A small pastry house specialising in bukme, the thin-dough Afyon pastry typically filled with spiced lentils that locals favour over standard borek. Sold hot and freshly rolled, it makes an easy, filling snack. A good place to try a lesser-known regional staple.
Bukmeci (Lentil Pastry House) is a small specialist pastry house in central Afyonkarahisar focusing on bukme, a thin-dough pastry specific to the city and its surroundings that is less well known outside the region than borek or gozleme but equally embedded in local food culture. Bukme is prepared with a stretched, unleavened dough pulled thinner than borek dough, filled with spiced red lentils (mercimek), folded and griddle-cooked rather than oven-baked. The result is a soft, yielding pastry with a filling that is more aromatic and less oily than standard borek fillings, making it a lighter but highly satisfying snack or light meal. The shop also produces cheese bukme (beyazpeynirli) and conventional borek for those unfamiliar with the local variety. Items are prepared fresh throughout the day and served hot, typically cut into portions suitable for eating on the go or at the small tables provided. The price per portion is very affordable — around 25-50 TL — making it one of the best-value regional food experiences in Afyonkarahisar. Visiting the bukmeci is a useful complement to better-known Afyon food stops: while kaymak and sucuk dominate the city's culinary reputation, bukme represents the everyday grain-and-pulse cooking at the heart of Central Anatolian domestic life.
Signature dishes
- Lentil bukme
- Cheese bukme
- Borek
Good to know
- Known for
- Afyon bukme and pastry; known for lentil bukme
- Hours
- Daily 8AM-7PM
- Reservations
- Not required
Location
Afyonkarahisar Merkez, 03100 Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
38.7552, 30.5407 View on map
Highlights
- Specialist in bukme — a stretched-dough, spiced-lentil pastry unique to Afyonkarahisar's local food culture
- Lentil filling is lighter and more aromatic than standard borek, with less oil and more spice character
- Prepared fresh throughout the day and served hot by the portion
- Cheese bukme available alongside the lentil variety for flavour comparison
- Very affordable at 25-50 TL per portion — one of the best-value regional snacks in the city
Tips for visiting
- Try the lentil bukme first — it is the product that makes this stop unique compared to any standard borek shop
- Ask for the freshest batch; the dough becomes less yielding as it cools, so hot from the griddle is the ideal moment
- A portion of bukme plus tea makes an inexpensive but filling snack for between main meals
- Combine with a stop at Hashasli Firin and Sakala Carpan Corbacisi for a complete local street-food circuit
- The shop may close early when the day's prepared dough runs out; aim for a midday or early-afternoon visit
Accessibility
Small ground-floor premises with direct street access. Limited seating at small tables inside. The compact layout may be tight for wheelchair users in the interior seating area; counter takeaway is easily accessible at street level.
Frequently asked questions
What is bukme and how does it differ from borek?
Bukme is an Afyonkarahisar-specific pastry made with thin stretched dough, filled with spiced lentils and cooked on a griddle. Unlike borek, which is oven-baked in layers, bukme is a single-fold griddle pastry with a lighter, softer texture.
Is bukme vegetarian?
The lentil variety is entirely vegetarian. The cheese variety is lacto-vegetarian. No meat-filled bukme is standard at most bukmeci.
Is bukme available outside Afyonkarahisar?
Bukme is a strongly regional preparation specific to the Afyon area. While it may occasionally appear on specialist Turkish restaurant menus elsewhere, it is best experienced in the city where it originates.
Does the pastry house seat diners for a full meal?
Seating is limited — a few small tables for eating on-site. The shop is oriented toward quick snack service rather than full sit-down meals.