The Lucas Group certainly know how to nail a brief, and the eternally buzzy and bodacious Baby is no exception. Open all day (and all week) long, the restaurant is a stalwart neighbourhood favourite in Richmond for intimate dinners, celebratory occasions, lively gatherings with friends and sundowner cocktails and snacks at happy hour. The space exudes effortless charm with sultry neon red accents and rustic furnishings, a refreshing and contemporary setting for modern Aussie-style Italian dining.
It’s easy to while away the hours here with a smartly curated wine selection that showcases both local and international producers, though the seasonal aperitivo specials and handcrafted cocktails expertly mixed by the bar talent make just as pleasing pairings with the food. There’s Peroni too, if you’re partial to the classic Italian beer.
Start with the ever-delectable burrata with roasted red peppers and pistachios and the vitello tonnato with shallot, alongside the daily selection of cured meats with pickled vegetables for snacking, before moving onto the heartier stuff. Baby’s kitchen uses the freshest seasonal produce and ingredients available with zero pomp and all of the fun and flavour of familiar Italian crowd-pleasers.
When it comes to the pizza, expect the traditional topping combinations you know and love, plus a few specialty flavours thrown in for good measure, including an indulgent carbonara pizza and a potato pizza with guanciale (cured pork jowl). There’s around 15 of them on the menu, so you know you’ll find something to tick the boxes of everyone at the table.
But while gourmet pizza may be the main event around here, Baby’s known to plate up a considerable amount of pasta for those looking for something a little bit saucier. You can’t go past the braised duck ragu served with a fun curly tagliatelle, or the potato gnocchi folded into a velvety pumpkin and sage sauce. For the carb-on-carb enthusiasts out there, the lip-smackingly good rosemary and garlic flatbread is an essential accompaniment, and maybe order a plate or two of the parmesan-crusted polenta chips served with hearty dollops of tomato salsa and garlic aioli as well.
There’s no denying that Baby’s certainly found its niche, offering a sensory, energetic dining experience guaranteed to please lovers of Italian-style cocktails, pizza and pasta alike. Go to the website to make a booking.