The mint lounge, London Road

Noticed this new venue is opening on the site of the old Terra Firma tile corner shop, near Barrys bar. Does anyone know anything about it ?

Looks very smart on the outside. While I initially thought that it had the look of a nightclub or a cocktail bar, someone in a nearby pub said that it was going to be run something along the lines of the nearby Dubai Cafe , so no alcohol , anyone shed any light - can there really be the demand for two such venues virtually side by side ? Granted the area is very cosmopolitan and they may just be responding to market forces , and everyone likes a choice of venues :-)

It may be another Shisha bar, Dubai cafe is a Shisha bar cafe place.....

During University term-time, it should do well. Dessert & Shisha bars are the latest craze to hit the cosmopolitan areas.

There's another in the same area on John Street, near the junction with Bramall Lane. There must be enough custom to support them.

I tried shisha in Kashmir, Libya and Tunisia, but I couldn't see the appeal. Maybe it's because I was still smoking cigarettes back then and the smoke from a shisha is very filtered and mild? I could hardly taste it.

How do the UK shisha cafes get around the smoking ban? Do they have open air shelters like pubs?

There's another in the same area on John Street, near the junction with Bramall Lane. There must be enough custom to support them.

 

I tried shisha in Kashmir, Libya and Tunisia, but I couldn't see the appeal. Maybe it's because I was still smoking cigarettes back then and the smoke from a shisha is very filtered and mild? I could hardly taste it.

 

How do the UK shisha cafes get around the smoking ban? Do they have open air shelters like pubs?

My mate has a Shisha bar down Attercliffe in the old station pub, traditional Shisha with coals is smoked outside in the beer garden and inside he has got E-Shisha that is a vapourising type Shisha head like this= http://www.nonsmokers.dk/en/e-hookahs-114/square-e-head-electronic-hookah-kit-p891...

My mate has a Shisha bar down Attercliffe in the old station pub, traditional Shisha with coals is smoked outside in the beer garden and inside he has got E-Shisha that is a vapourising type Shisha head like this= http://www.nonsmokers.dk/en/e-hookahs-114/square-e-head-electronic-hookah-kit-p891...

What's the point of an e-cig shisha? I's not water-filtered, so it's an e-cig dressed up to look like a shisha.

What's the point of an e-cig shisha? I's not water-filtered, so it's an e-cig dressed up to look like a shisha.

It is water filtered, only difference is that the tobacco smoke is replaced by e juice vapour. The e Shisha head is put on the hookah in place of the Shisha head.

---------- Post added 01-06-2016 at 01:01 ----------

All smoking and e-smoking should be band altogether it's bad for the enviroment and people and animal's

Why not go the whole hog and ban cars, lorrys, waste incinerator plants, bonfires etc etc as they are also bad for the environment and people and animals.

It is water filtered, only difference is that the tobacco smoke is replaced by e juice vapour. The e Shisha head is put on the hookah in place of the Shisha head.

e Shisha is terrible and a waste of money. Either Shisha with the coals or none!

e Shisha is terrible and a waste of money. Either Shisha with the coals or none!

I agree.........

well back to the topic of the venue ... I walked past it this morning and the windows have signs saying Mint Lounge is now open for business . Mind you me or my dog couldn't figure out one iota what its like on the inside since all the windows are smoked and thus blacked out - is this usual - whats that about ?

well back to the topic of the venue ... I walked past it this morning and the windows have signs saying Mint Lounge is now open for business . Mind you me or my dog couldn't figure out one iota what its like on the inside since all the windows are smoked and thus blacked out - is this usual - whats that about ?

 

A few pics of the interior on their Facebook page= https://www.facebook.com/mintloungeparis/

Mint is pretty good, although it gets raided regularly because it's technically illegal to sell shishas for consumption in an enclosed area. I get the impression they suck up the fine and just carry on. They have very good pipes and a good food menu too. Single flavours are £8, with mixed and specials going up to £15.

Breeze on John Street is technically the only legal place in town as it's smoking area is properly vented, but Breeze can be hit and miss in terms of customer experience; if the owner Sag is there you know it's going to be be good. If it's in the hands of his staff it can be less consistent. All shishas, irrespective of mixes, are £10 and they have a loyalty card which means you get a free shisha after buying five.

Abu Dhabi always seems quite full, but I've never ventured inside.

Dubai Cafe has recently been closed down by the authorities. The word on the street is that they got busted by the power people for illegally diverting power from a neighbour, or something like that. Either way, they won't be back.

Another shisha place opened on that part of London Road recently, above the original turkish supermarket place (can't remember its name offhand, but they recently opened a megastore on John street). it didnt last long though - it closed a month or so later, and it's reopened as a sports bar.