After their official meeting at the Elyséé, King Mohammed VI of Morocco and French President, Francois Hollande bumped into one other in a Paris restaurant.
The French daily Le Parisien reported that the two leaders ran into each other at the Café Philipe in Paris. After having lunch, they headed to the Arab World Institute where they visited an exposition on Islamic heritage and culture in Africa.
Café Philipe customers were quietly having lunch around 1 p.m. when they were surprised by the appearance of President Hollande. He was followed by Pierre Aidenbaum, Paris’ third district mayor, as well as other guests, according to Le Parisien.
The French President greeted customers with a broad smile before taking his seat to enjoy a meal.
“It’s unbelievable. I wasn’t any least expecting that the President would be sitting next to me while I’m having my lunch here,” said Josiane, a café regular, who did not miss the opportunity to take a selfie with the President.
To the astonishment of patrons, another surprise was in store for them. At approximately 2:30 p.m., King Mohamed VI, currently on vacation in Paris, also entered the restaurant.
Before getting back into their vehicles, the two leaders indulged excited customers with a few more selfies, after which they headed to the exposition.
The King and President Hollande are described by French media as “friends.”
The two met on Tuesday in the Elysée where a lunch was served in King Mohamed VI’s honor.
French Moroccan writers, Tahar Benjelloun and Leila Slimani, and comedy superstar, Jamel Debbouze, were among the guests.
