Forget the overpriced, glossy hookah bars littered across the East Village. If you're serious about your shisha, the real experience is in Queens, at the Egyptian Coffee Shop. Located in the heart of the borough's Little Egypt, this place is about as close to an authentic shisha café as you're likely to find this side of the Atlantic. The clientele is mostly Middle Eastern and North African, and there's generally some backgammon, chess, or dominoes going on in the back. The decor skips the low lighting and over-upholstered couches of Manhattan lounges in favor of a plate-glass storefront and plastic chairs. But with authenticity also comes a great selection of teas, Egyptian coffee, and refreshing cold drinks like strawberry juice. The real draw, though—unless you're there for the Egyptian soap operas and soccer games in regular rotation on the television—is of course the wide selection of shisha, priced as low as $8 a pipe. 25-09 Steinway Street, Queens (11103)