Little Baba by Amal, a fast-casual Lebanese restaurant from Toronto’s Michelin-recommended Amal, is opening at 75 Portland St.
The new quick-service location, part of the INK Entertainment portfolio, opens for dine-in and takeout on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, with delivery launching in early February. The restaurant is taking over the former Bar Chica space in King West, according to BlogTO. Executive Chef Rony Ghaleb brings the same suppliers, recipes, and quality standards from Amal to Little Baba, offering accessible, affordable, and flavorful Middle Eastern dishes in a fast-casual format.
Little Baba aims to make Amal’s cuisine convenient for quick visits, casual dine-in, takeout, and delivery. The restaurant emphasizes fresh, balanced flavors while preserving the culinary standards that earned Amal recognition, including Michelin recommendations from 2022 to 2025 and a spot on OpenTable’s top 100 restaurants in Canada in 2025.
The King West location provides a prime downtown setting, appealing to office workers, residents, and visitors seeking high-quality Middle Eastern cuisine in a fast-casual format. By converting the former Bar Chica space into a quick-service restaurant, Little Baba adds another layer to Toronto’s growing casual dining scene.
INK Entertainment, founded in 1982 by Charles Khabouth, manages a diverse portfolio of restaurants and entertainment venues, including Amal, Animl Steakhouse, Honey Chinese, REBEL, Cabana Pool Bar, Portland Square, and the VELD Music Festival. The launch of Little Baba reflects the group’s focus on expanding its culinary offerings while introducing new concepts to Toronto.
Menu highlights include sandwiches with tawook, kefta, halloumi, falafel, cauliflower, or tenderloin; house-made dips such as hummus, baba ghanoush, and muhammara; and salads, sides, and fryer items designed to travel well. The menu also includes vegetarian and vegan options, with meals that travel well for takeout and delivery. Customers can enjoy truffle rakakat, spinach fatayer, fried kibbeh, cheese sambousek, and classic salads, rice, and fries, making the King West location a convenient destination for both lunch and dinner.
