 
    
        Was every table at Liman, a Turkish seafood restaurant in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, celebrating a special occasion? If that wasn’t the case on a recent Saturday night, it sure seemed that way. Groups of 10, 16 and even 20 people filled its two dining rooms with laughter, smiles and liveliness.
Customers in the back had views of the water. Some had red blankets, supplied by the restaurant, draped over their shoulders to warm them from the cool breeze streaming in from the balcony.
Eric Lazar, who lives in the financial district and owns an air-conditioning company, was surrounded by relatives, and everyone at the table was digging into large platters of thick grilled octopus chunks and bowls of eggplant purée and hummus accompanied by pide, a thick Turkish bread. Mr. Lazar’s grandfather, Joseph Abramowicz, had just turned 95 and had requested Liman for his birthday party.
“I’ve never been before, but my grandfather has told me about how he likes coming here, and I understand the appeal,” Mr. Lazar said. “The food is good, and there’s a get-away-from-it-all vibe.”