Sands of Persia Lounge & Restaurant — Restaurant in New York

If you are looking for an elevated shisha experience with the most unique zero-proof drinks/ mocktails, this is your spot! Their desserts were to die for as well. My boyfriend and I walked in at 8, and stayed past 10:45PM. Time really flies here. Walking in the first thing you’ll notice is the upbeat songs. They even have a DJ booth in the back of the restaurant. When we got seated our server was extremely attentive and suggested a fruity and sweet shisha for us. We were clearly inexperience, but our server made us feel very comfortable. She suggested we try the Persian Gulf. “If you can smoke a passionfruit mojito, this will be it. Sweet and tangy with a icy refreshing kick at the end.” The description could not be more accurate. The sweet fruity flavor was genuinely good. I’ve been to other places before and I have to say, Sands of Persia is my absolute favorite. It was smooth and icy at the same time. You definitely feel that cooling affect. While we were inhaling and chatting it up, workers kept coming over to switch out our heated coals on the sisha bowl. They were super fast and efficient. You can tell the people they hired were either trained really well or had a lot of experience. We also ordered some drinks. SOP drinks are all special and unique. If you could just see the pictures of the cups and utensils they use to serve each drink, you would probably want one of each drink. My bf got the SOP Special Butterfly Lemonade. It is a perfect balance of sweet and sour, with a hint of fragrant lemon and aroma from the exotic blue butterfly pea plant. The drink was so pretty, it came with a mini red bedazzled pitcher to pour the lemonade in, to get the color changing affect from the butterfly pea flower. I got the Lindt Chocolate Shake. This high quality Swiss Chocolate blended together with premium ice cream for a rich and creamy iced cold beverage was an absolute treat. The cup was so unique designed, if you guys could seee how this was served. It was adorable! The shake was so creamy. If you love Lindt milk chocolate this is your drink! It’s a chocolate bliss. We couldn’t have drinks and shisha without food. They offer the most beautiful desserts here. We tried SOP Special Royal Cleopatra. This is a honey infused butter fried brioche , served with fresh fruits topped with vanilla ice cream and nuts! The dessert was super photogenic at all angles. The brioche was super sweet, it a way it reminds me of this Indian dessert we love, gulab jamun, but make it modernized. We also got the SOP Special Arabic Sand Coffee Persian Afogatto. To be honest when our server poured out the Arabic sand coffee, I thought she just boiled it somewhere to pour over my Ice cream. It turns out the coffee was heated up with sand like they do in Turkey. Apparently the owner bought the whole set from India. The whole experience was SO cool, I am usually not a coffee girl but tonight was an exception. I could have this dessert everyday. At 10:30PMf from Friday to Sunday, they have a belly dancer come in to dance. The woman they hired was extremely talented and nice. She performed three different dances and even tried to get the customers to get up to have fun. Everyone followed the flow of the music and got up to dance with her. She was so fun and seemed so carefree. Her performance was excellent! Overall, our experience exceeded our expectations. This is our FAVORITE shisha spot EVER. The flavors, the drinks, the food, everything was amazing! The prices are definitely on the more $$$ side, but we recommend going on the weekend late evenings so you can catch a belly...

A chill girls night out was the vibe originally-once we decided on Sands of Persia. Blown away the moment we walked in! WOW!!!! The lighting, atmosphere, music, beautiful seating and upscale lounge was impressive to say the least. We were greeted by Zoe, a tall, beautiful hostess with great energy showed us different seating areas, and gave us a thorough run through of the hookah & food options…. Of course we chose patio seating it was a burst of suspended florals, dim lighting, flatscreens, neons and nice sofas. Our server aka pure entertainment was B.West! He was so nice, so welcoming and was a whole vibe. He helped us choose the right flavor of Shisha and literally just hung out with us and made sure we were good and guided us on what foods to order based on our preferences. We really really liked him as well as each person who contributed to our experience. Originally we were only planning to stay out for a couple hours… but after the Belly dancer performed, the amazing service continued, Caribbean music was on point & a long lasting shisha (hookah) we stayed for over 4 hours. Even after we paid our tab, the service was still excellent! Moe ran next door to get us a to-go plate since they had just run out and we were stunned bc where else would you get that type of service!? Ray made sure our coals were swapped quite often and our convo was never interrupted by the process. Overall a PERFECT 10 out of 10 Experience. It’s now our go-to spot bc it’s never been hard to find a beautiful lounge in Queens… but the SERVICE on top of the atmosphere was second to none. By far my best experience at a lounge ever!!!!!! We will be back very soon! Thanks again Zoe, B.West, Moe & Ray! Don’t walk…RUN to Sands By Persia, it will...

Sands of Persia in Astoria is a true gem! It was recommended by my long-time beau, but I decided to visit solo to form my own unbiased opinion—and I was genuinely impressed. The decor and ambiance are absolutely stunning, creating a warm and inviting vibe the moment you walk in.

Ray greeted me right away and made sure I felt comfortable as a first-time guest. He was incredibly attentive and patient with all my questions. I was excited to try the Moroccan mint tea (a favorite of my beau’s), and it did not disappoint—smooth, aromatic, and beautifully presented in a gorgeous kettle with honey, sugar, and a cute little spoon.

I also gave their hookah a try and was blown away by how smooth it was. I usually avoid hookah because it makes me feel sick, but this one didn’t. It was well-presented, and the staff frequently replaced the coals without me needing to ask. Major points for their electronic system to call servers—it’s smart and super convenient.

The playlist featured Afrobeats, R&B, and nostalgic hits from the 90s to now, creating the perfect atmosphere before the late-night rush. A bellydancer even performed during my visit, which added a beautiful cultural touch.

The bathroom was clean and stocked, and I loved the bidet feature—something I appreciated even more after traveling to Qatar and Thailand. Only downside: I tried calling before arriving, but the phone line disconnected with no option to leave a message. Thankfully, the manager (Putra) was understanding and handled a small misunderstanding with great professionalism.

Parking isn't provided and street parking is competitive, so plan ahead. Expect to spend around $50 and up, but it’s worth every penny. I’ll...