Paaeez

Out of all the sheesha bars in Toronto, Paeez is sort of the middle of the spectrum on my scale.
With all the sheesha bars now being tabacco free, the quality of your hookah experience is obviously limited but this does not impact my review.
All in all, the place is trying to be fancy. It depends on what you’re into. If you want a card playing session with the boys, go Aladdin’s or some of the cheaper sheesha bars on dundas east. If you want fancy and upscale, maybe you’re with a couple of girls, go to Paeez.
That being said, Paeez is pretty pricey and it pisses me of that they charge you for extra coal. That’s ridiculous and just shows what a money grab this place is. The drinks are also quite expensive, but the ability to drink and smoke is still good. The place is pretty narrow and suffers from poor ventilation.
I wouldn’t choose Paeez for a sheesha night. I would definately go to Awtash a few blocks east instead.

A recent venture into the city for the College street festival found my friend and I street stranded without a suitable place to rest while we wet our whistles. Like a mirage in the middle of the Sahara, we came across Paaeez. No line up, plenty of available seating and of course Hookah pipes and shisha to go along with our much needed drinks.
For those unsure of that a Hookah or Shisha is, allow me to elaborate. A Hookah is a specialty Middle Eastern water pipe used in the smoking of shisha tobacco. Shisha tobacco being a molasses coated flavored tobacco that is ignited with a lit disc shaped coal. Most Hookah bars have switched away from the tobacco based Shisha in favour of its herbal substitute due to indoor smoking laws in Toronto.
Paaeez is an intimate location, dimly lit, narrow and long. The bar is towards the rear and limited seating is available through the front of house. It’s a great spot for groups of 4 – 6 to chill out, order bottle service and rent a Hookah for the evening. The rental of the Hookah and a bowl of shisha goes for $ 20 and Paaeez allows you to mix any number of flavours (we chose watermelon and peach).
One concern I had was that their bar was severely under stocked for such a busy street festival. My friend and I attempted to order several different drinks, only to be informed that they were out of the ingredients required to make them (BOOOO). We begrudgingly settled on more basic drinks (gin and tonic and a basic cran-​tini).
Other than that, the staff were animated and friendly and the music was loud and kept us bobbing in our seats. There was a mistake made with our bill and they charged us twice for our rental, however were quick to apologize and make amends once I flagged it.
Is this the best Hookah bar I’ve been to? No. However, I would go back in a second with the right crowd, as this is my kinda chill out spot and Toronto (and the GTA) need more of them.

Though I have walked by (and dismissed) Päaeez many, many times, I finally penetrated this swanky den on Saturday night. I was not motivated by any new found «smooveness» but rather obligated by matters natalitial. Though it wasn’t quite the slimy douche-​fest I expected, most of my suspicions were confirmed.
Päaeez (pie-​EASE) is Persian for autumn, which might explain the red, ochre and brown palette of this lounge. The long and narrow space is lined with long sofas and dotted with ottomans for seating. I imagine the action escalates as you head deeper into the venue, and culminates in the Back Room where you will discover a DJ, well-​dressed writhing bodies and my absence.
I say «I imagine» because this place was quieter than a cotton ball rasslin’ match. Only the first few tables were occupied and the rest of the bar was empty. This wasn’t terrible for me as it meant expedient rounds and less nonsense, but enthusiasts of the scene might be disappointed at the lack of crowd.
Since we weren’t dancing we decided to smoke hookah instead. The flavours are tobacco-​free and they have a pretty good selection. It’s a mellow and aromatic smoke but without tobacco you’ll be sucking air like a fiend. At $ 20 for two pucks of fire it’s expensive, but it was plenty of smoking for me. Germaphobes take note: they give you these protective mouthpiece cones that we playfully dubbed «mouth condoms». That’s kind of gross, now that I think about it.
Interesting space but not really my scene. PAAEEZ out.
Obligatory Title Pun: PAA before EEZ except after SHEE-​sha.
Menu Readability: Surprisingly elegant, actually.
Need to mention: Pints are $ 6, cocktails around $ 12.
What this place teaches me about myself: One should always regard with suspicion he with a preponderance of vowels.

Paaeez doesn’t have too much going for it.
I’ve been there 4 times for different events and each time has been more or less mediocre.
The shisha/​hookah is expensive compared to other hookah lounges out there. The drinks are also pricey, but not incredibly unreasonable.
Service was good and the atmosphere was relaxing but they are both overshadowed by the prices.
I would visit Café Awtash before Paaeez.

Music is good, but
1) Expensive drinks
2) Expensive hookah
Tries to be upscale, but nothing’s upscale about this place.

1) Expensive drinks
2) Limited beer selection (very limited)
3) Expensive hookah (and only tobacco free, I felt like I had to collapse my lungs to get any smoke from it)
Move on and try elsewhere.

Shisha lounge.
My kinda spot.
On fri & sat nights, there’s a club like event open for the public.
The crowd is VERY chic. The appetizers are very pricey. The place/​venue itself is gorgeous. Very small but decorated quite well. dimly lit and booths all alongside the wall to seat groups easily.
The staff are a bit annoying. The shisha is of poor quality and they charge per head. (which is just ridiculous).
I would come here for drinks. It gets packed very quickly since it’s right on college.
excellent place for a date. You can definitely impress a girl here. Ha!
XOXO
M.

It is the shisha that bumps this place up to 4 stars. Without it, Paaeez would be a typical college lounge — with expensive drinks and mediocre service.
But the shisha makes it a unique venue. It’s a fun group activity and worth the $ 20 — it lasts a long time and it’s certainly something different
Don’t get food here — unless you know something I don’t. We ordered the baked artichoke dip with vegetable crisps and got Ruffles with canned chip dip. I did find the drinks expensive ($ 14 for a double), but I really enjoy their unique, Moroccan-​inspired drinks. And the back seems like a great spot for a birthday party.
Overall, a nice spot! Just try to sit at the back during the winter. Man alive it’s cold at the front.

Atmosphere: I enjoyed this lounge. A lot. If you’re looking for a modern bar/​lounge, this is it! The venue is divided into three rooms. First room: Bar and lounging area, second room: lounging area, third room: bar, DJ booth and dance floor. Almost always the crowd is mid to late 20s.
Music: I’ve been to Paaeez numerous times. I’ve never heard the DJ spin anything but house music. Love it! No mainstream music, its mostly tribal, electro, and deep house music.
Service: Service is slow! And the shisha/​hookah isn’t very good.