Sarma

Simply amazing. Great staff, amazing food, and the atmosphere/​décor is very cool,

Incredible atmosphere and food!

where is sarma?
on a little street somewhat near highland ave (the only non-​permit parking within reach) /​somerville public library.
what is sarma?
an awesome collaboration between the proprietors of kirkland tap and trotter and oleana (have you been? it is amazing).
how do you get in?
reservations, my friend. book well in advance. maybe the bar is non-​reserved. not sure.
what is served?
small tapas-​style middle eastern and fusion dishes that range from very good to excellent. not too many vegetarian/​vegan offerings — but enough for my vegetarian friend to nicely nosh. in addition to the menu and fresh funky cocktail list, circulating specials-​of-​the-​day offerings also round out the meal (add $ 8! add another $ 8!).
the prices are not unreasonable for the quality but certainly not what i’d normally spend on a meal out — the three of us, with one drink each, had a final tab of about 50 each, before tip.
what did we have and how was it?
* turkish pide: comes with the meal. a little oil, moist, the most wonderful kind i’ve ever had, in comparison to all the other turkish places i’ve been to in my lifetime to date (and i do love pide!). it makes me resolve to make some of my own. figure out their secret recipe. served with light and fruity olive oil.
* chips and guac special: unremarkable, but not a bad starter. crispy pita chips. the guac was a little sour/​vinegary, so maybe it wasn’t intended to be guac, but looked like it was supposed to be. maybe it was «whipped avocado» with vinegar.
* fried haloumi special: the cheese that grills! it was fried. it was salty. it was the firm cheese, haloumi. if you like haloumi, then there’s haloumi for you.
* brussels sprout bravas: have you ever had perfectly al dente brussels sprouts? so much yes.
* some savory take on buñuelos that i don’t remember at this point. good, but unremarkable
* plantain latke: well, it was fried. plantains are denser than potatoes, and this showed. sorta kinda mexican tostada meets plantain in latke form. and tasty. yeah.
* circassian quail: one of the priciest on the menu but well-​worth the splurge. a heaping portion of quail (we’ll say, a whole quail. quail are not very big birds), earthy with the chanterelles, moist, tender, succulent.
* kale: so many layers of things! a scotch egg was hidden in there.
* spicy tuna dolma: do you need excuses to have tasty tuna tartare? here’s another!
generally top notch presentation. the basics were basic (ex. fried haloumi).
i don’t really have anything bad to say. the atmosphere is bright and funky with tall ceilings on an industrial brick façade (if i recall correctly) and more casual and somewhat loud (a little different from oleana which is fancypants). the menu reads like a collection of food porn. but it’s not food porn because you actually get to eat it. and then i guess that means that you’re getting an orgasm in your mouth many times over.
so in short, treat yourself. go.
it appears that the menu changes seasonally or on some interval, to add to the general excitement. i’m already preparing my return!

Came here on a date and was really impressed by the décor, service and food!
Atmosphere is fun and colorful without being annoying, servers were knowledgeable and attentive without being «in your face» and the food was AWESOME – so flavorful! nomnomnom
I am looking forward to going back. :)

One of my dining companions is a pescatarian, so we decided to pass on all the meaty dishes. Still, Sarma impressed.
The bar is open seating, so show up at 5pm (when the restaurant opens) if you weren’t able to snag a reservation. The restaurant is tiny so you’ll have to reserve at least a few weeks in advance if you want a table on Saturday night.
We went with the hummus, squid, squash with couscous, cauliflower, cant remember the rest, but everything was really good with the exception of the mushroom dish, which I found a little salty.
In addition to what’s on the menu, the restaurant has a few specials that are circulated dim-​sum style around the restaurant.
If I could be this impressed by what Sarma can do with vegetables, I can’t wait to come and and try their meat dishes.

3.5 stars. Food was really unique, interesting and beautifully presented but everything was a bit too salty and saucy. The popular yogurt dessert was also too creamy for us. For the price we pay, would rather go to another Tapas place or Oleana.

Recently we went for our anniversary dinner to this Sarma. I wrote of our experience on my blog. Here is the link

You can sit either at one of the seats around the bar, or at a usual dining table. Either place you choose to sit, you can order the same thing.
I was not impressed by the Hummus that so many people recommend here. The hummus portion was humongous, and the avocado was salty to my taste.
What made me happy for dinner was their Steak Tartare. All the spices were so well-​mixed. The overall taste was outstanding and I think you can only know by actually having that tartare.
One thing I didn’t enjoy over dinner was that staff kept coming over each table and asking whether we wanted to try one of their new dishes. I appreciate that the chefs put a lot of effort in experimenting with the menu, but I really didn’t like to be interrupted during my meal.

Oleana’s sister restaurant?! I can’t get a good night sleep until I eat there!
Lots of similarities, yet very difference experiences.
As you enter the restaurant, the upbeat vibe welcomes you pleasantly. The place is spacious, with a full bar and funky modern decoration.
OK, let’s get to the point: awesome food!
Every dish I tried, was great!
Would definitely go back when in Boston.

Wow! What to say that others have not? Sarma was everything I expected it to be and much much much more. Not only was the food superb but the combinations of ingredients and the uniqueness of the recipes makes each of their plates nearly impossible to replicate on your own. Our taste buds were doing the happy dance during our whole experience!
This particular visit, we tried the following:
Salmon falafel — Amazing combination of ingredients and executed very well. Every bite was packed with complex flavors that pleased our palettes. The pickled beets and the tahini mustard worked brilliantly together.
Cauliflower fate — AH-​MAZE-​BALLS! The different layers of crunchiness from the chips, pine nuts and pomegranate together with the flavored chickpeas swept us off our feet. Might I say that even the meat eater mentioned this possibly being his favorite that night.
Shrimp saganaki — Huge sized colossal shrimp prepared with super fresh gnocchi that was so soft, it dissolved in our mouth without the need to chew. Another winner.
Crab and red lentil gibbeh — ⁵⁄₅ for creativity and preparation. This can best be explained as a Mediterranean dish with a Thai twist. The curry sauce was unbelievable. A must order.
Lamb sliders — Didn’t personally try but our server recommended this over the Persian beef and feedback on this was a huge thumbs up.
Halloumi Cheese — This is probably the only one we wished we didn’t get and it was one of the specials that was circulating in the dining room along with others. The texture of the cheese was very beefy and hard. Not that it was terrible but it did pale in comparison to the others.
Greek froyo and loukamades — Both desserts were awesome and the little sides of halva caramel and Moroccan pancakes added a nice sweet ending to our perfect little night.
Overall, a fabulous experience and back on my list to come again! I repeat — it was A-​MAZE-​BALLS!

De-​fricken-​licious, but then what would you expect from Ana Soturn?
I wanted literally everything on the menu, so I think I need to return and take up that challenge. We narrowed our meal down to 4 items, hoping to also supplement it with one of the chef’s specials, as we had seen some delicious-​looking sesame fried chicken going around (but unfortunately didn’t end up getting any).
The apple keftedes with pork belly were the star of the show and were lick-​the-​plate delicious… we got 3, but I could have eaten probably 20. Best bites of the night. The harissa lamb was a close second though, kebobs smothered in a rich BBQ-​like sauce and surrounded with a tasty purée (sweet potato? carrot?). The plantain latke was solid, and had a slight spicy kick from something. Even the broccoli was really good, chock-​full of lentils and nuts.
We had the froyo with turkish coffee s’mores for dessert, which was OK but not my favorite (the froyo wasn’t very flavorful, the s’mores were large and chunky and didn’t incorporate very well). Maybe skip dessert for one of their tasty cocktails instead?
Love what they do here, you won’t find these flavor combos in many other places. It’s worth the trek to the middle of nowhere.

Wow. I had a fantastic dinner here last night. Every dish that came out had me saying (sorry mom) f-​me that is good.
We were unable to get a decent weekend reservation, so we went right at 5 when the restaurant opened and sat at the bar. The place filled up fast. There were three bartenders and service was good. I had the house wine and my husband had a cocktail with an IPA foam. Very unusual but tasty.
For food, we ordered the burratta (loved it), lamb sliders (our least favorite, very heavy but very flavorful, and still very good), brussels sprouts (add chorizo, you’ll thank me), and the fantastic yogurt biscuits with gravy. It is 24 hours later and I am still raving about the food and really excited to go back and try more stuff since I was too full for anything else.
Here’s the best part — servers come around with trays dim-​sum style and you can get specials this way. We had a killer, amazing, crispy fried chicken with tahini and a lamb-​stuffed mushroom that was fantastic.
Bring a friend or a very small group and share a bunch of plates!

I’m slowly but surely making my way through Sarma’s vegetarian options! Brought my parents here last weekend and they loved it (and they’re even pickier /​harder to please than I am!).
We had the corn cakes (a little sweet but yummy), the cauliflower, figs, potatoes afelia, brussel sprouts, and summer squash borek. Crowd favorites were the brussel sprouts, figs, and cauliflower but we loved everything! Summer squash borek was interesting but our least favorite (a little more doughy than we expected).
Still the best food I’ve had in Boston!

I came here with two friends and left STUFFED. You probably only need 2 dishes per person… we over did it but I’m glad we did since we tried so many great things.
The parking was iffy – there’s a small lot next to the restaurant, then a municipal lot a couple blocks away where I parked. My friend parked on the street and got a ticket.
The vibe of the restaurant was cool – big space and high ceilings but you could hear each other talk which was nice. I didn’t love the guys who kept walking from table to table offering you different dishes. My friends and I were catching up (one visiting from Singapore!) and we kept getting interrupted.
The food we tried was great. I’d definitely order the below again:
–The shishito peppers (omg, the sauce on it was unbelievable, I’ve never had shishitos like this before… delicious)
–The fried oyster – it was almost like a po-​boy, the buttery roll, the sauce, this was awesome
–The fried green tomato schwarma, again, so yummy and delicious
–The corn cakes – these were amazing. Sweet, crispy, just SO good.
–The ricotta doughnuts with the lemon curd – amazing (the blueberry crumble was probably better for the yogurt)
This stuff was good, but just not on par with the other dishes so I’d try something else next time:
–The burrata (my friends loved it, but I think I’ve been spoiled…)
–The figs (this was good, just not *quite* as memorable as the others)
–The baby artichokes – good but I think I’d like a different veg
–The summer squash borek – just a little mushy and not my fav
The wine was really great, I told the server I like something crisp and she suggested a wonderful white. My friend had the lebanese rose and loved it. We started off with cocktails, which were good – you couldn’t taste the alcohol!

AMAZING Mediterranean food! Good cocktails too.
Had the lamb sliders as starters– they were delicious. Seasoned well, small portion of 2 sliders but very tasty.
They had multiple specials also– had the grilled cheese with manchego and proscuitto. Very tasty but salty.
Fried chicken looked amazing also but didn’t get to try it!
Pita bread was fresh and warm– amazing esp with hummus!

Sarma is 100% deserving of all the hype: great food in a great atmosphere!
The flavors in everything I tried were so perfect and unique. Some places really try to knock you over the head with harissa and so on, but not here: the dishes were interesting but subtle enough that I didn’t get tired of the concept. I highly recommend anything with cheese, but that probably goes without saying.
It’s so damn clever that they make you order and then they walk around with «chef’s specials» that you can add to your bill. Who could say no to Turkish deviled eggs or sesame fried chicken, especially when they’re waved right under your nose? However, it seems like these «specials» are actually available all the time (or at least very often), so it’s really a clever ploy to get you to order more.
Although the specials are a constant, it seems like Sarma frequently switches up the main menu to include fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables. That’s admirable, since they could probably never change a thing and still be successful.
Although our server was a pro, the hostesses were a bit obnoxious… I hate when you walk in somewhere and instead of smiling and greeting you they immediately ask if you have a reservation in a scornful tone. I guess it’s understandable, though, since this place fills up so quickly… which is no surprise, because Sarma serves food you simply can’t get anywhere else. I can’t wait to go back!

Saved this one for my 500^th review. Awesome Moroccan fusion restaurant with great food, ambiance and service in a sleepy little corner of Somerville. The minute you step inside the restaurant you are transported a long way away from its address.
I love the way all of the menu items are tapas sized and intended for sharing. The wait staff also bring out off-​menu specials to tempt you with even more goodies while you are eating.
I can see this is going to be one of my favorite restaurants in the Boston area.

A great place to go. The food is amazing and they also offer a nightly app menu where the servers walk around and you can get your app on the spot. You can not go wrong with this place. The tapas style is very fulling, after the 2^nd dish my friend and I were stuffed. We ordered the lamb burgers, shrimp, a fried chicken dish (as apart of the traveling apps) and more. The dessert was by far one of my favorites, however I am also a sucker for doughnuts! The drink was mediocre but the staff was very friendly and personable. The location is a trek off of the T but the mile+ walk from Davis was worth it.
I would recommend this place for a small group of friends or a date as the plates are communal and generally made for 2. Also a great place to try new foods! I will definitely be visiting Sarma again very soon!

If someone didn’t love this place, they weren’t ordering right. The food here is easily some of the best in all of Boston, and the 5 – 6 week wait for a Saturday reservation is well deserved. You’ll be hard pressed to pick a favorite dish here as a lot of them have a wow factor. Dishes push the boundaries on flavor combinations and they all work flawlessly.
Our favorites (pretty much everything we ordered):
Lamb Kofte Sliders — 2 meaty super juicy lamb sliders with a bit of a spicy sauce. My wife hates lamb and she really liked these. Get them!
Pomegranate glazed beef — 2 juicy beef rolls, rolled around ramps, featuring a delicious sweet pepper spread and pomgranate juice, tastes fantastic all together.
Tunisian Steak Tartare — Wonderfully flavored with some harissa chips for bite.
7 layer hummus — I just found out how many steps it takes to get to heaven, 7.
Dessert — Get both. Donuts and Frozen Yogurt. Donuts had the perfect texture, crispy outside, very soft warm inside. Frozen Yogurt had great flavor, greek style. Get the mango curd topping, fruity and delicious.
Just Good :
House made bread — sure it’s pretty good for free but save room for their dishes.
Rotating Special of grilled shrimp — too much pepper but had a delicious diced veggie salad in sauce.
The service was good although a little slow at times, however the place is crazy busy and we did order our meal in pieces not all at once. I think it’s important to order in pieces to ensure you don’t get slammed with all dishes at once. Atmosphere sticks to the Turkish theme and only adds to the experience.
Already thinking about booking my next reservation because it will probably take 6 weeks before I can get another weekend date here.

«Chad’s Eats» review of Sarma
Cuisine: Tapas, Creative Mediterranean
Location: Somerville, MA
A very rare 5 star from me based on food quality, service and ambience!
Parking:
Good luck! Plan on making a few laps. There is a very small designated parking lot a short walk down the street but not large enough. 10 spots at best.
Décor /​Ambiance:
Has sort of an artsy bohemian feel. You get the middle eastern influence with the lights that are hung along the bar. There are other random suspended lights and/​or simple light bulbs suspended from outlets in the ceiling. I like it, it works great adding to the vibe of the place. It’s a low lit place which I like. Staff are dressed casual and random with aprons. It works nice with this place. If the staff were all dressed in uniform like all black for instance it would be such a clash. This place is to comfortable for that. I like how they all had their individuality.
Greeting:
Friendly, we did not have reservations and were quoted 90 minutes. We decided to wait and get a drink at the bar. We were sat within 30 minutes. Bar seats are on a waiting list as well so you can’t just grab seats as folks get up.
Menu mix:
The variety alone in middle eastern cuisine is vast on its own. Now add creative and artistic culinary interpretations and the taste, textures and beautiful presentations are endless… And they were! Not only with the menu but random trays will come out of the kitchen with on the spot creations and served like dim sum style.
Water /​Bread service:
Fresh clean water, bottle left on the table. The bread was a naan I believe served with great olive oil
Drink pour:
We didn’t have wine, I had a rum on the rocks and my wife had a special cocktail. Nice pours.
Food quality:
«Friggin Awesome» !! What an adventure. Excitement with every plate served. Spot on creative flavors.
Service:
Wonderful, very attentive. Several folks attended to us as well as our primary server.
Value:
Very affordable for the food quality and level of service. We felt like we had a ton of food and drinks and the bill was pretty low. We were too full for dessert but had plenty of main foods.
Bathrooms:
Very clean
Would I return?
Cant wait to. There were so many other items I wanted to try
Comments & Tips:
MAKE RESERVATIONS! This place fills up for good reason. Allow time to find parking.