Nobody's Baby

Overview

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. 

Now, Nobody's Baby has welcomed their next guest chef to the kitchen. From Friday, January 23, Chef Aitor Jeronimo Olive brings Basque Txoko (pronounced "chock-o") to the South Yarra bustling bar. 

Growing up between Southern Europe and Melbourne, Aitor has 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, Melburnians are in for a taste of Aitor's authentic, Basque Country cooking. 

Badura and Prince say, "We're so excited to have Aitor at Nobody's Baby for the next three months. A number of cuisines and pop-ups have rotated through our kitchen – from Italian, to Middle Eastern, to the Basque Country –, and no matter the style of food, we love being a vessel for anyone to showcase their cuisine, and our hospitality remains the same – warm, welcoming, and ensuring every guest leaves feeling like they've made a friend in us. The convivial nature of Aitor's rustic Basque cuisine fits so perfectly with what Nobody's Baby is about, and we're stoked to be his first home in Australia."

While working your way through Badura's Basque-inspired drinks list, snack on gildas and oysters with pickled Basque chillis, rye bread with smoked whipped butter, and pickled white anchovies with garlic and olives. More substantial plates include charcoal-grilled eye fillet with veal jus and a fish of the day with salsa verde and clams, served alongside Basque favourite confit piquillo peppers and papas fritas. Finish on a sweet note with Frank Camorra's creme caramel, or a classic burnt basque cheesecake.

Aitor says, "After a career of cooking all over the world, I'm so looking forward to settling back into Melbourne, and sharing the food from the other country I call home. Nobody's Baby feels like a natural fit for Basque Txoko, which literally translates as "nook" or "cozy corner" in the Basque language, but more generally in the Basque region, it's a space where food, friendship and tradition converge. Tim and Gustavo have been so generous with their space whilst I look for a permanent home for my next restaurant in Melbourne, and I couldn't think of a more perfect place for the pop-up."

Images: Basque Txoko images, Mads Rehorek.