Nice post been coming here for years. But recently last two times there has been this really rude Russian older lady she is Georgian Ams just rude doing you a favor type server. Would rather not have her attend again!!! But the food always great, owner is nice as well. read more

See all

Amazing food and unique atmosphere. Great for a date or birthday. My fav place for many years! Great service as well Highly recommend! read more

Great hookah, great service, chill environment!! Try the steak salad! Highly recommend this spot!!!!

The place is great, not my first time coming there, so when my friend asked me the good spot for hookah smoking, I took him to the Tabu lounge without hesitation. Hookah is good, food and drinks good, the service was very disappointing. The waitress was rude! When we asked for the table on the back, they said it's only for big groups, but in 20 minutes they let some couple of 2 sit there, so what was so special about them? The waitress definitely had a kind of attitude read more

Tabu Lounge - Hookah Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

Service is terrible. The skinny man preparing the hookah asks my husband to smell the sheesha, husband says doesnt like the smell and asked for another, staff says "you dont want to smoke" with attitude. Before this, waitress wouldnt let us sit in a table in the back bc only for large groups. But there was another couple of 2 pple there on a tuesday night. Its not busy at all read more

Walked in, sat down. Was told only cash or zelle which is ok. I asked how much was a flavor, $50. I walked out. Way too much for one hookah. Vibe seems nice though if youre willing to pay. read more

Absolutely spectacular experience dining at Tabu lounge. To begin with, we did not have plans for the night. All we knew was: we wanted to go out for dinner and we wanted to stay in the area. As you may know, the area does not offer that many nice places to go for dinner, everything is pretty old school. A friend who lives in the neighborhood recommended that we check out Tabu, and that was absolutely beyond our expectations!  AMBIENCE It was a Sunday night, so it was not too busy. The hostess offered us a few seats to choose from, and we had a very intimate table. The tables are not too close to each other, which makes it very comfortable to have a conversation and not feel like a table on the right / left is listening to you. Also, it smells really good inside the restaurant and the music is ambient / chill house. They also have a private space for bigger companies.  Lastly, it is important to note that they have hookah, for a reasonable price.  FOOD  We had zero expectations for the food, but that was absolutely unexpectedly amazing! Their sushis are something magnificent and mouthwatering. We initially ordered two rolls, but we could not stop and we had to try every roll on the menu (sorry I did not take as many pictures I was too busy enjoying it :) )! Guys, I've tried many sushi in NY, in a few best restaurants and Tabu easily falls in my top 3 sushi places! Obviously, we were so full by the end of the night that we only ordered one dessert to share and that did not disappoint as well.  SERVICE Everyone was super nice and welcoming. We didn't have any issues. Our waiter was extremely nice and at the end of our night he brought us some complimentary champagne! Also, as we found out Tabu is a family business and it's been here for the last 22 years, maybe that explains the food and overall quality of the place.   We highly recommend visiting this place if you live or end up in the neighborhood! read more

See all

Was about to try this restaurant taking my special someone out...but I quickly realized that this place may not be so welcoming towards the black community...the place looked so we asked if it was open...the response we got was insane he asked why do we want to know...I automatically felt my skin color was an issue alot of times people read into things but was straight forward...so I'll be sure to never ever recommend this place to anyone regardless of race...my money will serve me much better in another establishment... read more

An amazing placing if you want to relax and have a good time. I've been here a couple of time and the service is great. Highly recommend for a chill night out. read more

Friendly and cozy atmosphere ! its a very unique place that makes you feel like home. The staff is friendly, the food is tasty and barman Yasha is mixing great interesting drinks) read more

Price is affordable .Ambiance is great! Peaceful and very calm.Nice decoration My new fav hookah place. read more

It's a great place they even have dark side for hookah and major plus they have a secluded cave room. Just one major minus is the only accept cash. A bit pricey, salads are amazing. read more

My friends and I went to tabu on the weekend for few drinks, we were seating by the bar.  I will highly recommend the SUSHI, very fresh and very good one of the the best Sushi and rolls In town. The drinks and  the hookah  was also good. I think the drinks a little over priced  (but they were good)  However the bartender TATYANA wasn't  as  professional, ( if you don't have anything smart to say Don't open your mouth )!!!. Every thing was great till the end of the night, She said something really inappropriate to one my friend, and this runes the night.  My friend  should say something, but he just paid  the  bill and left :( .  Something to the Owner of Tabu :  The Bill :, why won't you use the computer to print the bill ?!,   (the menu not cheap at all,  you  can afford to buy a computer.  Come on..... It is 21th century......  Why do I need to spend my time trying understand what I got charged for,  and spend my time calculate the bill make sure the the bartender didn't  try to rip me... ( a special if the bill over $300) BTW  they charge  $2 for extra Cole for hookah... ( nowear on the menu mentioned about that). I never got charged any extra for the Cole, it a part of the service..... Unfortunately I had more bad experience then good, but it's just me. read more

Tabu Lounge - Sushi, good size and fresh - Hookah Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Loved this place!! The food is DELICIOUS and the drinks are great. The vibes are really romantic, with a dim candle lit setting. The place smells of fruity hooka and has an old vintage look. The seating is really comfy among - red and brown cushiony couches. Prices are pretty reasonable. Highly recommend! read more

See all

The BEST food experience I've had in a while! Seriously the food is on another level as well as the drinks , highly recommend! read more

I literally stumbled upon this place after 10 years working in the neighborhood. I was very pleasantly surprised to find such a gem in the sheepsheadbay area, great atmosphere, delicious drinks, and amazing food. Bartender very friendly and fluent in drink varieties. Atmosphere is chill from opening at 6pm and picks up around midnight, tuna tartare tacos with tempura to die for. read more

See all

This place never ever fails to delight me and my quest for the most amazing hookah ever. We sat in the private room in the back which was totally amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a little privacy or just a change of scenery if u visit this place a lot. I would also recommend it for birthday parties as it is very spacious and totally comfortable. And no, you do not become out of sight out of mind when you're back there, the girls are just as attentive, actually maybe more so. Peach hookah with milk still amazing, and tabu roll is totally awesome. Bonus point too, they are open really late. Worth the drive every single time read more

Place is pretty quite and cozy. Good to come with your better half to spend time. As for me hookah is so-so, really nothing special. I had a vapor with me, and they did not let me smoke it. They do not accept Discover Cards. Not a big deal, but tell it in advance or have some poster about payment options. read more

Advice to come here, be Slavic, that is all. Very Russian spot, not woke or progressive. If you know the rules, you'll be fine. Don't be loud or a dick, one guess as to who probably owns the spot. read more

Good service, fantastic chill music..., Lived the aquarium, makes me super relaxed.... read more

Tabu Lounge - Relaxing!! - Hookah Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

Very strong drinks, a nice, quiet atmosphere. Gets popular on fri-sat nights with larger crowds of Russians from the area. Sadly, quite a huge pity that poor service makes for a bad review. A tip should be an optional reward for good service -- if you are treated nicely and are served well, a tip should attest to that. However, my party was forced to pay a mandatory 15% tip on the bill because 4 people came into the restaurant. Two of the four people quickly left as they had just come in for a few minutes, and only two remained. These two were forced to pay a gratuity for four people, and the management refused to have the tip removed from the bill. Simply uncomfortable and frankly not a nice way to run a business when you are forcing your customers to tip and refusing to understand that those two other individuals weren't even served to begin with. On top of that, they wanted us to give a credit card and an ID since we didn't have the cash to pay that added gratuity -- we always tip, but this was simply discomforting and their nastiness and unwillingness to understand the situation made for a poor experience. They demand ID to pay with any card, they add a mandatory tip, and they are rude. Will not return. read more

Wow I was so skeptical about this place but I still decided to give it a try and I'm happy I did. Outside didn't look pretty but once I opened the door I was blown away. I went on a Monday night around 1am and was seated all the way in the back near the fireplace. They have a private section in the back that was great and hidden. Decor: very romantic and intimate. The Buddha theme is beautiful. Very clean, modern, with open space. The pictures don't do this place justice. Service: our waiter name was Adam and Sage (I hope I spelled that right) They were very nice and attentive. Sage memory is on point because we ordered a lot of food. Service time was good and I think it's due to the time we went as well. But overall they made sure to check on us. Music: smooth romantic instrumental music. Very calm, wish the music was different with a mix of everything.I recommend the owner to look into that. Food: Wow the spicy tuna chips are to die for. The tuna was super fresh and was amazing. The miso soup was great. Mozzarella sticks were good too. Fries I recommend. Chicken wings were good (I suggest more flavor wings) Crab ravioli was great. I can't complain about the food. FYI it's tapas by the way. Drinks: drinks were strong and good. I had wine and martinis. Great blend Hookah: We ordered mint with milk it was ok but the passion fruit with water was amazing. The hookah didn't give me a headache and it was pretty strong. I highly recommend this place on a chill night out.and this makes a great date night. happy I went and will be back soon. read more

I have went here several times with my friends, so I believe I have went often enough to write a comprehensive review. I write my reviews with regard to price and service relative to similar establishments, and having been to dozens of hookah bars in NYC, I can objectively review this place with regard to its ambiance, service, quality and overall feel. My friend said he liked this place so I went with him and several others on three occasions, so my review is not based on one bad experience, but a consistent level of service (or disservice) on the restaurant's part. The Good: The ambiance in this place is very nice. The decorations are of an eclectic, near-east style and the level of darkness is just right to make for a pleasing environment where one can relax and smoke hookah. The music is also pleasant as well. This is not a hookah bar that caters to adolescents where loud top-40 hits are blasting over the speaker, but a place with a more adult demographic. The Bad: Where should I start? The staff are very strict when it comes to bringing in outside food or beverages. Even a bottle of water is off limits. This would make sense, since the restaurant wants you to buy their own drinks, however their drinks are not only overpriced for this neighborhood and level of establishment, but also poor in quality. I tried two mixed drinks, a rum and coke and a margarita, both of which were extremely diluted. Needless to say, the bartender did not receive a tip for either. The hookah is of average quality, both in taste and longevity, but the price is extremely high with regard to its competitors. A standard hookah is $20, a milk hookah is $35. In addition to the astronomical hookah prices for an average product, there is a $3 surcharge for each time the coals are replaced. $3 added to your bill for a service that is included in every single hookah bar I've been to. This is the equivalent of buying a milkshake and then having a $2 surcharge for a spoon or straw. You cannot get the full value of a hookah without changing the coals at least twice, so this is the equivalent of $26 for a regular hookah, and $41 for a milk one. There is nothing special about the hookah itself, in fact, it is rather small and not at all ornate. The staff are very rude and entitled. Although I am fluent in Russian, my English does not carry an accent, so I never speak Russian in these establishments to get a better idea of who these staff really are, because coming from south Brooklyn, I have had my fair share of rude and entitled Russian waitstaff who barely work, but expect a lot. This place is no different. I had found that the staff were unusually slow at bringing me my order and of course the tip is included into the bill, which does nothing but enrage the customer, as this is generally a practice reserved for parties of six or more. The comments (in Russian) that the servers make to other servers regarding certain customers are also rather unprofessional, and would result in termination should one of the customers complain at any upstanding establishment that is. Out of the three times I went to this place, I found that the bill was inconsistent with regard to the items ordered. It seems as though higher prices were being charged arbitrarily for the same items depending on which day you go, with the hookah costing anywhere from $24 in total to $28 in total, for the same number of coal replacements. Overall: I will likely never be coming back here. The great decor and music do very little to ameliorate the poor service, high prices and ridiculous overcharging. Coming here has left a bad taste in my mouth, and knowing that this is not simply an isolated incident prompted me to publicize this information. People who consider this place excellent would do well to develop some perspective as far as other, truly reputable establishments are. There are much better hookah bars in this area of Brooklyn. Note: I had not tried the food because I don't typically order food in hookah bars, but my friend had their sushi and told me that it was disgusting. My friend has been to at least 40 sushi joints around the city so I am inclined to trust him on this one. read more

It's a beautiful place with a lot of potential to become a hot spot in bland neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay, but I don't think they are trying hard enough. It looks Asian, judging from the menu (all kinds of rolls) and huge Buddha in the back, but I didn't see a single Asian person in there. It made me wondering who's cooking? I choose my places to go to based on the decor first. I want sexy, I want cozy.. I heard about Cafe Tabu from a friend who described it as a gem and something unbelievable. She got me really excited. Especially that it's an Asian spot with.. hookah?! What a combination! I decided to give it a try, bored of always going to the same places and seeing same people. Still.. decided to do my research first to be ready. I couldn't find any pictures of Cafe Tabu on Yelp, and I don't think they have a website, what?! Anyway, I'm a risk taker! lol Saturday night I gave a taxi driver the address and just went for it, ready to be either a total disaster or a pleasant surprise. The place wasn't hard to find, but so dark from outside I thought it was closed. And Ladies, if you are wearing high heels, watch out, it gets tricky to get from the door to the main room lol. It's like being a part of Wiped Out show, but without getting dirty and with a happy ending on a comfy couch. Whoopsis! I almost wrote coach, which wouldn't be so bad either, if there was one lol. OK, maybe my imagination took me little too far, but it's so dark inside, watch your step! No wonder I couldn't find any pictures of the place! It's simply impossible to take one, unless you bring entire professional photo shoot crew on a date with you! lol Seriously, I even used my cell phone to read the menu! And when I looked around I noticed I wasn't the only one. Where's the management? Can't you see what people are forced to do?! I attempted to take pictures, no such luck. And I started asking myself, why would you spend your time and money to decorate the place and then hide it?! Usually people dim lights to cover imperfections or.. dirt. Would this be the issue? Get with it! The wall with built in aquarium needs couple sconces! Simple! I ordered plum wine, Hubby got Cabernet and hookah. I don't smoke, but he said it was good. And just so you know he's picky when it comes to his hookah (rolling my eyes lol). He was happy with it. It was 20$. Asked for another coal, no problem, got it. Wine was under 10$ and it was decent selection, no complaints. We were hungry, but got only dessert, fried banana, which was funny decorated, lots of whipped cream and chocolate syrup. It was good. Got dinner at the French restaurant two blocks away. Waitress.. I will try to be gentle.. lol If people tell you that everybody can do waitressing job, they don't know what they are talking about! How about little personality? Smile? Or at least one "how's everything?" Is it really that hard? Unless you own this place and don't give a crap lol. Get a Red Bull and pretend you are fortunate to have a job. Like I always say: they are lucky I have a sense of humor and turn everything into a joke. I would go back, because place is impressive. Love the decor! Lots of pillows, candles, Moroccan and Asian decorations on walls. Perfect for a romantic date and little squeeze. Or even something little more, because it's so damn dark in there! Please make it more authentic. I understand it's a Russian neighborhood, but there is so many people out there looking for work and this is America. Hearing staff constantly speaking Russian makes me snap out of my dream. Find somebody who cares, blends in, dress your staff better and teach them about customer service, please, I'm paying for it. OH WAIT! THEY DON'T GIVE YOU CHOICE, TIP IS INCLUDED LOL. read more

Tabu Lounge - Glass of plum wine @ Cafe Tabu - Hookah Bars Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The staff there are so rude, and act like they are the hottest shit in town. They automatically add 15% tip to your tab, therefore the service is terrible. Decor is good-but very snobby. read more

Fun place for hookah! It has great couches and padded ottomans to sit on while you smoke with about 3 dozen flavors of tobacco to choose from. You can also mix two flavors (we did coffee and vanilla mixed). They also have choices of what liquid to put in the bottom of the hookah (water, milk, wine or cognac). It's about $25 for the water and additional $$ for the other options. The cons - the place is almost pitch black! We had to use the light of our cell phones just to read the menu. The drink and food options are definitely on the pricey side and not worth it in my opinion. You only get one hose with the hookah, so if you have a few people in your party you can't smoke at the same time - BOO. On the pricey side for Sheepshead Bay but a good go-to spot if you're looking for something in the neighborhood. read more

Probably my favorite hookah bar in Brooklyn, and it's pretty hidden too. The crowd isn't so great but if you're there with friends then that doesn't matter too much. The hookah is great and the food (sushi) is even better... a hidden gem considering the neighborhood. The truth is, the sushi at tabu is amazing. read more

Never knew there was a place that had hookahs so close towhere I live. Although, don't think I've ever actually looked for one :) Nice place with a relaxed atmosphere. Long list of martinis, which is always a plus, but quality is just a bit above average. Sushi was pretty good. Overall, don't know if I would come here on a weekend, but a great place to relax and have a few drinks during the week. read more

This place is a local neighborhood star. I walked in here with my wife and was amazing by the level of service by their bartender "tatyanna" and the sushi. Where did they find this sushi man, I've never had a roll or sashimi as amazing as this place. This is really the place to go to! read more

See all

This quiet little place is a beautiful hidden gem. My wife and I come here at times as a quick getaway. The cocktails are amazing. The hookah is awesome. And the sushi is always great. BEWARE. .. It gets pretty packed on weekend nights. read more

Ambiance = beautiful, cozy , loungy, comfortable Service = horrible, lady was nice though, however , they are scammers and will charge you extra for everything such as if you want to refill your coal is extra 2 dollars in which was not stated on the menu , so they like to falsely advertise what they sell Calamari= was pretty decent Prices = manhattan prices .. Overcharge for that dumb location Overall = highly won't recommend this place , and this place is indeed trash. Customers are not their priorities however, money and cost is their priority. This business won't last long if they keep treating their customers like garbage. read more

I've asked the waitress for a cocktail, and she brought me the incorrect cocktail. When told her this, she refused to correct the order. Cheapskates. read more

The room-too dark,dangerous to walk cause you have to watch your step(and you cant lol) The music-baaaad(though it was Wednesday when we were there so maybe that saves them from this complain) Waitress's felt like she is doing us a favor Menu-cant say too much cause we tried so hard to read it and i gave up on food i just ordered a drink. read more

This place was such an upsetting experience, staff super rude, overall vibe is negative :( we were just looking to have a good time with a few friends and left beyond disappointed. unfortunate,. read more

Love it on Thursday and Wednesday nights when the bosses son is there he is super nice and a better drink giver then one of the female bar tenders.. But one has open up to me bc she sees I've been gong there fire ouvre 7yrs finally. . Anyway the owner knows me since me dating my Russian bf a few years back before he moved back to Russia so he always hands me a complimentary shot. .. sexy black girl can hang with the rouskies;).. As for the food Omg! The food. .Amazing. . The food alone gets 5stars the service 5 stars the atmosphere 5 stars love this place read more

I absolutely love this place. If you want to end up with no shame next morning Always go for strawberry mojito then. Food and drinks are just amazing. The place is kinda dark which I find extremely cozy. Our server was super nice and friendly. Perfect place for date night. read more

My stomping grounds. A neighborhood gem for good drinks and an elegant environment to take a date. Glad they're still open after all the years. read more

Overpriced for what you get. This place just isn't worth the price at all. The hookah burns out and doesn't get watched by the waitress. The hookahs were not really set up correctly and seemed heated in my opinion. I really wish that they had replaced it or checked up on us once in a while. I couldn't see anything inside. It's also a bit pricey, definitely not the place for me. read more

Service - bad. Need to ask for everything twice. Too dark. You can barely read the menu. When they bring you the check, you can't see what you ordered, just the total price + with automatically added tip hidden inside (who knows how many percent?) Paying with debit/credit? Prepare to give them your ID with the card. Never again... read more

The place is quiet and beautiful, However, hookah is about nothing.Food is good but too expensive.