Meze by Lemon Tree is a small meyhaneacross the street from Pera Palace Hotel. What we mean by ‘small’ is that there are only seven tables. The owners dreamt about opening up a meyhane when they were students, which probably plays a part in the meticulous service as well as delightful presentation of dishes.
Naturally, the menu is comprised mostly of meze dishes, with the chestnut onion, tahini eggplant puree and köpoğlu being some of the must-try flavours. In addition to meze, there are also salads and warm starters like veal liver, gül böreği (rose shaped pastry with cheese), large shrimp stew with peppers and stuffed uskumru.
Main courses include meat options such as grilled lamb chops, köfte (meat patties) and veal şiş; you’ll also find seafood like fried swordfish, leer fish kokoreç (seasoned and skewered), fried angler fish and sea bass cooked on paper, in addition to other seasonal fish. Add to that the cheese plates and desserts like bananas with honey, almonds, walnuts and cream or soufflé with tahini helva, and you’ll begin to understand why we’re able to stand behind everything we eat here.
The drinks menu is just as impressive, with wines from Tuscany (Italy), California (USA), Bordeaux, Languedoc, Rhone (France), San Juan (Argentina) and Valle Central (Chile). You could also go for the rakı, vodka, gin, malt whiskey and cognac. Let’s also remind you that the mezes change seasonally.