Nobody's Baby made its quiet yet confident arrival on Toorak Road in South Yarra back in April 2025. The dimly lit, alluring venue from Tim Badura (who came across from Young Hearts) and Gustavo Prince (of Pizza Meine Leibe and Joe's Shoe Store) is a neighbourhood favourite that feels both sophisticated, with complex cocktails, and laidback, with easy-listening vinyls spinning in the background. Nobody's Baby is part of a pioneering group of venues trialling a residency-type program in which rotating chefs take over the kitchen for a period of time (such as the innovative Residence at the Potter). Badura says this model "keeps things fresh, gives our guests new flavours to explore and lets us collaborate with restaurants we really admire." First up in the kitchen were the crew from Very Good Falafel, who brought Middle Eastern-influenced snacks and plates all the way from Brunswick. There were sumac-cured sardines, Hawaij-spiced chicken and olive skewers from the hibachi and pita pockets stuffed with lamb meatballs, grilled onions, sundried tomatoes, and pickled mango condiment. Of course, they also showcased their eponymous very good falafel balls with pickles, tahini and zhough. Up next were the easygoing and flavour-focused pair from Rocco's Bologna Discoteca, Zoe and Emilio. When the Fitzroy fave took up their residence at Nobody's Baby, Southsiders were thrilled that they could finally get their hands on the crowd-pleasing, stomach-filling, juicy meatball sub on the south side of the river. Their snacky menu lent itself to a footloose and fancy-free night of drinks and nibbles. Think whipped goat's curd with agrodolce, roasted bullhorn peppers with hazelnut vinaigrette, marinated anchovies with nduja mayo, and beef tartare with tonnato sauce, all mopped up nicely with pillowy focaccia. As with previous residencies, Nobody's Baby stayed only three short months. In that time, diners enjoyed playful cocktails designed to complement the Italian fare. There was the Baby Misu — tiramisu in drinkable form — and the Emerald Green, a blend of basil, honey, Montenegro and gin. Most recently, Nobody's Baby welcomed its next guest chef, Chef Aitor Jeronimo Orive, to the kitchen. Basque Txoko (pronounced " chock-o") brings Basque cuisine to the bustling South Yarra bar. While the vibrant pop-up was only planned to last for a few months, its warm welcome and stellar success thus far have meant that the team have been offered an extension of their residency until the end of 2026. "When we opened in January, I wasn't sure how Melbourne would take to it. This style of food is casual; it's meant to be shared, and it's a big shift from the fine dining I've spent most of my career in. The response has been incredible, so staying at Nobody's Baby through the rest of the year felt like the obvious choice," says Aitor. Growing up between Southern Europe and Melbourne, Aitor developed an avant-garde approach to cooking that he has taken to all corners of the globe, including opening Singapore's first Basque-inspired restaurant. Now, it seems Melburnians can't get enough of Aitor's authentic, Basque Country cooking. Now running well past its initial three-month stint, Basque Txoko has introduced an updated menu and a weekly special. Head into the bar on Tuesday nights for Hamburguesa Basque Txoko, and taste smash burgers slathered in house-made Basque sauce, a speciality mayo made with Espelette pepper and piparras chillies. The special also includes 20% off select wines. The heroic gildas, skewered with olives, anchovies and pickled chillis, remain a crowd-favourite snack, made to be enjoyed alongside picky bits such as cod and bechamel croquettes, cooked to order, and confit piquillo peppers. The star of the show is the chuletta a la parilla, a monster piece of meat dry-aged for 28 days, cooked over an open charcoal fire, and carved to be shared at the table. Pair it with a Basque Country-inspired martini, and finish with a decadent piece of Basque cheesecake, and you've got a pretty foolproof recipe for a ridiculously tasty meal. Images: Basque Txoko images, Mads Rehorek.
