Shelly’s Back Room

Smoking, eating and drinking - three important verbs that Shelly’s has got covered. Having cottoned on to the fact people just love to imbibe, this Washington-based ‘back room’ is there to satisfy your every desire - assuming cigars, food and booze are at the top of your list. It’s a comfortable, softly-lit hide-away filled with over-stuffed couches and cosy chairs. The first on the list to offer food, the menu is packed with traditional, comforting nibbles from chicken-noodle soup and spiced shrimp to cheesy bread and campfire wings. And to round it all off? A hand-picked cigar from your private humidor and a rare bourbon from Shelly’s long list of unusual liquors. With high definition TV and a state-of-the-art air purification system, you can eat, drink and smoke to your heart’s content.

Nicky Blaines Cocktail Lounge
Promising cigars, cocktails and conversation, this basement bar in downtown Indianapolis takes the elegance and refinement of the twenties and thrusts into a timeless underground world of indulgence and late-night luxury. Many a long evening could be spent sipping Martini from a sugar-rimmed glass, nibbling on pieces of brie and gorgonzola from your cheese platter, and sampling a cherry or Makers Mark infused cigar. Attracting the beautiful and stylish of Indianapolis, the cocktail lounge is one of the most fashionable and sophisticated places to drink, smoke and relax. With a Martini list so long it’s split into categories, you can pick a classic, modern or desert cocktail to slowly sip while you’re perusing the cigar selection in Blaines’ walk-in humidor. Taking its name from Casablanca’s mysterious rogue Rick Blaine, the lounge channels the glamour, decadence and romance of Hollywood, without aligning itself to a particular era. But whatever the era, out of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, I’d definitely walk into this one.

The Owl Shop Cigar Lounge and Bar
This beautiful, brick-walled building was originally a book shop from where Greek owner Joseph St John started mixing and selling his own tobacco blends. Nearly 80 years later it’s keeping up the tradition, serving world class cigars from their 400 square-foot walk-in humidor. Its well-worn leather sofas, faded patterned rugs and vintage suitcase coffee tables exude a sense of comfort and tradition. It’s warm, stylish and exotic, like the home of a 19th century explorer crossed with a modern American coffee shop. With live Blues and Jazz, as well as coffee and paninis if you need a bit more sustenance, it’s the perfect place to smoke, to relax and to socialize.

Finding a New Haunt
There are hundreds more cigar lounges out there, and they’re a great way to carry on smoking without ruining your social life. If you’ve visited any worth mentioning, we’d love you to tell us about them. Feel free to share your secret cigar smoking locations with us using the comment section below, and help a few fellow cigar lovers along the way!