Baba’s Place

From behind the roller door of an industrial warehouse in Marrickville, Baba’s Place is Sydney’s undisputed home of “inner west food”. Or in other words, a fun style of cuisine that weaves in a diverse range of influences drawn from the city's suburban immigrant communities.

To that end, the menu doesn’t champion just one cuisine or culture. Instead, you might find a nod to the city’s Greek enclaves in the form of a very photogenic taramasalata on toast. Or the middle eastern set with a barbeque chook with toum, pickles and chips. In the past we’ve seen dishes like Shanghai-style noodles dressed in a prawn and bacon XO-style sauce, dedicated to the Chinese diaspora.

The drinks list is just as eclectic, with cocktails built around rakija (a quintessential Balkan spirit) made by Sydney’s DNA Distillery. We also love the jugs of rakija-spiked Sangria for the table, and the interesting wine list curated mainly with minimal-intervention options.

To create the energy of a suburban home, Baba’s Place is strewn with family heirlooms and keepsakes, plus items sourced from op-shops and Facebook Marketplace. There are leopard-print velvet bar stools; mismatched chairs at plastic-covered dining tables; and ’80s-style wall tiles. Turkish rugs complement a fire-engine-red wall lined with old family photos.