Local News
Belgium’s crown princess made a stop at one of Greater Boston’s most in-demand restaurants ahead of her Harvard Kennedy School graduation.
The brisket shawarma at Sarma Restaurant in Somerville. Jonathan Wiggs / The Boston Globe, File
Long considered one of the most coveted dinner reservations around Greater Boston, Sarma can now count literal royalty among its clientele.
Members of the Belgian royal family — in town to celebrate Princess Elisabeth’s graduation from Harvard Kennedy School — made a pit stop at the Somerville staple Tuesday evening, Sarma confirmed.
Eagle-eyed Reddit users first noted the royal visit and reported sightings of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Princess Elisabeth’s parents. However, Sarma staff was unable to say which members of the Belgian royal family dined there, or what they had to eat.
“At this time, all we’re able to confirm is that they did dine with us last evening,” Service Manager Dan O’Rourke said in an email.
The popular mezze restaurant, which Boston magazine dubbed the best in town, has been known to maintain a reservation waitlist in the thousands as foodies clamor to sample Sarma’s Mediterranean-inspired fare.
The heir apparent to the Belgian throne, Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, graduated from Harvard this week with a master’s degree in public policy. She is expected to celebrate her graduation with a sailing trip across the Atlantic Ocean, according to Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
King Philippe of Belgium takes pictures of Crown Princess Elisabeth and Queen Mathilde during a graduation ceremony at Harvard Kennedy School May 27. – Benoit Doppagne/Belga, AFP via Getty Images
Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.
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