Baba’s Place

Good Food hat15.5/20Critics' PickUpdated October 26, 2026,first published November 11, 2024Good Food hat15.5/20Critics' PickBaba's PlaceContemporary$$This venue is included in Good Food’s 100 Essential Restaurants list.When Baba’s Place opened in 2021, not many people were talking about Sydney’s “third-culture” dining scene, but the restaurant’s co-founders Alex Kelly and Jean-Paul El Tom blazed a trail with this kind of cooking, exploring the intersection of their Macedonian and Lebanese roots and their suburban south-west Sydney upbringings. Of course you don’t need to know this to enjoy this fun, buzzing warehouse restaurant (and Good Food’s 2025 inaugural Bill Granger Trailblazer winner), dressed up with granny-core touches including plastic tablecloths and no shortage of doilies. You just need to know that half a decade on, it’s as delicious and creative as ever. Barbecued Sommerlad chicken, served with toum, pickles and chips is a signature staple, and just that plus a mandarin gimlet is a rollicking time. But why limit yourself? Add snacks, focaccia and the house-made labne rolled in sumac, lemon myrtle and Aleppo pepper served with caldoons and mint, then finish strong with a cardamom-spiked Valrhona lava cake. With a newish head chef, Fabio Khalil, it’ll be exciting to see what Baba’s does next.Must-order: The signature tarama on shokupan toast with whey-pickled cucumbers.Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.Sign upLast visited: July 2026 More:MarrickvilleBaba's PlaceSydneyContemporaryAccepts bookingsLicensedGood for groupsFamily-friendlyDate nightSeparate barGluten-free optionsWheelchair accessCommunity hubRestaurantReviewsGood Food Guide100 Essential RestaurantsBill Granger Trailblazer AwardCritics’ PickFrom our partners