Is there anything better than the view of a crystal clear blue pool to accompany your lunch time? Imagine you’ve been stuck in the office since morning doing some mundane tasks; the sun is hiding behind the clouds and that is making you feel somewhat sleepy. Yep. You’re most definitely in a desperate need of a good lunch and a relaxing view. Or a visit to Massilia Café, where you’ll get both of them. 

Massilia Café’s first outlet is located at the peaceful pool side of Sudirman Park Apartment Tower A—it’s one of those quiet cafés frequented by residents of said apartment. Pick one of the black or red plastic seats facing the pool, then you could savour your meal while watching the gentle ripple of the water and the occasional view residents swimming.

The spot is also ideal for writers, who can enjoy the breezy wind and let their imagination roam free. I could totally imagine spending hours on the chair with my laptop, looking up to the apartment windows and wondering what kind of humans live inside. I bet you can tell a lot about a family by looking at their laundry. But I’m not a stalker, okay? Residents of Sudirman Park Apartment, worry not.

The cuisine offered at Massilia Café is the usual café food, mixing Indonesian, Western, and Chinese elements. 

Truth be told, I feel skeptical from the moment the fettucine comes into view. While the fettucine portion is okay, there are simply too little prawns and even smaller amount of squids to match the pasta. The marinara sauce sadly tastes like a very thin bottled tomato sauce. Not too happy with this one.

This dish is immensely better than the previous one. Nasi Iga Goreng dishes up sweet fried ribs served with rice, emping, pickles, and a clear soup with tomatoes and potatoes. Though the soup is slightly too salty for my liking, the ribs is tender and yummy. I happily lick my fingers after unceremoniously eating the ribs with my bare hands.

The Chicken Sandwich is actually a free redemption from Maxx-Stamps, a mobile app that offers loyalty program service. At Massilia Café, the items are redeemable with a minimum transaction of Rp 125.000,-. Anyway. It’s a decent Chicken Sandwich; the boneless chicken is fried beforehand, giving the sandwich an extra crunch. The chicken is sandwiched (excuse the pun) between your usual white bread, fresh tomatoes, greens, and served with french fries.

No fancy drinks for me today. Regular ol’ plain iced tea.

Massilia Café could be an alternative for those looking for a quiet place to have lunch around Sudirman area. While the taste of the food is average, the price is relatively safe for your wallet, and the pool view certainly doesn’t hurt. I, for one, feel somewhat refreshed after lunch at this café!

Massilia Café Sudirman Park
Address: Sudirman Park Apartment Tower A, Pool Side
Jl. K. H. Mas Mansyur, Sudirman, Jakarta 10250
Phone: (021) 68884465
Opening Hours: 08:00 - 24:00