Midpoint Café — Restaurant in Upper Harbour

The Bumbleduck, with feathers of lime, Swam upstream, defying all time. He carried a spoon, a giraffe's long neck, And whistled a tune, a peculiar heck. The Moon wore a hat, a shade of magenta, And chased the Sun, a mischievous vendetta. The stars, they all giggled, a celestial spree, While clouds raced below, on the turquoise sea. A teapot, it danced, a jig on the breeze, While flowers wore shoes, and hummed with such ease. The trees wore their leaves, like emerald gowns, And whispered of dreams, in upside-down towns. The Clockwork Mouse, with a tail of brass wire, Climbed Mount Olympus, reaching for higher. He met Zeus there, who offered him tea, And asked for advice, "How does one sneeze?" The Sea Serpent sighed, "The ocean's so vast, My scales feel neglected, my feelings surpassed." He yearned for a hammock, a pineapple slice, And dreamt of a vacation, in a land of pure ice. The Button Man, with buttons for eyes, Collected the clouds, of the most curious size. He'd sew them together, with thread of moonlight, And fashion a quilt, for a long, starry night. The Singing Kettle, a mischievous sprite, Would travel the world, in the dead of the night. It'd sing opera tunes, to the startled giraffe, And leave behind riddles, upon every graph. A flock of pink sheep, with wings of blue silk, Grazed on the moon, and drank from the milk Of a cosmic cow, with horns of pure gold, And a moo that echoed, a story untold. The Baker's cat, with whiskers of jade, Baked bread from moonlight, a mystical trade. The loaves rose so high, they touched the very stars, And tasted of dreams, and distant, sweet scars. The Invisible Man, with a hat full of bees, Played hide-and-seek, amongst the willow trees. He'd vanish and reappear, with a mischievous grin, Leaving the bees buzzing, wherever he'd been. The Clockwork Pigeon, with gears in its head, Delivered love letters, on wings made of lead. It'd flutter and coo, a mechanical sound, And leave love notes scattered, all over the ground. The Snail with a rocket, attached to its shell, Explored outer space, where wonders befell. He'd zoom past the planets, a blur of green slime, And leave trails of glitter, across space and time. The Dancing Trees, with leaves of pure gold, Performed a grand ballet, a story untold. They twirled and they swayed, to the music of spheres, While the moon watched in wonder, through a veil of bright tears. The Professor of Rain, with a jar full of clouds, Invented a machine, that spoke only in crowds. It'd rumble and mutter, and spit out the rain, A symphony of drops, a sweet, melodic refrain. The Teacup Pig, with a spoon for a tail, Sailed the seven seas, on a never-ending gale. He'd sip his tea calmly, and watch the waves crash, A tiny pig captain, with an adventurous dash. The Sock Monster, with socks for its fur, Hid under the bed, and devoured the stir Of midnight snacks, with a monstrous delight, Then vanished without a trace, in the pale moonlight. The Clockwork Canary, with a song in its gears, Woke the whole city, with melodies of the spheres. Its music was magic, a whimsical tune, That filled every heart, with a joyful, bright moon. The Ice Cream Man, with a cart made of snow, Sold dreams in a cone, to the children below. He'd scoop up the stars, and the moon's silver gleam, And whisper sweet secrets, in a frozen ice cream dream. The Flying Carpets, with fringes of jade, Carried the dreams, of every young maid. They'd soar through the clouds, on a magical flight, To lands of pure wonder, bathed in starlight. The Talking Flowers, with voices so sweet, Told stories of fairies, with tiny, swift feet. They'd whisper of meadows, and rivers that gleam, And secrets of nature, a magical dream. The Mushroom Man, with a house in a tree, Collected the rain, in a giant teacup, you see. He'd brew it all day, a magical potion, That granted one wish, a most curious notion. The Upside-Down Cat, with fur of the night, Walked on its hands, and purred with delight. It chased its own tail,...

Booked a table of 8 for a work lunch; handy location, lots of parking and a nice indoor/outdoor ambience. I had already looked at the menu online so I knew what I was having: the big breakfast, mainly because it had black pudding, and I requested the bacon be substituted with salmon. They mentioned that this would cost extra; I had noted that the salmon was $1 more than the bacon for a side so expected the $1 to be tacked on. The meals that passed looked uniformly great so we were looking forward to receiving ours! Coffee came quickly and was enjoyed. The big breakfast came out and looked amazing, but no black pudding; apparently the online menu is old so it was replaced with kransky sausages which I'm not a fan of so that was a disappointment. The rosti was delicious and homemade, the scrambled eggs nicely cooked and the mushrooms and tomatoes nicely grilled. Everyone else enjoyed their meals, the chilli and prawn linguine looked amazing and was quickly gobbled up as were the creamy mushrooms, the chicken salad, the nourish bowl and the three meals at the far end of the table, I didn't see what they were but the was nothing left on the plate. The staff were lovely and food was beautifully presented. Went to pay and the entire cost of a salmon side ($7.50) had been added to my meal in addition to the full price of the breakfast ($24.90). I mean that's a big breakfast with a side of salmon, not salmon substituted for bacon with the $1 difference added so that was also disappointing, and a pretty expensive breakfast. So in summary, nice place, good food, lovely staff but a couple of disappointments that would be very easily repaired. The online menu should, where possible, be the same as the inhouse menu unless there are seasonal items that can't be procured, and a substitution should be charged as such. If you can't substitute, say so and allow the diner to decide to pay the whole cost of a side instead. Handy to work so we'd probably go back, and I'd have the linguini next time. Unless they get...

To the owner,

I typically don't write reviews, but I felt compelled to share my recent experience at your cafe. It was my partner's birthday, and we decided to have brunch at your establishment. The initial service was pleasant, with attentive staff taking care of us. We placed an order that included a steak, along with other dishes and drinks.

However, there was a hiccup when the steak arrived cooked to a medium-rare temperature, which I couldn't eat. I kindly mentioned this to our waitress, who offered to replace the meal. I was even willing to have the steak cooked a bit more to avoid wasting food, but was informed that wasn't possible and that a replacement would take time. We decided not to wait and were understanding of the mistake.

The situation took a disappointing turn during the payment process, where your duty manager displayed rudeness. She insisted that we pay for the uneaten steak, despite the fact that we didn't consume it at all. This led to a frustrating and unnecessary argument that lasted around 10-15 minutes. It was disheartening to experience this kind of service, as we were essentially being charged for a mistake that originated from the cafe.

This incident had a negative impact on what was supposed to be a special day, and it was the first time I've encountered a cafe charging for a meal that was not consumed due to their own oversight. I hope that in the future, your staff can handle such situations with more understanding and consideration for the...