Limonata Downtown

QUICK TAKE:  Previously located on the cinema floor of City’s shopping center in Nişantaşı, Limonata is moving out of the mall and to a new address in the Akaretler area of Beşiktaş, taking over the space where Al Jamal Badawi and Beyrouth Cafe used to be. The newly rechristened Limonata Downtown opens its doors after work hours and has a lounge area that’s inviting for a night out, with a resident DJ in the booth. Brothers Gazi and Bilal Ateş, the owners of Limonata and the rest of the venues in the Çapa Group, are offering Limonata’s classic menu along with a few new additions for the Downtown concept, including a baba ghanoush green-lentil salad and a smoked-meat salad. There’s also a selection of pide (Turkish-style flatbread pizza) that features a four-cheese-and-asparagus option and an interesting interpretation of lahmacun featuring truffles. For dessert, there’s tiramisu cheesecake and mastic Turkish delight. Limonata also has a great cocktail menu; the pink sangria and vodka lemonade are tops in our book. Interior designer Ali Türkeli has created a space that’s both bohemian and luxurious in which to enjoy it all.