Before you go, know this: the City of Toronto has banned hookah and waterpipe smoking — tobacco and herbal alike — in any establishment that's licensed or required to be licensed under Municipal Code Chapter 545, and that ban has been upheld in court. In plain terms, most shisha lounges operating inside Toronto's city limits are doing so in a legal grey area, and the city does close them down from time to time. None of that has stopped a real, active shisha scene from existing — it just means the experience is scrappier and less polished than what you'd find in a city like London, and it's worth reading the practical tips below before you pick a night out.
| Lounge | Area | Price per head (C$) | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Sea Shisha Lounge | Parliament St, Cabbagetown | ~C$10–20 | Consistently high ratings, cozy seating |
| Relax Shisha Lounge | Parliament St, Cabbagetown | ~C$10–20 | Afrobeat/Habesha music, owner-run hospitality |
| Ali Basha Cafe | Dundas St E, Downtown | ~C$9–18 | No-frills late-night cafe, open to 5am |
| Sultan Lounge | Dundas St W, Downtown | ~C$10–20 | DJ nights, Arabic lounge decor |
| Eden Lounge | Pharmacy Ave, Scarborough | Not published — call ahead | BYO food policy, Instagram booking |
| Cyan Cafe & Lounge | Yonge St, Richmond Hill (outside city limits) | ~C$10–22 | Full Middle Eastern menu, VIP booths, no city bylaw grey area |
Prices per head assume a hookah is typically shared between two to three people; they're estimates based on published hookah prices, not a fixed cover charge, and can move around depending on flavour and night. Always confirm on arrival.
1. Red Sea Shisha Lounge
Red Sea, at 460 Parliament Street, is one of the better-reviewed hookah spots in the city — 4.6 out of 5 on Restaurant Guru across 200+ reviews, with customers consistently calling out friendly staff and good value for the shisha quality. It's open long hours (2pm–2am most nights, later Fridays and Saturdays into the small hours) and keeps a low-key, cozy seating setup rather than a club atmosphere. This is a solid pick if you just want a proper hookah session without a lot of noise around it.
2. Relax Shisha Lounge
A few doors down at 326 Parliament Street, Relax is run by owners Jossi and Sami, and reviewers repeatedly single out how personally hospitable they are. Shisha runs around C$20, and the place leans into Afrobeat and Habesha music with a DJ picking things up on Friday and Saturday nights and long weekends. Reviewers do flag that ventilation can feel a bit tight on busier nights — worth knowing if you're sensitive to a smoky room.
3. Ali Basha Cafe
Ali Basha, at 147 Dundas Street East, is the classic no-frills downtown option — comfortable, worn-in seating, a regular shisha menu priced at C$17.99, and hours that run from 4pm right through to 5am. It's the kind of place people describe as feeling like a "home away from home" rather than a polished lounge, which is exactly its appeal if you want somewhere low-key to sit for a few hours.
4. Sultan Lounge
Sultan Lounge sits at 171 Dundas Street West, an unassuming downtown spot mixing traditional Middle Eastern decor with a more modern lounge feel. It draws a crowd for its Sunday DJ nights in particular, and reviewers consistently mention smooth, well-packed shisha and attentive service. Open into the early hours on weekends (up to 4am Thursday to Friday).
5. Eden Lounge
Eden Lounge, at 1800 Pharmacy Avenue in Scarborough, takes a different approach: it operates a bring-your-own-food policy, so you can grab takeout on the way or bring your own snacks rather than ordering from a kitchen. Hours run roughly 5pm–2am Sunday to Thursday and 5pm–3am on weekends, and groups are advised to book ahead through Instagram DM for prime slots. Scarborough is part of the amalgamated City of Toronto, so the same bylaw situation described below applies here too.
6. Cyan Cafe & Lounge
Cyan, at 9737 Yonge Street in Richmond Hill, is technically outside Toronto proper — and that matters, because it means it isn't subject to the City of Toronto's hookah bylaw at all. It's also just a genuinely more complete night out: a full Middle Eastern menu (fattoush, chicken tikka, mixed grills), VIP booths, bottle service, and hookah priced at C$19.95 for regular flavours or C$21.95 for house specials, with refills from C$9.45. If you want the closest thing to a proper restaurant-and-shisha evening in the GTA without wondering whether the place will still be open next month, this is it.
Practical Tips
The legal situation is genuinely complicated — read this before you book. Two separate rules apply in Ontario. Provincially, the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 bans smoking tobacco shisha in enclosed public places and workplaces, including patios — but it specifically does not restrict herbal (non-tobacco) shisha. On its own, that would leave room for a fairly normal herbal-shisha lounge scene. Toronto, however, goes further: Municipal Code Chapter 545 bans hookah or waterpipe smoking — tobacco or herbal — in any premises that's licensed or required to be licensed by the city, which covers essentially every bar, cafe and restaurant. A hookah lounge operator challenged this bylaw in court (2326169 Ontario Inc. v. City of Toronto) and lost; the ban was upheld. The City of Toronto's own public health division confirms it actively inspects and has shut down non-compliant lounges, and by its own count dozens of establishments across the city continue to allow hookah despite the rule, some mid-way through legal proceedings. In practice, this means: lounges inside Toronto's city limits (like the five downtown and Scarborough spots above) are operating in a grey area that the city periodically enforces against, so don't be shocked if a listed venue has closed, moved, or gone quiet by the time you visit — always check it's still open before heading out. Lounges just outside the city boundary, in municipalities like Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Mississauga or Markham, are not covered by Toronto's bylaw and operate on a more conventional footing. If you'd rather sidestep the uncertainty entirely, that's the safer bet.
Age requirement. Ontario's legal age for tobacco products is 19, and most lounges check ID and enforce a 19+ door policy regardless of whether the shisha on offer is tobacco or herbal — call ahead if you're unsure.
Tipping. Standard Canadian tipping norms apply: 15–20% on the bill is typical, and it's worth tipping a few dollars in cash directly to whoever changes your coals or refills your bowl if that's a separate person from your server.
Booking. Weekend nights, especially with a DJ, fill up fast at the smaller downtown spots — message ahead on Instagram or call, particularly for groups of four or more.
If this is your first time doing this at all, it's worth reading what to expect at a hookah lounge and what a hookah lounge actually is before you go, since etiquette (sharing mouthpieces, how flavours are ordered, how long a session runs) trips up a lot of first-timers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is shisha smoking actually legal in Toronto?
It's complicated. Herbal shisha is legal under provincial law, but the City of Toronto's own bylaw bans hookah smoking of any kind inside licensed premises within city limits, and that bylaw has been upheld in court. Lounges operating inside Toronto proper are doing so in a legal grey area that the city does enforce against; lounges just outside the city (like Richmond Hill) aren't affected by Toronto's rule at all.
Why do some Toronto shisha lounges close down or disappear?
Because of the bylaw situation above. Toronto Public Health inspects and has issued closure orders to non-compliant hookah venues, and while many continue operating regardless — sometimes while contesting charges — it does mean the scene is less stable than in cities where hookah lounges are fully legal. Confirm a venue is still open before you make plans around it.
How much should I budget for a night out?
Based on the lounges above, expect roughly C$10–22 per person for a shared hookah, plus whatever you eat or drink. Cyan Cafe in Richmond Hill runs closer to a full restaurant bill if you order from its Middle Eastern menu; the downtown spots are cheaper if you're just there for shisha.
Do I need to book ahead?
For a weeknight, usually not. For Friday or Saturday nights, especially anywhere with a DJ (Sultan Lounge, Relax Shisha Lounge) or for larger groups, message ahead — most of these places take bookings through Instagram or by phone rather than a formal reservation system.
For comparison, see how a fully legal, long-established hookah scene looks in our guide to the best shisha lounges in London.