When he was poleaxed by Tony Abbott in 2009 he took his staff to Rubicon, in the leafy suburb of Griffith, a classy restaurant in a rich suburb far enough away from the usual haunts of the media and other political junkies to be left alone.

"The reason he comes here is because he gets privacy," owner Owen Kenyon said on Tuesday.

It's the kind of place where the internal layout allows Mr Turnbull, or anyone else (Bronwyn Bishop has been seen there recently), to tuck themselves away in a low-key manner.

When the glare of the spotlight has not been so intense, Mr Turnbull has been happy to swish into Morks on the newly developed Kingston Foreshore – where he has been living – for a $20 wok fried egg omelette or a red curry in the crowded open-plan layout.

Kingston Foreshore, due to its proximity to Parliament House, attracts plenty of residents from the political class who don't mind dropping $740,000 on a two-bedroom unit and now have an increased chance of spotting the nation's leader who has developed an affinity for the precinct.

"I'm expecting to see less of him," Morks owner Benn Ratanakosol said after Australia gained its 29th Prime Minister.

"The last time I saw him was two or three weeks ago.

"He's been in here with Scott Morrison."

In Kingston in May 2014 Mr Turnbull enjoyed a catch-up at the Wild Duck restaurant with Clive Palmer at the height of the government's concerns about which budget measures the latter would be trying to block.

Mr Turnbull and Mr Palmer, two long-time acquaintances who knew how much hyperventilation their first casual meeting caused, organised a sequel two months later when they enjoyed a cool drink at the Hyatt Hotel.

Due to the demands of his work Mr Abbott often ate in his parliamentary office. It is yet to be seen what kind of Canberra routine Mr Turnbull will display.