Taj Hotel, St James’ Courtyard Shisha Lounge review

The summer sees the launch of the new exclusive outdoor shisha lounge situated at St James’ Court, Taj Hotel.

On entering, it’s hard not to be taken back by the beauty of the Courtyard, from its Victorian fountain, to contrasting orange bricks against the blue and green tiles. You could easily be forgiven for feeling like you’re on holiday.

Nestled on one side is the shisha lounge, with seating ranging for just one person to small groups, we made ourselves comfortable on the sofa.  First the shisha menu, with four flavors available (mint, watermelon, blueberry and apple), we started deliberating which one to go for. My friend is an avid regular for apple and mint, however I have always found it too harsh. A favorite of mine is watermelon and mint, however after smelling the blueberry, we decided to give that a try, along with mint, and some watermelon.  It was a good combination, we could taste the flavor, which was stronger than expected, however it felt light enough, allowing us to sit back and enjoy.

Good shisha deserves good food. Since updating their courtyard offering, The Taj had also introduced a shisha menu. From biryani, to shish taouk accompanied by tzatziki, tabbouleh, along with drinks, there are number of dishes available to try, as well as salads and yes, baba ganoush (a smoked aubergine starter, ideal for nibbling).

Food lovers will be glad to hear each main on the menu comes in a decent size portion, and is pretty filling. The staff were friendly and attentive.  Throughout our experience, we felt like we were elsewhere, away from the stresses of London city life. This destination is the ideal place to relax and unwind. 

Open from midday to 10pm, a shisha pipe shared between two costs £60.

Website: https://www.stjamescourthotel.co.uk/dine/courtyard/

Written by: Hena Husain