Best Shisha in Kota Kinabalu: 7 Top Hookah Bars in Sabah

Shisha in Kota Kinabalu runs on two tracks. The first is the Waterfront on Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens, where bars pass hookahs between tables of beer and live music until 2am.

The second is the Kepayan and Aeropod belt south of the city, where Egyptian and Yemeni restaurants serve shisha alongside mandi and kebab, and a shisha lounge Kota Kinabalu regulars have taken to has opened above the SOVO blocks. This guide lists seven places, with hours and contact details.

Table of Contents

Eden Shisha Bar and Lounge, Aeropod

Eden is the closest thing to a dedicated hookah bar Kota Kinabalu has. It is on Level 3A of Block K at Aeropod Phase 2A, a few minutes from the airport, with a dark lounge room, long sofas, hanging plants and music low enough to talk over.

It is the best shisha in Kota Kinabalu for anyone who wants the pipe to be the point of the evening, not an add-on to drinks. Closed on Tuesdays.

Address: Level 3A, Block K, Aeropod Phase 2A, 88200 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Opening hours: 5pm to 2am, Wednesday to Monday. Closed Tuesday
Prices: about RM20 to RM40 per person
Contact number: +6012-407 9912

Zahra Tent Healing Cafe, Sembulan

Zahra Tent is an open-air tent at Grace Point Food Court on Jalan Sembulan, a short drive from the State Mosque.

Camping chairs, string lights and a busking corner make it the most casual shisha cafe KK has, and the crowd is mostly local groups who come for the live acoustic sets that run from around 8pm on weekends.

Prices are low and the tent stays open until 2am. Go on a dry night, since it is outdoors.

Address: Grace Point Food Court, Jalan Sembulan, Grace Garden, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Opening hours: 5pm to 2am. Closed on Wednesday
Prices: about RM20 to RM40 per person
Contact number: +6012-809 3055

10 ‘N GO Egyptian Restaurant, Kepayan

10 ‘N GO opened in 2021 as the first Egyptian restaurant in Sabah, run by a husband-and-wife team at 88 Marketplace in Kepayan. The shisha pipes line the front counter, flavours are listed on a board, and the mixed grill platters are the right thing to share while a bowl burns down.

This is a family restaurant first, so the mood is daytime bright with outdoor tables. It closes at 10pm, which makes it a dinner-and-shisha stop, not a late one.

Address: Lot A-G-2, Ground Floor, Block A, 88 Marketplace, 88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Opening hours: 10 am–10 pm
Prices: about RM20 to RM40 per person
Contact number: +6088-205 740

Tamu Rooftop, Toojou

Tamu Rooftop is on the sixth floor of Toojou, the social hostel on Jalan Masjid Lama, a ten-minute walk from Gaya Street.

The view faces the forested hills behind the city, which is the opposite direction from every other sunset bar in town. Murals, fairy lights and a pool table set the tone, and shisha comes out alongside the cocktail list.

It is the best shisha spot KK offers for a mixed group where half want cocktails and half want a pipe. Sundays have run free-flow cocktail promotions in the past; ask what is current.

Address: 6th Floor, Toojou, Lot 12, Jalan Masjid Lama, Bandaran Berjaya, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Opening hours: 5pm to 1am daily
Contact number: +6088-534 888

Kuta Bistro, Waterfront

Kuta Bistro is the Bali-themed bar in the middle of the Waterfront strip, with wooden furniture, potted greenery and a live band most nights. It is the obvious answer to shisha waterfront Kota Kinabalu searches, because the pipes come to your table while the sun drops into the South China Sea.

Expect Waterfront pricing. Beer sets, cocktails and a Western-Indonesian menu of pizzas, ayam penyet and ikan bakar fill the tables, and service slows on weekend nights.

Address: Waterfront KK, Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens, Pusat Bandar Kota Kinabalu, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Opening hours: 4pm to 2am Sunday to Friday, 4pm to midnight Saturday
Prices: shisha about RM40 per pipe at the Waterfront

Hala Hadramout Restaurant, Kepayan

Hala Hadramout, formerly Aladdin, is the Yemeni restaurant next to 10 ‘N GO at 88 Marketplace.

It holds a halal certificate and is run by an Arab kitchen team, with mandi, haneeth, hummus and kunafa on the menu. Outdoor seating faces the car park, and the restaurant opens from late morning, so it works as a lunch stop.

This is the place for a full Yemeni meal with a pipe afterwards, and the earliest-opening shisha lounge Kota Kinabalu has.

Address: Lot A-G-2, Block A, Kapayan, Taman Ridgeview, 88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Opening hours: 10.30am to 10pm daily
Prices: about RM20 to RM40 per person
Contact number: +6011-1426 1426

Novus Karaoke, Waterfront

Novus is the karaoke lounge on the Waterfront under the same ownership as Kuta Bistro, so food can be ordered from the Kuta menu.

The hookah pipes stand in a row at the front counter, and the room has private karaoke booths plus an open-floor mic setup. It is loud, cheap and open until 2am every night, which puts it at the top of any late night shisha KK list.

Address: Waterfront KK, Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens, Pusat Bandar Kota Kinabalu, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Opening hours: 4pm to 2am daily
Prices: about RM20 to RM40 per person

Other Important Information

How Much Does Shisha Cost in Kota Kinabalu

Shisha in Kota Kinabalu costs about RM40 a pipe at the Waterfront, with lower prices at the restaurants in Kepayan and the tent cafe in Sembulan. Most venues have a price band of RM20 to RM40 per person for food and drink, excluding shisha.

Where Is the Best Area for Shisha in Kota Kinabalu

The Waterfront is the best area for a first visit, because Kuta Bistro and Novus are side by side on Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens with sea views, live music and 2am closing.

For a dedicated hookah bar Kota Kinabalu locals rate, drive south to Aeropod for Eden, or to 88 Marketplace in Kepayan for the Egyptian and Yemeni restaurants.

Kepayan and Aeropod are about 15 minutes apart by car and both are close to the airport, so they suit a final evening before a flight. Toojou is the only option within walking distance of Gaya Street.

How to Get There

Grab is the practical way to reach every venue on this list, since none is served by public transport after dark. From Gaya Street, the Waterfront is a five-minute walk and Toojou is ten. Aeropod and 88 Marketplace are 10 to 15 minutes by car from the city centre, and Grace Point in Sembulan is under ten.

Parking at Aeropod and 88 Marketplace is plentiful. The Waterfront has limited street parking and fills by 8pm on weekends.

Best Time to Visit

Visit from 6pm, after the venues have opened and before the Waterfront crowd arrives around 9pm. Sunset falls between 6pm and 6.30pm all year in Sabah, so a 5.30pm arrival at Kuta Bistro or Tamu Rooftop lines up the first pipe with the light. Weeknights are easier for tables and service than Fridays and Saturdays.

The dry season from February to April gives the best odds for open-air venues like Zahra Tent. Afternoon storms are common from October to January.

Is Shisha in Kota Kinabalu Worth It

Yes, if you treat it as part of an evening out, not the whole point. Shisha in Kota Kinabalu is cheaper than in Kuala Lumpur, where central Bukit Bintang pipes run RM60 to RM75, and the Waterfront setting is hard to match. The flavour range is narrower and only Eden runs as a true lounge.

For a strong pipe and a dark room, go to Eden. For a view, choose Kuta Bistro or Tamu Rooftop. For a meal first, Kepayan has the two Arab kitchens.

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