After an afternoon of drinking Glenlivet whisky at one of the Top Bars in the World, Tayor + Elementary, we decided to stop for something to eat before heading home.

Massis Grill and Bar, London

Close to Paddington Train Station, you’ll find the Lebanese eatery that is Massis Grill and Bar. Their emphasis is on authentic Lebanses cuisine which includes an array of Mezzes combined with traditional main dishes. Here you’ll experience the whole spectrum of the colours, aromas, flavours and textures of Lebanese/Middle Eastern food.

Dishes such these feature on the menu and sound mouth watering:

Moutabal Veg - Smoked aubergine purée, sesame sauce with pomegranate seeds (gluten free - £6.75)
Mousakaa Veg - Available hot or cold - Oven baked aubergine with tomatoes, onions and chickpeas (gluten free - £6.25)
Batata Harah Veg - Spicy sautéed potato with garlic and coriander (gluten free - £6.00)
Cheese Sambousek - Lebanese pastries stuffed with halloumi and feta cheese, parsley and pine nuts (£6.25)
Lahem Meshwi - Char-grilled skewered cubes of marinated lamb served with chilli sauce (gluten free £17.50)
Bamia - Available hot and cold - A traditional stew with okra in tomato sauce, lamb L Served with plain or vermicelli rice (gluten free £15.00)

We went straight to mains and tucked into the Shawarma Chicken - tender slices of marinated roast chicken served with tahini or garlic sauce (gluten free £15.50) and the Lamb Tagine - slow cooked lamb cubes with onion, garlic and spices served with vermicelli rice (gluten free £16.50).

The Shawarma was seriously tasty and reminded me of the ones we used to eat in South Africa. The shawarma pocket was hot and soft, and the chicken was tender and well seasoned and spiced. It’s a large plate of food and comes with potatoes and coleslaw.

The lamb tagine was wonderfully tender, very aromatic and plentiful. The rice was el dente and cooked perfectly.

We finished with the traditional Baklava (£4.00). Layers of super thin crispy filo pastry wrapped around nuts and honey. Not overly sweet but sweet enough to finish our dinner on a high.

Massis Grill and Bar reviews online are either a hit or a miss. They don’t seem to have hit the consistency stride but on this occassion, our meal was delicious. The service was efficient and friendly.

I would definitely consider a return visit.

TartanSpoonie, Kim x

Massis Lebanese Grill & Bar, 9 Sheldon Square, Paddington Central London W2 6HY. Tel : 020 7286 8000 www.massis.co.uk

My Spoon Award : Silver 8/10

REVIEW : EAT - Massis, Paddington London