Baba Restaurant Brings Toronto-Inspired Dining to Lawrence Park
New Yonge and Lawrence restaurant from hospitality veterans Michael Medeiros and Kevin Chen brings a café by day and snack bar by night to Lawrence Park.
TORONTO, ON — August 24, 2026 — Toronto’s Lawrence Park neighbourhood has a new place to eat, drink and gather.
Baba restaurant will open this August at 3204 Yonge Street, near Yonge Street and Woburn Avenue. The new restaurant will serve coffee and brunch during the day. At night, it will shift into a lively snack bar.
Baba marks the first hospitality venture from longtime friends Michael Medeiros and Kevin Chen. The pair first worked together at One Hazelton. They later built careers across Toronto’s hospitality industry.
Medeiros will lead the kitchen and back-of-house operations. Chen will oversee the front-of-house experience.
A Restaurant Built on Friendship and Mentorship
The name Baba means “father.” It pays tribute to the mentors and father figures who shaped the founders’ lives and careers.
That idea also shapes the restaurant’s approach to hospitality. Medeiros and Chen want Baba to feel warm, familiar and easy to visit.
Guests can drop in for coffee during the week. They can also stay for brunch, dinner, drinks or late-night snacks.
“We want Baba to feel familiar from the first visit…a place where people can stop in during the day and return at night for a completely different energy,” said Medeiros. “The concept is personal to us, but we want it to become part of the neighbourhood.”
A New Lawrence Park Restaurant at Yonge and Lawrence
Baba sits near the intersection of Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue. The location connects the restaurant to the energy of Yonge Street and the quieter character of Lawrence Park.
The neighbourhood includes longtime residents, young families, independent businesses and new residential developments. Baba aims to serve all of them.
During the day, the restaurant will offer a relaxed café experience. In the evening, it will welcome guests with cocktails, dinner and shareable snacks.
The founders also want Baba to become a true neighbourhood gathering place. Their goal is simple: create a restaurant where regulars feel known and welcome.
Café by Day, Snack Bar by Night
Medeiros and Chen built Baba around two of their favourite things: coffee and late-night food with friends.
That inspiration shaped the restaurant’s day-to-night format.
From Monday to Friday, Baba will operate as a relaxed café. The daytime menu will focus on brunch and quick service.
At night, the restaurant will become a snack bar. The evening menu will feature cocktails, skewers and shareable plates.
The food takes a distinctly Toronto inspired approach. Medeiros combines Western and Asian influences to create modern comfort food.
Opening dishes will include Mapo tofu and eggs, charcoal grilled skewers, shareable snacks and pasta.
Baba will also feature Toronto bean-to-bar chocolatier Moakable. The restaurant will use its ethically sourced chocolate in several dishes.
One example is a coffee marinated striploin. Another is a dessert inspired by Moakable’s signature flavour profiles.
The kitchen centres on a charcoal grill. It adds smoke and depth to the evening menu.
A flat-top grill will support the daytime brunch service.
Baba plans to launch with about 10 brunch dishes and 12 evening items. The team will change the menu with the seasons.
The restaurant will also work with local suppliers and producers whenever possible. The founders will draw on relationships they built throughout their hospitality careers.
Baba aims to offer an elevated experience without formal dining rules. Guests can visit for a morning coffee or a casual dinner.
They can also stop by for drinks with friends. Cocktails will cost no more than $20. Larger plates will range from about $40 to $45.
Coffee, Cocktails and a Seven Seat Bar
Baba will offer coffee, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks throughout the day.
Nick Hao, of Uh bar and formerly of Slice of Life Bar, will develop the cocktail and non-alcoholic programs.
The daytime coffee program will come from Library Coffee, a Toronto micro-roaster with an Australian inspired approach.
Library Coffee focuses on small batch roasting and carefully sourced beans. The team also highlights the unique character of each coffee through thoughtful brewing.
The brand recently ranked No. 54 on The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops list.
At night, Baba’s seven seat bar will become the centre of the room.
The bar takes loose inspiration from the warmth of a Euro-Mediterranean taverna. The founders want it to feel casual and social.
Guests can stop in for a drink. They can also stay for conversation, snacks and dinner.
A Restaurant Designed Around Memory
Baba’s interior combines dark wood, blue and white accents and mirrored finishes.
The design takes inspiration from Lawrence Park’s established character. It also gives Baba a personality of its own.
The restaurant will change naturally with the day. Sunlight will complement the café atmosphere. Evening service will bring more energy to the room.
One of Baba’s most distinctive features sits behind the scenes.
The restaurant includes a former 1920s bank vault. The founders turned the space into part of Baba’s story.
The vault will house an evolving wall of disposable camera photographs. The images will capture the founders’ friends, families and community.
This approach connects the building’s history with Baba’s personal story.
The restaurant’s food and design share the same idea. Both focus on memory, mentorship and community.
Baba will seat approximately 37 to 40 guests. The intimate size will help maintain the restaurant’s neighbourhood feel.
The team expects to add patio service later in the season.
“Baba is about the people who raised us, guided us and continue to gather around our table,” said Chen. “We’re excited to create that same sense of connection at Yonge and Lawrence.”
Baba Restaurant Hours
Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
