To watch your problems go up in smoke...
One thing about Montreal I've always marvelled at is the prevalence of Arab culture in pockets of the city, a culture which manages to be self-sustaining while still avoiding any cultural disconnect from the larger city and culture. If you've been around the Concordia University ghetto area, you know what I'm talking about.
The Arab tradition of smoking a 'Shisha' (water-pipe) has been successfuly implanted into the cultural make-up of Montreal, and nowhere is this more evident then at Shahrezad (intersection rue Saint Catherine and rue Crescent ), where the centuries-old Arab practice of smoking the water-pipe, drinking tea and discussing the days events continues largely unchanged from the old days - save for the addition of a few flat-screen TVs and contemporary Arab pop music. Sign of the times, I suppose.
Shahrezad offers shisha in a range of flavours (my favourite being double-apple), along with a full complement of reasonably-priced food - the cheap food probably being the reason why the place is normally packed with students from Concordia and McGill. Shahrezad offers Arab tea as well - which I have never tried myself, but it seems to be quite popular among the regulars.
There was widespread concern that last year's smoking ban in Montreal would kill off this very vibrant aspect of Arab culture in Montreal, but it has managed to survive and thrive. Although shisha is much less harmful to your health then cigarettes (One cigarette = One hour of Shisha-smoking), it still IS tobacco, so nonsmokers and those trying to kick the habit be warned. For the rest of us, though, Shahrezad is highly recommended.
