Oklava began with a simple problem: nowhere nearby served the Turkish flavors our founders grew up with. So they built the place themselves.
Unable to find readily available Turkish food in the area, Elif and her business partner Aziz decided to open their own café on University Avenue. Elif, a graphic artist by trade, designed the interior herself, picked the products and curated the menu. Aziz runs daily operations — staffing, sourcing and making sure every tray leaving the kitchen meets the standard they set for themselves.
The name says it all: oklava is the Turkish word for the thin rolling pin used to stretch baklava dough down to roughly forty layers. It's the tool at the center of everything they serve.
The baklava, Turkish delights and pastries start their journey in Bursa and Istanbul, made with the finest ingredients — Turkish pistachios included. From there, the Oklava kitchen takes over: rolling, baking and finishing each tray fresh, so what reaches the counter tastes like it just came out of a home kitchen in Anatolia, not off a truck.
Alongside the pastry case sits a full coffee bar pouring KENZ Coffee and RISHI Tea — because a proper Turkish café is just as much about the coffee and tea as it is about what's under the glass.
Every pastry, baklava and dessert is crafted with recipes passed down and premium ingredients sourced with care.
A warm welcome, a glass of tea, and a seat at the table — the same hospitality you'd find in a home in Türkiye.
Elif and Aziz still shape the menu, the space and the standard — this isn't a franchise, it's their café.
"Every pastry, baklava, and dessert is crafted with authentic recipes, premium ingredients, and a passion for sharing Turkish hospitality."— The Oklava Team
Since opening its doors, Oklava has grown from a small storefront into one of University Avenue's most-loved corners — earning a City of Palo Alto Certificate of Honor along the way, and write-ups in Punch Magazine, Eater SF, Palo Alto Online and Metro Silicon Valley.
None of it changes how the café runs day to day: the same team, the same recipes, the same tray of baklava finished fresh every morning.
Baklava, breakfast, coffee and tea are waiting at 205 University Ave — pull up a chair.
