What Makes for a Great Cigar Lounge?

You’ll find cigar lounges in countries all around the world, and of course, every country, city and town has its own atmosphere and character. From beautiful lounges in Malaysia and Switzerland to New York and London, no two lounges are quite the same, and that’s part of what makes them so interesting.

The location of a cigar lounge can have a huge influence on the overall experience. A lounge tucked away in a quiet corner of a city can offer a completely different atmosphere to one overlooking a busy street, while a countryside setting can provide a much slower and more peaceful experience.

I’d argue that the atmosphere accounts for a huge part of what makes or breaks your experience. You want to walk into a lounge that feels warm, calm and spacious – not cramped, with AC blasting out like crazy or too hot to the point you start sweating buckets. The furniture should be of high quality, not something like a bunch of plastic chairs and wobbly tables. Obviously, every lounge has its own style, from colour palettes to rugs and paintings. A common theme across lounges are the colours black and brown, especially when it comes to the furniture. These are calming colours, not in your face nor cold. Many people that walk into a lounge don’t necessarily think about the colour of the walls, but it’s proven that some colours can affect your mood through psychological associations. For example, the colour blue is very calming, which is also why many feel a sense of peace looking at the sky.

Sound is also very influential. You don’t want to feel like you’ve just walked into the gym, with loud techno or rock blasting out (unless you’re smoking the Drew Estate M81 or S84, then you might want some Metallica!). Lo-fi or jazz seems to be the common theme amongst most locations. Personally, I find music without prominent vocals works best. It creates a backdrop without demanding too much of your attention, as music with singing in might be overwhelming if you want to focus on the cigar’s profile. I personally have a very open mind when it comes to my music taste – I enjoy listening to metalcore, rock, country, rap and all in-between. However, when I sit with a cigar, I do think that lo-fi or jazz enhances my experience greatly.

A good lounge should be accessible and easy to navigate for everyone, taking into consideration lounge location within the building, disabled access, toilet access and of course humidor accessibility. Nobody wants to walk to the other side of the building, or up two flights of stairs and down 3 corridors - that’s basically like going to the toilet at a Wetherspoon’s!

One of the most important things to consider is the air filtration system. I’ve been in lounges where the filtration system is poor, causing smoke to fill rooms, which is not only causing smoke to linger in the room, which can be unpleasant, but also irritating to the eyes and can quickly reduce visibility. When smoke sits in the air for too long, it can also make furniture smell, and when you walk into a cigar lounge, even though you intend on smoking a cigar, you don’t want the stale smoke from the day beforehand.

Staff members should always be on hand to assist you with your needs. Need a drink? Want some more information on the blend of the cigar or whisky? Need your ashtray cleaning? Someone should always be available to help you with these things. You don’t necessarily want to have someone always breathing over your shoulder, but to be checked on frequently is ideal, and shows that the staff care about you – after all, your comfort and experience is the most important thing!

Ashtrays should be cleaned out regularly, any rogue ash should be cleaned, and tables, chairs, and accessories should be neatly aligned and easily accessible. You should have the option to use any form of cigar cutter you’d like, and any form of lighter or matches should be available.

Quality ashtrays, cutters and lighters aren't just about usability, either. They can add character to a room, with many accessories matching the overall theme, whether that's based around the room's colour, branding or materials. Some lounges promote a sense of peace and relaxation, using neutral colours and tones, with minimalist furniture and décor. These lounges will typically feature understated accessories, so as not to overwhelm the senses or take focus away from the cigar itself. Other lounges promote high-end luxury, featuring top brands such as Elie Bleu or S.T. Dupont, alongside large paintings and unique furniture. These lounges are designed to leave a lasting impression, ensuring you remember the experience, but for a completely different reason.

Comfort is one of those things that can easily be overlooked, but when you’re sitting with a cigar for an hour or two, it becomes pretty important. There’s nothing worse than settling down with a cigar you’ve been looking forward to, only to realise that the chair is uncomfortable, the table is too low, or you’ve got nowhere to properly rest your drink.

Good seating should give you enough space to relax without feeling cramped. Comfortable armchairs are a staple of most cigar lounges for good reason, while having a suitable table beside you means you can keep your drink, cigar and accessories within easy reach. You shouldn’t have to constantly reach across the room or worry about knocking something over every time you move.

Ultimately, a cigar lounge should encourage you to slow down. You’re not there to rush through a cigar and leave. You’re there to take your time, have a drink, have a conversation and enjoy the experience, so the environment should allow you to do exactly that.

Of course, no cigar lounge would be complete without a humidor. For many cigar smokers, the humidor is one of the first things they’ll want to see when they walk through the door. There’s something quite satisfying about opening the doors, seeing the selection laid out in front of you and taking your time deciding what you’re going to smoke.

A good humidor should be well maintained, properly humidified and easy to browse. Cigars should be organised in a way that makes sense, with enough space to see what’s available without having to rummage through boxes or stacks of cigars.

Presentation matters too. The humidor is often one of the main features of a lounge, so it should look as good as the cigars inside it. Whether it’s a large walk-in humidor or a smaller cabinet, it should give you the feeling that the cigars are being properly looked after.

For me, a cigar lounge is about more than just the cigar. What you drink alongside it can have a huge influence on the experience, whether that’s a dram of whisky, a glass of rum, a coffee or simply something refreshing without alcohol.

Having a good selection is important, but so is having staff who understand what works well together. If you’re unsure what to pair with a particular cigar, being able to ask someone for a recommendation can make the experience even more enjoyable. A lighter cigar might work beautifully with a coffee, while a fuller-bodied cigar could stand up to something richer and more complex.

Of course, there’s no right or wrong pairing. One of the best things about cigars is experimenting and finding combinations that work for you. A great lounge should give you the opportunity to do exactly that.

When you put everything together, I think the best cigar lounges are the ones that make you forget about everything else for a while. The location, atmosphere, comfort, air filtration, service, humidor and drinks all play their part, but none of them necessarily need to be the most extravagant.

It’s about getting the balance right.

A great cigar lounge should feel welcoming when you walk through the door, comfortable once you sit down and somewhere you genuinely want to return to. Whether it’s a luxurious members' club in the middle of a city or a small, understated lounge tucked away somewhere unexpected, it’s the experience that ultimately matters.

And perhaps that’s the real secret to a great cigar lounge: it should make you want to stay for one more cigar.

Article by Lewis Hearn