Massis in James Street
James Street, and its neighbour St Christopher’s Place, just north Oxford Street, are packed tight with restaurants that appeal to young people. The formula is good value, fairly low prices, and a lively ambience which gives the place atmosphere. I’ve written before about Seabass. A couple down from it is Massis, which serves Lebanese food. Like most in these streets, it has outside tables, and I saw that the gas heaters are just coming into use – yet another seasonal portent.
I began with Rkakat, a Lebanese pastry stuffed with cheese and herbs. The pastry was agreeably flaky, though the cheese was somewhat spongier than I prefer. The Kafta Massis which followed was ground lamb in spices, served on skewers, and came, as many of their dishes do, with a sizable salad alongside. It was pretty good, and far more than I could eat along with the Batata Harra, which featured potatoes with coriander and garlic. To try a Lebanese wine, I picked Ksara Reserve du Couvent, a syrah and cabernet blend with burnt spice, oak, and vanilla tones. It held its own with the Kafta..
The place has good food and quite some charm. Most of the staff and many of the clientele seemed Levantine. The young couple at the table just outside from mine ordered a hookah. It came, duly lit, and both proceeded to smoke a pleasantly sweet-scented tobacco. It’s a service not many restaurants provide, and it certainly adds colour.