The service is amazing here! Melissa W is super in wolf age about the food and wine selection. She was attentive and helpful in assisting us to choose our dishes. The other staff are reliable and hard working and timely in their service... they even cleaned off the crumbs before our dessert round! Beware of the Turkish espresso martini - it is delicious but also very full Of spice and star anise flavor. If you're feeling adventurous you need to try the spring onion tzatziki - a fun delicious dish that explodes the taste buds . The lamb sliders were juicy and flavorful and the cornbread is a staple here. The raki is the only way to wash down this scrumptious food - we will be back!! read more

We had such a wonderful time at Sarma last night. The service is superb and the food was delicious. We want 90% vegetarian last night and here were our faves: BRUSSELS SPROUT BRAVAS, BLACK SEA CORNBREAD, CARAMEL APPLE MUHUMMARA, PUMPKIN FRITTERS, MUSHROOM MANTI, and last but not least, RICOTTA LOUKAMADES (essentially beignets). We chose three items and had the waitress choose the rest and everything was incredible. read more

Sarma - CARAMEL APPLE MUHUMMARA - Middle Eastern Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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This review is hard to leave. I was really excited about Sarma. Lots of veggies options & lots of people have told me about it and rave about it. We started with the gyro bread and the Tuna Nayeh which was absolutely delicious! The Tuna Nayeh was so colorful, fresh & you could feel a vibration in your mouth from all the textures. The portion was generous as well! After that we got the mushroom Fritti and the lentil nachos & that's when things turned the other way, presentation was great & lots of good stuff in there but way too salted, we couldn't finish any of it because of the amount of sodium. Then came the Halloumi tostones & the gnocchis, again great presentation and lots of good stuff but wayyyy too salted, we could only have a spoon each of the gnocchi. Maybe something happened last night and it's not always like that? But it will be hard for me to give it a 2nd chance. It's rare that I don't finish a plate especially when hungry. The wine list was great, my partner enjoyed the verdicchio & I had a lemonade that was also great! Their mocktails list wasn't impressive. The atmosphere was great, the decor was nice & it was clean. The service was ok. read more

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Creative to the max. I couldn't go here every night but for a really exciting, unique, and delicious meal this is your spot. The plates are small but filling and well priced, allowing you to try a few and leave actually full. Highly recommend! read more

Salty. We had very high expectations given the past yelp reviews and word of mouth. But we were disappointed with the quality of the service and food. Let's start with the service which was lackluster and unenthusiastic. The menu changes depending on the season and what is available. We took our whole family here and had the opportunity to sample more than a dozen dishes. All the dishes very consistently too salty. The portion size was expected for tapa style. Most likely won't be returning. read more

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Mind blowing. Every time. Amazing flavors and textures. Love the service style and tapas ambience. This is the only place I go. read more

Featured style and delicious dishes The food style reminds me of Cantonese dim sum style. They let you order food from menu first, then every several minutes the signature food of the day will come out from the kitchen. You can grab whatever you want from there. My favorite ones were honey pork rib, the crab meat dish and the hummus fries. Honey pork ribs just fitted my taste. Hummus fries were not the traditional ones. They were extra crispy and came with hummus on top. Evil eggs were the stuff that bombed me. Then bitter salty taste was awful. However, their doughnut dessert should be a must try. The sweet white powder on the top was the best. In addition, the fresh baked doughnuts were warm puffy and crispy on the outside. read more

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It's very clear why it's so hard to get a reservation here. Everything was awesome: food, service, atmosphere. Looking forward to returning. read more

Never disappoints but tonight (Father's Day) was particularly special because they made us, and especially my dad, feel so special! Our server, Reid, was sensational, attentive, and extremely knowledgeable about the ever-evolving menu. The hosts and bartenders were incredibly sweet as well. The atmosphere is always clean and fun. And the food and drink are always phenomenal. Definitely reserve a table in Reid's section next time you're in! Thank you Sarma team! read more

I don't know how I haven't reviewed Sarma yet, but the few meals I've had here have felt like really special and unique experiences. We came once pre-COVID without a reservation and we're able to hang out near the bar with drinks and take advantage of some of the specials being walked around the room by servers before we got out table (probably 90 minutes after we arrived). While I don't remember what we ordered I know it was all delicious and we got great recommendations from our server and really enjoyed the meal. This time I made a reservation for the patio for me and 3 friends. The patio was converted from a parking lot, yet felt cozy and intimate with strong lights, murals, and lots of flowers. The server was incredibly respectful of my lactose intolerance and gave me an annotated menu so I could tell which items had dairy and which could be made without, which made it super easy for us to order a variety of items as a group with different needs. Throughout our meal the service was fantastic and the food was delicious as well. It's a bit pricy but felt appropriate for the entire experience , including drinks, food, service, and of course atmosphere. This is one of the top places I'd recommend in the Boston area for a special meal! read more

Is 'Love at First Bite' a thing? Yes, it is. It happened to me last week. This place is bomb. We were a party of two and ordered omnivore tasting menu. What a feast it was!!! Everything was just so balanced and the service was amazing. It's been so long that I was so happy after a meal and couldn't wait to eat again at this place. My only issue with this place is that their whopping 20% admin fee, which on their website is described as tip shared among all the workers. But upon asking the server, he mentioned that's not the tip. So we had to shell a few extra dollars for our amazing server. Giving almost 30% as overall tip and admin fee feels a lot to me. They need to be more transparent and also I know it is Covid, and everybody is facing difficulties but that is expensive in general. And mind you this is in Somerville and not in New York! Anyway, if we talk about the food, that was one of the best freaking thing I have eaten in a while. I see you, Sarma I see you!! read more

Great food! We're vegans and we really appreciated their food and service. Highly recommend!

Great place to come sit at the bar and enjoy a delicious and relaxing meal. Easy enough to get a bar seat with no reservations so come hungry. Cocktails were great and the bartenders were extremely helpful in navigating the menu and giving recommendations with real thought. Can't give it 5 stars because Oleana has better food, but Sarma is a fantastic restaurant I highly recommend. read more

I recently tried their vegetarian prefix menu. We were a party of 3 and were given the same portions (to be split three ways) that the couple sitting adjacent to us got, which is a little unfair. Black sea cornbread, Chickpea fritter, Brussels sprouts bravas, Sweet pea falafel, Blistered shishitos - all deep fried or sautéd in generous amounts of oil. The food quality has definitely gone down since the last time I visited this place. I also wish they didn't make the whole table choose either vegetarian or non-vegetarian. I hope they consider fixing these issues. Will try again in a couple months. read more

I remember when this spot was an old ex-mafia hang turned frat bar. We heard rumors there were Whitey Bulger letters hidden in the walls... And now it's the best restaurant in Somerville. It's rare to find a complicated take on this region's food in the US, nevermind one that so refined in detail and pleasure. Hopefully they stay past the green line opening and are joined by other local spots in Winter Hill on Medford. read more

I made a reservation for Sarma a month in advance and the experience did not disappoint. The food is so unique and flavorful that you could come 5 times and have a completely different experience each time. Get the Black Sea cornbread!! The waitress recommended this to us and it was the best thing we had. I'd also highly recommend the Tunisian steak tartare. We also had the batatas harra and an octopus dish which we didn't love and would have swapped for something else if we could. I wish I read through recommendations of what was the favorite dishes before just choosing random dishes off the menu. The restaurant is very unique because they offer small plates like dim sum. They bring around smaller special dishes that you can add to your meal. We had a fried chicken dish that was amazing. I'd highly recommend Sarma! read more

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We went there with my daughter and her beau on a Saturday night. Lovely eastern Mediterranean decor. No too loud for conversation. Menu looked great and even included a glossary. The wine list is short, not overpriced, and contains some interesting wines (for example, the red wines included a Greek wine and a wine from Lebanon's Bekka Valley). Generally these are small dishes, mezedhes, meant to be shared. The recommend about 2 dishes per person, but we ended up getting a bit more (we were hungry). Surprisingly every dish we ate was spot on: interesting taste combinations, great sauces, and delicious. I highly recommend Sarma. We will be back. read more

Ok, the rundown...Sarma is unbelievable, the Turkish, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern flavors are out of this world....im not a guy that goes for the curry style/ type flavors...but this was a very extremely good. Me and two of the fellas ate some great food. On top of ordering everything from the menu.... they hive you a check off card and at times through the night the chef just whips up things off the top of his head and they bring it out and you decide whether you want it or not and they add to bill if you do. Reallly great spot and so many different and creative places...the chefs that work there have unbelievable meals and I applaud them for bringing me closer to these flavors. Anyone who knows me will tell you I dont mess with curry or that style flavor but I decided to give it a go and man.....unreal taste. Now...the one thing that keeps me from giving it that 5th star is the warmness of the staff.... No to be fair our bartender/server was great...I wish I remembered her name but I know she had a husband who only ate the Armenian Cheesesteak from there. She was a doll and the hostess (tall , slim really sweet) who greeted us when we first came in was great also....but everyone else kinda gave you that ," what are you guys doing here vibe"...ill take the taste of the food over the restaraunt side manner but ...thats what keeps me from going 5 stars. Remember even though there is sort of a type of crowd that comes in your place.... give everyone the benefit of the doubt. And always be warm and inviting when dealing with customers. Its always nice to feel like your wanted when you come into a restaurant. Just got the feeling from everyone other than the ones I said above felt that we shouldnt eat there. Just an assumption but people walked around not smiling when they made contact with you ...lots of staring and welcoming behavior. Change the minds if the staff and this is a 5 star restaurant. Now with that being said.....the food wss Dynamite. #BuddhaReview read more

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I have read a lot about sarma and have seen friends post pictures here. So I decided to go and give it a try while I was in the area. I got the zucchini mucver and lamb kofte slider. First of all, as a Turkish I can say that nothing on the menu is Turkish (although it says Turkish in the desription). The name sarma means stuffed grape leaves or wrap in Turkish. That's the only Turkish thing about this place. Zucchini mucver sounded Turkish, (we have the same dish) but this was not what I expected. It is sort of creative fusion of different cuisines and strong flavors with a lot of pickled vegetables. For 3xample pickled broccoli, I had never even seen that before in my life. It also had lots of red pepper flakes. If u don't like spicy, maybe get something else. So the only commonality between this mucver and Turkish mucver was that both contain zucchini. Having said that, I think it was a interesting taste and am glad to have tried. As for the lamb slider, I would definitely recommend this bc lamb was well seasoned and contained tomato sauce. It reminded me of "Islak burger" (wet burger) that Turkish sell with tomato sauce on the meat. Usually beef is used and the meat patty and sandwich bread are bigger in this turkish street food but taste was similar. It also had some pickled vegetables on the side. I am not sure why so many pickled vegetables on the menu but again, I liked it so I won't complain. I did feel a little nauseated afterwards from so many spices and pickles, which I usually avoid bc pickled vegetables are supposed to be carcinogenic. Maybe it was too much for my taste and my stomach to handle. I really liked the interior. I didn't make a reservation and as a walk in, I was seated at the bar area which I think was better than the tables. I liked the detail of middle eastern themed lamps and general clean but sleek decor. One complaint is the smell from kitchen. I was afraid it will make my clothes smell. Some people may like the smell but I was not a big fan. I think they need to find a solution for it. Having said that, I think it is a place definitely worth trying once just to experience these creative dishes but I doubt that I would be back. read more

Hi All, Food poinsoning I went to Sarma yesterday and they have change the menu to prefix menu. The food was plenty however it was average and I think the quality has decreased. Also, it's so unfortunate that they do not have the menu anymore and they should have mentioned this to us before we make the reservation. Also, the price of the bill came out to be $300 and that is what I expect to spend at a Michelin restaurant and not a restaurant in Somerville . I have also got sick after my dinner last night and have a consistent stomachache. This was not a pleasant experience for a $300 bill. I hope the restaurant can understand and improve this. read more

Definitely lives up to the hype! Pros: -Most of the dishes had complex flavors. -My fav was the halloumi and the back sea cornbread. -the service was great Cons: -The ambiance is more rustic than the price point would suggest -The size of plates was on the small size. -Some of the dishes didn't have lot of flavor (falafel fries and cauliflower) read more

Great and unique food. Definitely worth the higher price point.

Came here for a girl's night out dinner and the selection was AMAZING. We couldn't decide between all the vegetable dishes so we got one of everything (yup, gluttons): sugarsnap peas - a cold dish, tasty, crisp, and sweet nectarine fattoush - a perfect blend of sweet, savory, and crunchy brussels sprout - the most enticing food. I could have eaten 5 of these cauliflower fatteh - delish. Crunchy and delightful. broccoli - yuuuuuuum artichoke spanikopita - not my favorite. A little disappointing. I love spanikopita usually, this wasn't my thing. asparagus shakshuka - perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned batatas harra - potatoes. mmmmmmmmmm. zucchini mucver - this was super tasty! lentil nachos - THE BEST EVER. I WOULD HAVE A MILLION OF THESE. We ended the night with smooth and sweet tea. This place was a fusion of flavors that amazed and satiated. Definitely go. Definitely. read more

WOW. Holy crap this is some good food. Similar in style to Oleana, Sarma knows how to create a flavor explosion in your mouth. These Turkish spices are freaking amazing. I'm beyond thankful for places like Sarma to introduce me to a whole new flavor experience. Everything is tapas style so we got a few things to share. I don't think can go wrong with anything on the menu but from experience I can attest to the stuffed mussels Istanbul street-style, squid saganaki with peppers and tomatos, and the artichoke dolma with pork sausage being very very very very good. From what I've heard from friends, the late night menu is also just as great and a fun place to grab a drink. I was surprised that the restaurant wasn't terribly crowded either. With food like this they deserve to have people lined up out the door, but I'm definitely glad I can come back whenever I want for a seat at the bar :) read more

Sarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Always great, service is friendly and professional. Menu is varied and interesting. Worth a visit.

I cannot say more good things about this place. Very innovative cooking and awesome flavors! I am impressed by every dish I ordered. Drinks are tasty too! I recommend every person in Somerville to go! Better to make a reservation several weeks ahead since they are packed all the time! You can also walk in if you don't mind sitting at the bar table. Trust me, it's definitely worth to try many times! read more

We're eaten at Sarma a few times (not enough imho) and each time we've been wowed. We were ecstatic that they've begun takeout, and had an AMAZING dinner yesterday: Brussels Sprouts Bravas, Sweet Potato Falafel Salad, Brisket, Walnut Muhammara. The Brussels Sprouts Bravas are truly genius; this dish could inspire a new religion to which I would eagerly convert. The Muhammara was breathtaking. What was really nice was the way they handled the takeout process during COVID-19; I wish ALL restaurants would visit Sarma and see how careful, thorough, and respectful they are. read more

This place makes meals a great experience. The food was food and the server was very helpful and recommended the right dishes. Seating is nice both inside and outside. I enjoyed trying new dishes here. read more

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The food is very good, service is good but the prices just don't reflect the complexity of the dishes. We liked all our dishes but weren't blown away. Also the fact that one of the colorful ceramic dishes were chipped around the edges gave me severe anxiety given we were dining with young kids. That's simply a health hazard given pottery can contain heavy metals. read more

Sarma's menu defines "mezze" as small plates meant to be shared, which brings people together. So keep this in mind when picking your partner, as sharing is not everyone's forte. You truly get to know a person by the manner in which they approach this type of dining. Do you order half of the menu from the start? Pick a few to start and feel it out as you go? If 3 morsels come on the plate, do you divide the third? Arm wrestle for it? These are all things to consider. Although the cocktails sounded intriguing, we ordered the surahi (carafe) of red wine ($22) which was about 3 glasses worth. Apparently they change what type is offered, and ours was a light, slightly effervescent red. It paired nicely with the food since it did not overpower and lended itself to variety. Upon the recommendation of our waitress (and the couple sitting at the table next to us), we started with the hot dates, the brussel sprouts bravas, and the octopus shish. The dates were delectable: warm cheese encompassed by sweet date and topped with crunchy pistachio bits. What's not to love? There were 3 of these babies on the plate, so some splitting had to happen because I wasn't giving any of that up. I see why they call these brussels bravas! I recommend upgrading with the chorizo for a more savory, meaty experience. The sauces in this dish made it truly come together, and after the sprouts had been devoured, I found myself sopping up what was left with the (otherwise underwhelming) bread we had initially been served. The octopus shish ($15) was also tasty and was accompanied by half of an avocado filled with couscous. I expected a bigger portion for the price (and because our server had said the shish dishes tended to be larger), so I would try out something else next time. Another trait that distinguishes Sarma from other small plate spots is that servers will offer you "treats from the kitchen" as you're dining. These dishes are not on the menu, and if you choose to take one they mark it on the paper at your table, dim-sum style. The only thing is that you don't know when these will come out, so planning can be difficult. After our initial 3 dishes, we wanted to see what they would bring before deciding if we wanted more from the menu, but our server couldn't let us know when (or even if) we could expect to be offered a special. Luckily after about 15 minutes a server did appear, and we landed the sesame fried chicken, which was hot, heavily breaded with sesame seeds in the batter, and served atop a cool, creamy sauce. This blend of textures and temperatures was nice, and the salty flavor was enjoyable, however I personally would have liked less breading. We also tried out the Turkish deviled egg special when that one made the rounds. This was a cool, creamy take on the classic because it included hummus, olive oil, and olive bits on top. Now we're full! 5 dishes for the 2 of us ended up being the perfect amount. And luckily a fight didn't break out over what to order or how best to divide things. As for dessert, they have very limited options of frozen Greek yogurt or donuts that you can pick different toppings to add. Unfortunately they had run out of the yogurt, so we just opted for 2 Turkish coffees. They were served in cute, patterned cups, and the flavor was just the right balance of sweet and bitter. An ideal end to our mezze masterpiece of a dinner! read more

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The food and service were really good overall. We got the set menu. The menu was overall very rich with lots of cheese, cream and fried elements. Our favorites plates were the cod fish, corn fritter, the octopus and the steak. The stuffed grape leaves with feta was our least favorite as it was very salty and so rich we could only eat a few bites. read more

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Amazing food! Amazing service! Can't wait to come back! Ambience is always inviting.

Really incredible food and service. It's ridiculously difficult to get a reservation here - and honestly I see why. My date was vegetarian so we only sampled the non-meat options, but all were phenomenal. read more

Dining at Sarma always makes me feel cooler than I am . I've always enjoyed it but they helped save my graduation day when another restaurant messed up my reservation and I'm so grateful. They had a big wait but managed to squeeze us in at the bar and we had a delightful meal. The bartender also made me a custom cocktail because I was too tired to pick off the menu, which was very appreciated. The wait people were very kind, and helped explain the menu style and food items to my out of town relatives who were very unfamiliar with this sort of dining. The lentil nachos are the MVP in my opinion but we ordered like 8 things and nothing struck out!! Consistently amazing yummy high quality. ‍ ! read more

Oh my!! The best food ever. The service however could use some improvement. I would still recommend.

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. read more

Sarma - Small and crowded space. Bar on the right. Restaurant on the left. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Very innovative menu and new flavors. Good veggie options. Must try lentil nachos! Get a seat at the bar as it's hard to get reservations!

Highly recommend! Wow what a night! Absolutely loved dinner here the other night with my husband. I highly recommend you try for a res, but if you can't get one just drop in at the busiest time on a Friday night and try your luck, like my husband and I did! Despite the fact that they were fully booked in the dining room and our best bet was to try for seats at the bar, we actually got a table in the dining room! After waiting a bit. They had a cancellation or something. So here's how your meal works. They're gonna bring you bread. Try to not inhale it. I inhaled it. Whatever it was delicious. Then you can pick and choose off the menu. It's all small plates (tapas baby!) so you get to try a ton! And don't forget that the servers will occasionally walk around specials that the chef prepared that you can take and eat. My husband and I ordered: Brussel sprouts - 10/10 would smash again Corn bread - yummy, spicy - you new Englanders need to be careful if you order this aiight Turkish cheese - so good, didn't want to share Brisket tacos - GD delicious and I would return just for these Pork belly sliders - my hubs loved these We also got one of the specials (a pork schnitzel that was so so nice) and the donuts for dessert. You better believe that if a restaurant has donuts on the menu I'm ordering them. With the donuts we got the caramel sauce and the prickly pear sauce. The prickly pear was almost like a slushy so it just wasn't what we were expecting. The caramel? Let's just say I ate it by the spoonful - literally. Don't judge me. I drank the hibiscus mock tail all night and it was delish. 5 stars - would return and fight you for a table read more

Amazing place. One of the best I ever had, as a foodie it says a lot. Hands down so tasty! read more

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What an outstanding restaurant! Each dish was a delight, unique, and flavorful. The atmosphere is calming and relaxing. Just so peaceful. Dishes were served at an appropriate pace. Not rushed at all. Part of the fun is the specials being offered table-to-table mid-meal...exciting to see additional choices for yet another tasty treat. We only ordered 7 dishes for the 4 of us and we were so full we couldn't order dessert. What a bummer. I'm sure the donuts were great. Updated review: So happy we could dine at Sarma again this year. And equally thrilled the food was even better this time around. Hard to believe but true. A new tradition. Wish we had a place this good in LA! read more

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