turning point

spacious and comfortable interior with different seating arrangements (single by the window or communal on the large table, etc). i loved the french toast, both presentation and fun collective of components. try this for something that's not a boring breaky. it wasn't too sweet either so that was good. food took a little while to arrive but staff were polite. would love to come back to try their lunch menu.

i was a bit let down by this place. we ordered the vegan euphoria, chips to share and the salmon with zucchini parpadelle. it all sounded very promising and looked nice when it came out but the meals were very average. the composition was not well balanced. every texture was mushy, the dishes needed some crunchy accents and there was no balance of acid or flavour so the meals were all extremely bland. i enjoyed the hot chips better than anything else. no wonder the place was empty. they probably just need to get back to basics a bit and do it well. ambience was nice though.

turning point is definitely worth a return visit! great, convenient location right in front of ripponlea station, a large, modern fit-out, awesome cafe staff and great variety on the menu- what more could you ask for! every dish i have tried here has been delicious, particularly recommend the burger, as the inclusion of brie cheese is just heavenly 😊

spacious & inviting looking cafe but we didn’t felt any warm hospitality stepping in. coffee was ok, enjoyed the french earl grey. we shared the three point turn big brekkie but found it rather oily. not in a hurry to return.

as a sister restaurant of collective espresso and short straw, you know that the food and service are going to be great.  easily accessible, located just off glen eira rd, right opposite ripponlea station with parking out the front.

the interior is bright and modern with loads of natural light and today the space was toasty and warm so we could peel off the layers and enjoy the afternoon sunshine coming through the windows.
there's a small enclosed courtyard out the back, a large communal table, and plenty of smaller tables, so there is never really a wait for a seat.

i had the truffle scramble and it was fantastic - silky eggs served on toasted brioche with smoked trout, yarra valley caviar and herb creme fraiche.  the sweet brioche was a beautiful accompaniment to the salty fish and i would absolutely order this again.

the french toast is new to the menu, although sadly they'd run out of mini cones, so my pics are lacking that extra magic.  deliciously sweet, stuffed with tangy lemon curd and what tasted like plum jam; topped with fairy floss a coconut icecream that was the bomb.

hubby had the two cheese beef burger - a thick angus patty on brioche with melted cheddar and brie, served with paprika fries and a thickshake.  the burger was gooey and luxurious and the fries were sweetly spiced - this is a big meal so make sure you're hungry!  
the only down side was that the shake came in a plastic cup (with a lid) and a plastic straw.  i actually found this quite surprising considering how on point and progressive the owners and chefs are in all other areas - and that fact that they're serving metal reusable straws to the customers who order other kinds of drinks!  i did chat to our lovely waitperson about this and she said that they're trying to create that authentic american vibe with this meal.  we think it would be a great idea if they swapped out the plastic for metal milkshake cups and did away with those plastic straws - your customers will love your sustainability :)
**update 25/7/18 - turning point have know let me know that they're using up the current stock and then committing completely to paper and reusable straws - yay!**

it's easy to see why turning point is a local fave, consistently churning out amazing coffee and beautiful, tasty, creative food with a smile.  they currently have a bottomless brunch with unlimited mimosas/sparkling for $45.  also it's a great place to drop in for casual coffee and cake for only $8
we always have a fab meal and will be back again soon - thanks so much for having us!

we visited turning point on the weekend and had a great time. i don't live near rippon lea, however i love the area and am so glad i got the chance to make it over there at last!

the interior of turning point is light, open and fresh. there are plenty of places to sit which is handy on those busy weekends. we chose to sit outside (out the front of the cafe) which was undercover, luckily as it was raining!

we had an english breakfast tea and a latte to begin with, and neither of us had any complaints. the latte was lovely - just the right strength for me and nice and hot which i like. we also had a banana smoothie which was beautiful - you could really get the creaminess of the ice cream - delish!!

my husband ordered the french toast and i was lucky to even get a try he devoured it so quick! the little mini cones were so cute and delicious - i absolutely love lemon curd, and the tang just gave an extra element to the sweetness of the dish. the coconut ice cream was a real highlight for me - it was gorgeous. i could eat a whole container of it, and the honey joy element took me back to primary school - one of my favourite treats when i was little, which was a nice memory to have :-)

i ordered the three point turn and most certainly didn't regret it!! i absolutely loved it and nearly got through it all. it's a huge hearty dish, i love big breakfasts and this was no exception. the eggs were silky and cooked just the way i like them scrambled. i loved that the tomatoes were topped with relish - just something a little different from the usual plain roasted tomatoes. i added avocado which i'm glad about, as it balanced out the saltiness from the bacon, eggs and house made beans. there is also an option to add halloumi - which i really wanted to but i went with my better judgement as i knew it would be too much for me!

overall a beautiful breakfast, and a really nice experience. the girl who served us was lovely and helpful - we stayed for about a 10 minute chat after we finished our meal, which is always a good sign! thanks for having me turning point, i will be back as soon as i can! :-)

3.5 of 5
this is a very vibrant functional cafe in front of the train station, with patrons of all ages, and a traditional modern selection of dishes. i had the vegan breaky with added egg and it was really flavoursome and a good portion, and the egg perfectly poached. i didn't like their coffee, a bit too milky for my taste. service was fast and friendly.

i recently visited turning point to try out their new winter menu. we ordered the pina colada smoothie bowl and the warm pumpkin salad along with smoothies to drink.

both dishes came out beautifully presented, although the pina colada smoothie bowl served with a coconut shell was a complete knockout.

the warm pumpkin salad is perfect for winter, i loved it so much i want to try and recreate it at home. i highly recommend that you add the optional poached egg and halloumi, they compliment the dish and the runny yolk helps bind it together.

the smoothie bowl was refreshing and a great healthy way to start the day.

overall i had a lovely experience at turning point. i recommend that you check them out if you’re in the area. i rate turning point ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5. thanks again for having me.

turning point is the newest venture from chef jose chavez (short straw) and is a bold, bright beacon on the ripponlea brunch front. filling the spot left by hawk and hunter’s departure is ripponlea’s turning point cafe. being visible from the train station is a great location, and this large unit really does stand out, with its...

the foodie masterminds behind shortstraw and collective espresso have struck gold again with turning point. like their other cafes, turning point exudes the same classic melbourne cafe destination vibes (with the added bonus of doing dinner on some evenings too).
we arrived at around 2.00pm for a late brunch/lunch and shared a few dishes.

the glazed salmon - the best salmon dish i’ve had out in a long time! the glaze was deliciously sweet and salty and the salmon cooked to absolute perfection. the vibrant salad was colourful, crunchy and fresh which was perfect for balancing the richness of the salmon. i would come back for this dish in a flash!!
vegan euphoria - a fantastic healthy option with an array of delicious elements like veggies, quinoa, raisins etc. the presentation was also lovely (it reminded me of a little garden).
peaches and cream - a unique sweet option that really surprised us (in the best way!). the fruit was the star of the dish with the cinnamon ricotta providing a wonderful alternative to traditional cream. we also loved the crunchy cornflakes for some fun texture.

most new cafes need months (at a minimum) or even years to really fine tune and establish themselves. however, turning point is already there (and i suspect it’s been ‘there’ for a while). the menu is excellent, the atmosphere and decor are gorgeous (i really love the neon lettering on the wall - see pics) and the food was very impressive. i’m counting down the days until i can return and order that salmon dish again!!
(we dined as guests of turning point).

turning point is a beautiful cafe located in the quiet and leafy suburb of ripponlea. the staff are so accommodating and friendly. coffee is great and the dishes are super innovative. i got the chance to dine for free with a voucher given to me upon attending the restaurants' recent launch/rebrand. while i was tempted by the more unique dishes on the menu, the hearty big brekkie won me over. that being said, i'll definitely be back to try the other breakfast options as well as the cocktails and evening menu. keep up the good work guys!

a new cafe replacing hawk and hunter, turning point is freshly designed, complete with a full wine cabinet, a wall-spanning neon “meet me here” sign, and not to mention, a projector display showing the latest disney cartoons guaranteed to entertain the kids. our two savoury dishes were thoroughly impressive – at a point where brunch dishes have become quite meshed together, the truffle scramble and eggs benny left lasting impressions in my mind and palate! this was perhaps our most polarising experience, as the watermelon salad sweet dish was simply disappointing. regardless, if you order the right things – this cafe is definitely a must-try.

farejournal x turningpoint

after taking over beloved hawk & hunter, turning point is setting a new benchmark in the cozy neighbourhood of ripponlea. nestled against the backdrop of the ripponlea train station, the venture, from the creators of collective espresso and short straw has sparked much conversation and appeal. doubling as a eatery and wine bar - the menu and beverage selection will not disappoint. staff are hip and laid back, but are interested in the customer. ours talked us through and recommended some of their favourites.

we started off with the peaches and cream dish - this came plated with grilled peaches, corn flakes with oozy honey, fairy floss and most excitingly... sweet, sweet strawberry injectors 😍 this was flavour overdrive but absolutely hit the spot. each flavour complimented the other to make it an all round incredible dish, the peaches fell apart in our mouths.

from the lunch menu, we enjoyed the glazed salmon fillet. it was presented on a bed of vibrant salad of cauliflower couscous, pomegranate and colourful capsicum. the salmon was probably the best we’ve had the pleasure of tasting in a café. it wasn’t over cooked like majority of places and the couscous packed a great texture alongside the salad flavours.

baristas certainly know what they’re doing... reference the photos of the beautiful coffee art.

we will certainly be back to turning point- maybe even to have the pleasure of enjoying some dinner with wine.

discover melbourne’s fare.

farejournal

bring back hawk and hunter.

sorry guys... was there today and had the worst service. not even worth mentioning the food when you have to beg a waitress to take your order and food arrives half an hour later, and one persons at the table took another half an hour to come.

waitress was doing us a major favour serving us.

there are many more places that want people’s business.

will not be returning...

i visited this cafe for lunch today and what a bright, welcoming place this is. i loved the interior, especially with all the light and touch of greenery. the coffee and hot chocolate was a good start for a cold sunday.
i then had the smoked salmon which was a nice light meal. the salmon was cooked to perfection and came on a salad of cous cous, peas, cauliflower, cabbage, onion, capsicum and mushrooms.
my friend tried the angus beef burger and raves about it. the chips were crispy and delish.
we then shared the peaches and cream for dessert: the cinnamon ricotta was beautifully balanced and the highlight of the dish. the corn flakes added a nice, sweet crunch. the fairy floss added some sweetness too. the peaches were spiced and a little too overpowering for my palate (i think it was star anise?) but all in all a nice dish.
thanks for having us guys!