Say hello to Babs, a wine bar channelling the pluck and schmaltz of its superstar namesake

The female-led pop-up is here for three months from Thursday.

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Got itBabs co-founders Ellie O’Brien (left) and Bec Shave are striking out together.Lily Austin

The former site of beloved Enmore cafe Saga will be transformed into Babs, a female-led pop-up restaurant and wine bar channelling the pluck and schmaltz of acclaimed American actress and singer Barbra Streisand.

It’s the brainchild of restaurant and beverage manager Bec Shave and head chef Ellie O’Brien, who introduced Sydney to Babs through a series of sold-out chef collaborations at venues such as Earl’s Juke Joint, Aplenty and Kurumac.

Now they’re striking out together, leaving behind their respective positions at hatted Newtown restaurant Rising Sun Workshop, to open Babs for a three-month stint on Enmore Road.

“Owning our restaurant was just a pipe dream we started talking about during COVID, but the industry was so volatile at the time,” Shave tells Good Food.

“The pop-up events allowed us to dip our toe in the water. They helped us to realise we could have a lot of fun playing around with food, and reignited our passion for hospitality.”

No longer a flighty ingenue, Babs’ first brick and mortar venture will open on Thursday as a walk-in only venue, with hand-printed lino-cut menus by designer Eva Balog and pink-hued crockery inspired by nonna’s display cabinet.

Pickled sardines on the menu at Babs.Christopher Pearce

O’Brien will be dishing up affordable snacks and generous plates of pasta, while Shave has curated a tight selection of minimal-intervention wines made by women, like Parley (Adelaide Hills) and Little Frances (California).

“We want to create somewhere casual and inviting, where people can come together before a show [at The Enmore Theatre] or after a few drinks at the pub,” Shave says.

“It’s the kind of place where you can come for a glass of wine and a snack without throwing a bunch of cash down.”

The Marrickville Long Lunch held by Babs last year.Christopher Pearce

Diners can expect dishes such as mussels escabeche, chicken liver gougeres and crab corn vadouvan ravioli, alongside crunchy baguettes from Marrickville bakery Goodwood. There will also be two-sip martinis, negronis and a house-made amaro that Shave is working on.

Shave hopes Babs will become a complementary addition to the Enmore night entertainment precinct and work in unison with neighbouring venues Enmore Country Club, Bar Louise and Russo & Russo to create a dining destination.

“We want to see if, rather than just a pop-up, we can sustain this as a business,” Shave says. “Hopefully, down the track, we can find a permanent home.”

178 Enmore Road, Enmore, instagram.com/babs_pops_up

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