Cleopatra Hookah
and Coffee Lounge
732 Broughton St.
Victoria, BC
(250) 590-7240

E: Very rarely will I ever have the eyes of a hawk and spot a new establishment offering, of all things, something Egyptian.

James and I were leaving the downtown library when the arms of Cleopatra embraced me. Like Marc Anthony, I was drawn to her mystique, and this shop offered more than just coffee.

J: Cleopatra must like to leave furniture in places customers least expect. I was soon to learn this after almost tripping over a foot stool as I entered. The place was cluttered but the decor of red painted background with framed Egyptian art on papyrus was a nice touch.

E: Leave it up to James to ruin the moment. Yes, he is a clumsy one. I deftly avoided tripping over anything, and the place was quiet.

The owner was present and we chatted for a bit so I could learn more about what this place offers—namely what flavours of tobacco are offered. While I’m no smoker, I’m always open to learning what options are available in order to report about it.

At this establishment, some ethnic deserts are offered on Fridays and Saturdays when the place is busier. But we were here on a Tuesday afternoon. I settled for sampling something non-Egyptian.

I got a chance to try Turkish Coffee. And whoa, that helped clear any trace of alcohol from the Tyskie beer I had earlier that day. The coffee was strong, and I was taught some of the finer points of how to drink this waker-upper. Now if Cleopatra was truly around, something else might have gotten aroused.

The name of this establishment is more of a tease to draw the curious in. Sadly, the ancient Egypt I so fondly love will never regain its glory since it’s been conquered by many a nation during its long history.

J: In addition to Ed’s Encyclopedia Britannica entry above, I must add that the hot chocolate I drank was made from syrup right in the shop. It was just within that border of sweetness before one would feel sickeningly so. I liked it. Would added whip cream send me to the moon or would I be kicked if I asked for mini-marshmallows? Perhaps on our next visit,

Two Hungry Blokes sampling Cleopatra’s desert treats and smoking pipes wouldn’t be an impossibility. Perhaps then Ed and I would consider ourselves happy hookas.