Off the Hookah
Late-Night Sushi and Hookah in Coral Gables

Here's the thing about the late-night scene in Coral Gables: there isn't one.

Sure, you've got one or two cougar dens and beer hangs (and believe us, we like both), but there's yet to be a spot where you can sip a strong drink, smoke a bit of hookah and feast on sashimi into the wee hours of the night.

Until now.

Welcome to Sawa, a new restaurant that combines three of your favorite things—sushi, hookah and lounging around—opening Monday in Merrick Park.

Sawa is where you'll relax with a few puffs of flavored tobacco after a long day of kicking ass in Coral Gables. The vibe indoors is more geared to dining (dark wood tables, a groovy backlit bar), but you'll want to direct your toking interests to the white cabana outdoors, outfitted with flowing curtains and white leather chairs. (Think Keith Richards in Marrakesh... with a dash of Tokyo.)

Besides a solid list of maki rolls, the menu's got jazzed-up Mediterranean tapas (Foie Gras Pita Sliders, Beef Tongue Carpaccio), and you can choose from hookah flavors like apple, wild berry mint, guava and strawberry.

And because it's open until 2am on the weekends, you can gradually work your way up to the Hooka on Steroids, where the pipe is stocked with an alcoholic concoction like arak, apple martini or mojito instead of water.

Never rush into Hooka on Steroids.