Beyoglu Goes Beyond

“I want to go somewhere light and airy.”

This was my only criteria when looking for somewhere to dine on Sunday evening, after a day of walking around the city in nearly 100-degree temperatures with a friend who was visiting from out of town. Since I was pretty sure that Googling “light and airy restaurants” wouldn’t help us, I instead searched under cuisine types that I thought would fit my requirements. When I clicked on the “Mediterranean” link on uppereast.com’s restaurants page, the first restaurant to pop up was one that I remembered a friend from work having recommended quite highly: Beyoglu. With reviews calling Beyoglu and its mainly Turkish fare “beautifully fresh, simple cuisine,” “unbelievably delicious,” and “friendly and fun,” I was pretty sure I had found a place to provide the light and airy feel that I was looking for on such a hot night. And I was right.

Located on the corner of 81st and 3rd, Beyoglu, with its blue mosaic tabletops and bright orange interior, looks fresh and lively, and its menu complements its appearance. After being seated in the crisp wicker chairs on the outdoor patio, our very personable waitress helped us to choose a bottle of Turkish wine and gave us some time to look over the menu before presenting us with the evening’s specials. Items like cacik, a homemade yogurt with cucumbers and garlic; stuffed grape leaves; grilled, thinly sliced lamb and beef over pita with yogurt and tomato sauce; and char-grilled swordfish with rice pilaf all sounded summery and delicious, as did all the specials. After a bit of indecision we finally made our selections.

For an appetizer, we chose the ahtapot salatasi, or char-grilled octopus marinated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and, for our entrées, we both ordered from the specials menu: grilled sea bass for me, and something called the Sultan’s Delight for my friend.

Though octopus can be intimidating if not properly prepared, ours was expertly done, light yet flavorful. Also potentially intimidating is a fish that arrives whole, as my sea bass did – before our very skilled waitress filleted it tableside, removing the head, tail, and bones as we – and several passersby – looked on with interest. Served over a salad, my fish was the perfect warm-weather meal: light yet filling and very tasty. The Sultan’s Delight, meanwhile, was just as impressive. Tender sliced lamb over a creamy eggplant puree provided one of the most unique – and absolutely delicious – flavors we had ever experienced.

After our well-cleaned plates were cleared, we were lingering over the remnants of our bottle of wine when the lightning we had been watching in the distance turned into a full-fledged thunderstorm. After hurrying inside, our waitress showed us to seats at the bar, where we finished our drinks and ordered from the dessert menu. We chose an almond pudding that was light and airy, the perfect complement to the pre-summer heat – just like the rest of our night.