Willsmere Station Café And Wine Bar

The Verdict

Don’t get us wrong, there’s nothing like perfectly poached eggs and getting the right amount of froth in your latte. But sometimes you’re after something a little different, a little spin on the classics.

And this is why you’ll love Willsmere Station Café and Wine Bar, for its unique blend of Melbourne and the exotic South of Turkey.

“I wanted to create a place where the locals can come and try something new without having to venture out of their area,” says owner Akin Celik.

Located in the quaint Willsmere Village, the café and bar derives its name from the actual railway station on the old Outer Circle train line that used to run through the suburb, dating back to 1891.

At Willsmere Station, they offer an all-day dining menu, combining contemporary modern dishes and authentic Turkish flavours, with a setup that features a strong pink motif with neon lights, a hand-painted pink wall and a bubblegum pink coffee machine.

By day the café serves up breakfast with dishes like the Menemen, Turkish style scrambled eggs with peppers, tomato, onion, garlic and house flatbread. And then there’s lunch too, with six delicious options including the fish flatbread with sardines wrapped in vine leaves, dill labneh, mixed salad and fusion fish sauce.

Come night-time, Willsmere Station sets the mood and transforms into an intimate dining and wine-bar experience. For dinner, definitely try their Manti, their Turkish mini beef ravioli with garlic yoghurt and pepper butter.

Their wine list speaks to the character of the restaurant, being a combination of both local and international drops, with many Turkish varieties along with Victorian, South Australian wines and more. They’re even slinging cocktails, too.

And for dessert, their kunefe steals the show, both on their Instagram and in real life. Their Kunefe is made from Kadaif pastry wrapped around stretchy cheese, with Turkish ice-cream and orange blossom syrup.

Their house-made waffles are also extremely popular, served with Turkish ice-cream, pistachio, white chocolate and apple crumble, with seasonal fruit and cacao nibs. Our hot tip: don’t forget to ask about the different ice-cream flavours they have on hand. And keep your eye out for their weekly specials.

Image credit: Supplied