turning point

so stoked to have been invited to try the new dishes on tp’s new winter menu, and they look bloody amazing!! such an awesome modern space down at ripponlea but not missing any of the great service and deliciousness of their two cozier venues short straw and collective espresso. heading back for breakfast in a couple of weeks and it’ll be hard not to give the crispy skin salmon and 18 hour pork belly another crack. if you’re up for something sweeter the french toast will be right up your alley, followed closely by the piña colada smoothie bowl.
definitely one to check out and not a chance to disappoint you, should be very high on the must visit list!

ive been here a few times for brunch and for dinner, its fabulous and ill definitely continue to visit. staff are lovely and have tried everything on the menu, which helps as the menu is creative and you might need to be encouraged to try something different other than smashed avo.

our highlight brunch meals would be the truffle scrambled on brioche, nice cream with watermelon which was so colourful, fresh and the banana & raspberry nice cream was delicious. our all time fave is the peaches and cream. the peaches were grilled with ricotta cinnamon pipped on top with fairy floss and strawberry injectors. we think this dish should be able all day, its prefect!

coffee is from undercover roasters, worth a visit.

i am certainly making my way through the long list of new cafes popping up all over melbourne. one of the most recent places i have have visited is turning point in ripponlea. i was invited in to check out the menu… you had me at brekkie date. turning point is located right beside ripponlea train station making it extremely accessible, there is also quite a bit of parking outside too. inside is open and airy with scandinavian vibes.

let’s turn it around!

we all have so many struggles in our little lives. but you can always do to turn things around. and maybe if you were go to for brunch, you wouldn’t complain, right?

i finally visited turning point and what a turn it was! the venue is ideally located next to the tram station which makes it very accessible to reach. it stands out straight away by its large windows and if you look attentively, you can even see the big neon lights from the inside inviting you over - literally! - because the letters say ‘meet me here’. once i got inside the venue i could feel the energy and positive vibes straight away and that was promptly confirmed by the staff who welcomed me with a smile and provided great great service from there start.
the whole place is undoubtedly the spot to get your coffee and brunch fix with friends and families, and even that cheeky date!

the decorations are impressive and not only do they have some tree and floral inspired paintings on the walls but there are cute little jars with a small bunch of flowers throughout the whole space. it is the true definition of ‘tropical modernism’, bringing an elegant and clear natural landscape touch to the space!

after my vegan friend arrived and going through their winter menu that had just launched, here’s what we decided to have:

- matcha porridge with beetroot poached pear and coconut soy matcha milk: it’s their new addition to the autumn menu and trust me when i say that it will be a winner and crazy popular 👏 it is so well achieved and the words that caption it are truly: nailed it 👌 seriously. i cannot even start to describe how delicious it is but trying to make it short (😏 although we know it won’t be short 😂) in terms of presentation it is outstanding and i really like the green and red contrast - i think it still represents very well the autumn traits and at the same time stands out from the usual brown and yellowish tones. very satisfying portion size. regarding the oats, they were perfectly cooked and i have to congratulate the chef on that - we all know that sometimes porridge gets too runny and other times too thick and it can become too dense and slightly unpleasant to eat but here it was perfectly achieved. plus, even though i thought it was unnecessary in the beginning and i didn’t really see the point of having milk on the side to pour, i really appreciated it and i do understand why it’s there and the benefit or can bring to the dish! even though i have nothing to add to that perfectly nailed consistency, and it was delightful to eat without any extra milk, the option to have more liquid and to be able to manipulate and add some little twists to the mix is notable and very thoughtful to appeal all palates. taste is outstanding - the matcha flavour is not overwhelming and doesn’t leave any aftertaste - and the coconut soy blend is exceptional! 👏 never thought it would work so well! one final tick of approval goes to the beetroot poached pear that is not only a brilliant idea but also gives an even more glorious look with added natural sweetness to the meal. 100% recommend - 👏 it is without a doubt an 11/10!

- piña colada granola bowl with two popsicles - i have to admit that this is a meal where people would think that adding an extra popsicle is somewhat ‘too extra’ or even ridiculous, right? well... it really isn’t! not at all! those little popsicles are made of pina colada and they are the highlight of this magnificently presented meal! the flavour is not excessively intense and they are not watery either (definitely very different from the taste of the usual sorbet!). they are not excessively sugarish either and in fact i wouldn’t mind at all even having more! the meal is very instaworthy and the coconut bowl is a masterpiece indeed but one thing i have to note here is the size of the meal - the bowl itself is quite small and portions of either of the components of the dish are lacking in quantity. also, it’s important to highlight that the ‘granola’ itself is not your usual granola, which might confuse some people - i personally was very happy with the ingredients (with buckwheat and coconut) which creates that pleasant crunchiness to the meal and again is different from other meals in other venues. the coconut cream is splendid and it’s neither too thick nor too liquid, and consistency is similar to a pudding but lighter - very pleasant indeed and i would say that what lacks in quantity gains in quality here (although more of it would be immensely appreciated by many costumers without a doubt!). i really i just wish that the portion of this meal could be twice as much! 😂👌 this is a gourmet meal in every sense of the word!

- warm pumpkin salad - quite an interesting combo. the meal itself is very aesthetic and again, stands out from usual meals from other venues. i am a huge pumpkin lover and i must say that not only was the pumpkin wedge is of good portion but it was perfectly roasted, not oily or salty, with a more soft inside and slight crispy skin - just the way it should be 👏 the pesto flavour is not very intense and while it blends well with buckwheat and almonds, i think it could be stronger or slightly improved by changing the almonds by cashews to give a more interesting flavour. it is a meal that more savoury people will enjoy and although i had the vegan version of this meal, i think that adding poached eggs to it will make it more wholesome and delicious - i will definitely do that next time and even add some smoked salmon to it!

- coco mango smoothie - i asked the smoothie to be made with coconut water instead of coconut milk, for that extra sweetness, and i also asked for extra banana for thickness and it turned out a very good combo. i was surprised by the colour of the drink - i thought it would be more yellow with a base of mango and banana but i am sure that it is the mint blended in that gives a light greenish colour to it. actually, the mint touch is very smart of the chef again and gives a touch of freshness to the drink! really liked the special touch with shredded coconut on top too.

- green goodness smoothie - my friend had this smoothie and she said it was delicious. i do think that from the ingredients it is truly the definition of goodness, because how can it not be with avocado, kale and spinach? the colour is quite beautiful too and again, it contrasts very well with the coconut sprinkles!

turning point has easily won my heart like their sister café, short straw. the team behind these places truly deserves recognition for creating a venue where you can get your usual morning coffee, at high quality, and to try something new, exciting, and be surprised by each and one of their carefully and artistically signature meals! you never know when you get to that turning point what’s hiding behind each corner and that makes life 100% more exciting 🎉 i cannot wait to visit again and be surprised by more of their creations!

we have been to turning point twice for both brunch and dinner. it is really convenient located right next to ripponlea station, which is a plus.

we had a variety of dishes and our favourites are chorizo dip, flank steak (wish there was more meat), and asado style beef ribs. in general, the food is really good. coffee was also amazing.

we love the atmosphere of the place as well. it's spacious, well decorated. we had brunch in the outdoor area at the back. it was really nice.

located opposite the ripponlea train station, turning point is a classy, inviting cafe that has plenty of atmosphere and a fantastic menu. firstly, it's a huge, light space with plenty of seating, cool neon on the walls and a massive communal table at the rear. despite it's size and popularity, it's bustling but not so bad that you can't hear your own conversations which is always a plus in a cafe if this size. we were greeted warmly by bubbly staff, and started with delicious fresh juices and excellent coffee.

i've always wanted to try 'the point of no return', the cafes spin on bircher muesli. unfortunately it's no longer served with the dry ice and glass like i've seen all over insragram, but it was still pretty and extremely tasty. the sorbet was a refreshing touch, and the creaminess of the oats married well with the crunchier elements and fruit.

the french toast was a real winner. crispy outside with a super fluffy centre, the honey joy crumble was amazing and took me back to my childhood straight away. the mini cones of lemon curd were delicious as well as cute, and along with the persian fairy floss, really added to the theatrics of the dish. we were really happy with this flavour combination.

turning point is a popular place, and is always busy whenever we've been there. with such fantastic food, lovely staff and beautiful decor, it's no wonder people are drawn to this excellent venue, and we will definitely be back.

beautiful café situated in the heart of ripponlea. love the spacious layout and modern decor.
we tried out the crispy skin salmon, french toast, onigirazu sushi sandwich & two cheese beef burger. personal favourite savoury dish would have to be the crispy skin salmon. as for the sweet options i would highly recommend the french toast recently added to their winter menu.

bringing the smoke show to a plate near you. the food was outstanding and the service was super prompt, definitely one of those hidden gem sort of places. i'll be back soon, thanks for having me in guys.

has become my new local! great coffee, food and service! love the big shared table, and great for people who’d like to study or work from there. internet is reliable and has accessible power outlets.
awesome place 😊

this cafe is open and has sooo much space! it’s perfect for those with children. i also love how there is plenty of parking. i enjoyed what was presented on the menu, there is a good selection to choose from. my favourite dish has to be the peaches and cream!

where do i start!!!!? the staff at turning point are so lovely and very friendly - great suggestions on what to order and amazing attention to detail. the food was delicious and i love love loveddd the ‘pina colada granola bowl’ - it was so fresh and i’m a big fan of coconut, and the ‘avocado smash’ was a generous serving and so yum! the atmosphere was fun, yet chilled and the cafe interior was beautiful. i’ll be back for sure and can’t wait to try out their new menu 😍❤️🥑🥥😋

cool space, cool vibe. nothing jumped out at me on the brekky menu so i went old school scrambled eggs and bacon with a green juice. it was a solid feed and a great hangover cure!

turning point is one of the prettiest cafes i've visited recently. with simple wooden interiors and plenty of greenery, its such a lovely place to stop over for a coffee and great food. lots of wonderful menu options to choose from as well as a variety of drinks. presentation is beautiful and flavours are tempting.

tucked away on a side street yet located in the heart of the suburb, right next to the railway station, turning point is a great place to hang out with friends and family. subscribing perfectly to the word ‘modern australian’ is both the ambience and menu. there is a large seating area inside and a small outdoor space too for the sunnier days. the décor is bright and cheerful with contemporary touches.

brunching on weekdays is bliss. the absence of a crowd mean that we get free rein on where we want to sit, the atmosphere is calm and peaceful, and service is more often than not super prompt and attentive. such was the case during our visit to turning point.

as expected, there was minimal wait time for our food to arrive. the truffle scramble consisted of fluffy scrambled eggs, tasty smoked trout and delicious caviar that pop, then melt in my mouth. the slightly salty caviar complemented the creaminess of the herb creme fraiche wonderfully.

the flank steak was ever so slightly tough, but thankfully not dry, and the natural flavours of the meat was overwhelmed by the overzealous use of paprika. the chips and onion rings were faultless though.

the latte was excellent. strong, smooth and full-bodied; it was so good that i ordered another cup. the vanilla milkshake was delicious but would have been more satisfying if it was creamier.