Community Corner
Hookahing Happening at Kalypsos
Exotic flavors, impressive hookahs at Lake Anne restaurant.
Eash evening on the patio at at Lake Anne Plaza, people are hookahing. Sometimes just a couple, sometimes a whole table of friends, sharing conversation, coffee and a hookah.
Hookahing is an ancient social pastime in many countries and cultures where people get together to smoke hookah and discuss politics and local events.
“We’ve thought about doing hookah nights since we opened. Now that the weather is nice and we have our hookahs, we are ready to set customers up any evening.” said Andreas Socratous, manager at Kalypsos.
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While there are other hookah bars in Sterling and Falls Church, Kalypsos is the only place in the Reston area to offer hookah.
“This beautiful patio, on this beautiful plaza, on this beautiful lake -relax and enjoy it,” said Socratous, gesturing to Kalypsos' lakefront patio.
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Hookahs are water pipes with a smoke chamber, a bowl, a pipe and a hose. The specially made tobacco (shisha) is heated, and the smoke passes through water and is then drawn through a rubber hose to a mouthpiece.
A hookah is meant to be shared, and the smoking lasts for an hour to an hour and a half, in a relaxing, leisurely way. While the hookah smoke is cooled, and flavored, it is still tobacco smoke and the same warnings about smoking apply.
The tobacco in the hookahs at Kalypsos is “top-shelf,” says Socratous. The tobacco is flavored with fruits, spice, mint and combinations, some subtle, some stronger. On one recent evening, Kalypsos was offering Wild Berry Mint, Guava, Blue Mist, or Strawberry Daiquiri.
Kalypsos has 10 sets of beautiful hookahs. The smallest is designed for a pair of smokers; the largest can accommodate up to five or six smokers. The price for the first hookah is $15, and a refill is $10. The refill can be a different flavor from the first.
Kalypsos Sports Tavern has events every evening of the week from water pong to karaoke to live music. They are also looking forward to hosting a monthly OPAH Greek Night Kefi Party with belly dancers, Greek Bouzouki music - and hookahs.
