so our friend decided to leave early so that the three remaining groupies could enjoy their minty hookah. Pretty bummed it happened but it was the policy.
Other than that (and the fact that the hookah took a long time to come out), it was a cool, laid back time for all of us. Didn’t try any of the drinks but for sure will grab one if we do decide to return.

First time back here since their renovation. It’s nice, but I miss the river in the floor. Well lit and some new furniture… It’s a little porn studio feel. We frequent Shi-​Sha, which is our favorite, but this is what is needed in the Short North.

I like Gypy’s very much, but it is often over crowded because of how small it is. There is also no apparently ventilation system so smoke literally billows in the building.
The hookahs made however are very good and last a long time. And I HIGHLY recommend the chai tea, it’s the best!

Fast, not too expensive. Ran out of smoke pretty quickly. Not a lot of seating.

A friend and I stopped in here for a hookah after dinner one night. Cozy place. The person who helped us was attentive and friendly. Would definitely recommend!

My favorite Columbus hookah spot… perhaps I’m a little biased because I’ve grown to get to know the staff. TRY THE CHAI TEA! Very laid back atmosphere. weekdays and nights anyhow. Saturday nights after the bars, this has become the place to be. They play a variety of music. Most hookah spots in Columbus that I’ve visited seems to lean towards traditional Arabic music while Gypsy tends to play anything from hip hop to EDM to top 40. I prefer their hookahs to most others… and they’re generous with the coals. Did I mention, TRY THE CHAI TEA?! :)

I’m not quite sure why some friends in college loved this place, because the one time I went, I wasn’t too impressed.
I know most hookah lounges are supposed to mimic a stoner’s basement, but this place is downright dingy. I came in here with a group of friends after attending an event at a bar up the street, and there wasn’t a decent place for us to sit and share our two hookahs without having to get up and trip over each other. I was half-​expecting to see some roaches or a rat the whole time we were there.
On the upside, it’s pretty cheap and the flavors are really nice. I’d still rather go to the Shi-​sha, whether I’m going solo, with my partner, or with a group. Definitely not coming back.

I enjoyed the laid back ambience of Gypsy’s. The music playing has good variety (it was a 90’s binge, when we were there), and not so loud that you can’t carry on a conversation. Their seating arrangement encourages communal conversation, loved that. You get your money’s worth here. Three coals for $ 11 — split it 3 ways, and you’ve got it made! You could spend the entire night inside smoking. The service was fast (the hookah, that is), and the flavor was decent. The people kept a good eye, and where always prompt to change the coal.
A friend also ordered a ginger cardamom tea and WOW — it was extremely tasty! It was a perfect amount of ginger — sweet and flavorful, and left a spicey taste in the back of your throat. On the flip side, we sat for a good 30 minutes before it was brought out. Apparently their tea-​boiler-​doohickey was broke, so they had to do it on the stove, and this takes way longer, but the lady failed to tell us this until after we had to ask about the wait.

Ah, Gypsy. I knew it wouldn’t be long before I checked you out again. And you didn’t disappoint.
Gypsy comes the closest to excellence out of any hookah bar in Columbus. It scores the highest in ambience, hit, and service; minimizing the impact of the weaker flavor.
I had a strawberry hookah. The hookah was delivered promptly, within 5 minutes, and within the first few puffs, I felt the hit. This is much quicker than any of the other hookah places in town, where you have to strain for a while like you’re siphoning liquid from a chunky milkshake. Although the flavor started average and got weaker, the service showed great attention to detail, with the attendant re-​filling the coal at optimal times, noticing when my friend got up to move the coal and asking if she needed help, and even noticing that I’d errantly left my car’s headlights on and asking me if that was my car. The place was busy at the time, so it was impressive.
There is electronica and jazz music in the background, and the seating is set up for mingling as well as solitary contemplation, depending on your preference; no «ownership society”-style single tables here to isolate yourself with. The décor is stylish, with lights resembling upside-​down tulips hanging from the ceiling.
Although their hookahs are a little more expensive at $ 11 a pop, the whole experience is worth it, especially if you want the option. In basketball, there is the «triple threat» position: you can drive, step back and shoot the ball, or pass to a teammate, so the defender has to give you great latitude. Gypsy puts you in that position: you can sit back and think, you can mingle with fellow smokers, or you can continue your socializing elsewhere without having missed a beat!

There are plenty of hookah bars around town to choice from. It actually almost seems there is a hookah bar around every corner you turn but none of them are as unique as Gypsy Café located in the heart of the Short North. It is rather small and narrow with a Middle Eastern décor playing groovy Middle Eastern instrumentals tracks in the background. It attracts the 21−35yr crowd from the near by campus short north and as far as the north side of Columbus. One thing you have to admire about it is that it is next door to a gay bar. I’m not gay nor do I mind people that are, but this show’s me that before I walk in the door what to expect a very diverse crowd and unique experience. I never smoked a hookah before my friend dragged me out to the Gypsy and I’m so glad he did. There are numerous tasty flavors to select from so you won’t have a problem finding a flavor you enjoy.
It is a family owned business, owned by two brothers and ran by the younger siblings. So it does have that mom and pop business feel to it, they always recognize a face and great you with a smile not to forget they are all converse about any subject and insightful. And if you are the type that simply doesn’t smoke hookahs then there selection of fair trade coffee, tea, cappuccino or small snack may suite you. I preferred going there early in the night because the crowd pick up as the hours pass. Ohh yeah they are open till 4am so even after a night out Gypsy could be an option for some night owls.

This is my favorite hookah bar in Columbus. It was my go-​to spot in college to socialize or study and smoke. They have a great variety of flavors of tobacco and the friendly folks working here are very good about changing out coals promptly for optimal hookah-​age. They used to have my favorite hummus in town, but I believe new indoor smoking laws have stopped them from selling most non-​tobacco related products (but I didn’t check last time I went.)
It’s very cozy inside and almost never crowded on the weekdays — the weekends are usually a different story though. It’s simply too small to accomodate a Friday night crowd, but Shisha and 1001 Nights aren’t much bigger, and they’re usually more crowded. And less fun.

This hookah café is fantastic, I might enjoy the atmosphere at Shisha a little better but like Steve B. said, only by a hair.
The one thing which is off the hook at Gypsy is their Chai tea… let me just say it is the best thing I have ever tasted. It took them 20 minutes to make which is the first sign that the sea is going to be spectacular… it’s rich, creamy, and fairly sweet… You know how they say babies are addicted to mothers milk, well this is the adult version of the same addiction.
Does anyone know how they make their Chai tea??? Is there condensed milk in there? I would love to know because unfortunately I no longer live in cbus and want to replicate the same holy goodness.

I really enjoyed my time here at Gypsy Café. Stopping in because my boyfriends friend dates the owner I feel like I got an inside scoop on how this place works. Gypsy Café is of course smokey. How you can smoke a Hookah inside but not a cigarette is still something to ponder. However, Hookah smoking is much more cool and not as stinky. We chose a raspberry tobacco to smoke as it came highly recommended from the owner. Sitting down three of us in a semi circle the technique was explained and the smoking began. Completely different from normal tobacco this smoke was delicious and gave a nice little buzz of its own. We branched out and tried two more different blends, but the raspberry was definitely the winner. Its taste was as advertised and super fun smoked out of the intricate pipe. I have to admit the experience was relaxing. It felt very decadent to lay back on the plush couch and just chill. Gypsy café pleased the smoker in me and the nonsmoker that is my boyfriend. We had an excellent time and will be stopping back here again. If you are looking for a fun way to relax and inhale, this is your thing.