Turning Point Cafe — Restaurant in Melbourne

We were invited to Turning Point Ripponlea to try their winter menu, and we were impressed! A hidden gem just across Ripponlea train station and not too far away from the tram stop.

We started off with a soy latte and a calming Lemongrass Ginger tea. The tea was perfect for a cold rainy day!

We also ordered the green smoothie and the chocolate peanut butter smoothie - the PB smoothie was bloody good! It was super rich, thick, creamy and the peanut butter flavor was exploding in the mouth, a must try here.

And for the main meal, we ordered the eggs benny and the warm pumpkin salad. The eggs benny was delicious, and the portion was super generous compared to other places we've been to recently. The beef cheek was tender, full of flavor, and it blends well with the potato rosti and that hint of rosemary.

The warm pumpkin salad was also delicious - soft, sweet, perfectly roasted, and served warm. Again, massive portion, which is always a good thing. The pesto flavor was not too overpowering, and it blends well with buckwheat, toasted seeds, and the puree. We genuinely thought this is really a great menu for winter in this city! Perhaps our only minor criticism is the lack of salt on the buckwheat but this is coming from us who are a heavy salt-eater :)

Finally, the Winter Waffles were incredible! The texture of the waffle was perfect - it was crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy within. The toppings were plentiful and we have to admit all the components work really well together, and it wasn't overly sweet either - great menu for sharing. Highly recommend trying their waffles!

Overall, amazing visit! Decorations on point, the long table is great for a big group! We would highly recommend checking them out if you're in the area...

We always enjoy our visits here and this was no exception. The peanut butter smoothie is a favourite and I went for the tried and true crowd pleasing avocado

Further update We were invited into TP to try some of their new menu items. We tried the poke bowl and the burrata dish both of which were beautifully presented. The poke for me was pretty spicy as I’m not great with heat but it’s something my partner quite enjoyed. My preference was the beautiful burrata. It was something a bit different and kind of a caprese salad reinvented as a breakfast dish.

Update We headed back into Turning Point with the free vouchers we received at the launch party. I loved their peanut butter smoothie which was deliciously full of peanut flavour unlike many which are very subtle.

We ordered the avocado toast and the zucchini fritters dish which were both enjoyable. We also tried a couple of sweet treats from the cabinet which is just what the doctor ordered. Such lovely staff too!

Original review So much fun at the Turning Point launch event last night. We celebrated ahead of today’s grand opening with a few espresso martini’s with a twist, the addition of maple syrup. The renovation is lovely and has transformed the venue into a more modern space. Food wise we sampled a selection of canapés executed by the head chef, some of which such as the zucchini fritters feature on the new brunch menu. With such a passionate team and extensive experience behind them this is guaranteed to be a...

Finally made it to Turning Point and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's bright and spacious inside with a beautiful yet simple interior. We were shown to our table quickly and given time to look over their delicious sounding menu. They offer breakfast for most of the day, and lunch from late morning, so there's a lot to choose from, but I decided to go with the Two Cheese Beef Burger, but just asked them to hold the brie. The mix of pickled onions and English mustard, gave it a nice punch and a distinctive difference to other burgers out there. The fries with it were spot on; perfectly cooked and tasty. I will say, however, that another reviewer (or two) were right when they said the brioche buns were dry and crumbly. I really wish restaurants and cafes would give you the option of a bun. I don't like brioche buns (mainly because I don't like sweet and savoury together), because they CAN be dry, and this is the part where the meal let us down just slightly.

With that all said, I really recommend Turning Point for either breakfast, lunch or brunch. Parking CAN be brutal (it's right outside a train station), though yesterday there were cars pulling in and out of spaces, so you can be lucky. It's worth it though, because the food is good and I cannot wait to come back and try other items they have on offer (which can also extend to their cabinet of treats near the cash register where they sell items to go, if...