Even before launching The Black Hoof in 2008 and changing the dining landscape in Toronto forever, Jen Agg was about making connections and breaking ground. So it\u2019s no surprise that her latest project, General Public, which sits in an industrial space on Geary Avenue in the heart of Toronto\u2019s emerging warehouse district, opened in fall 2024 and instantly became a west-end hot spot. The fanfare was, of course, warranted. General Public is a striking two-level, 100-seat space with some of the city\u2019s best cocktails. The menu, courtesy of executive chef James Santon, reads like a mash-up of high-end British pub fare and old-school steakhouse.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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<\/div>\n\u201cI didn\u2019t even fully know what the colour scheme was going to be until eight months into the build,\u201d says Agg of her latest venture.<\/p>\n
While the concept of General Public was pretty firmly decided, creating the interior was a much longer process that Agg says felt pretty uncertain at times.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was literally struck speechless by the slab of green mottled quartzite that got cut and polished into the most beautiful bar top. From that, everything was suddenly so clear!\u201d<\/p>\n
Like her other spots in Toronto (Bar Vendetta, Le Swan, Grey Gardens, Rhum Corner and Cocktail Bar), General Public definitely has a vibe. The high ceilings, peachy pink mezzanine, deep green ceiling and walls, wood details, lush comfy banquettes and alcoves, the sleek wooden bar…all part of Agg\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n
\u201cNew Order\u2019s \u2018Everything\u2019s Gone Green\u2019 started playing on a loop in my head and I could just see the whole downstairs \u2014 a mix of olives, forest and many other greens, which was perfect against the backdrop of tens of thousands of dollars\u2019 worth of millwork,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I decided that the peach I had wanted to incorporate in the green scheme would wholly be put upstairs in an \u201980s cocaine fever-dream of a space. Merging the two, so it makes sense, took a lot of thought, but I feel like I achieved something by making it work.\u201d<\/p>\n
The secret to tying everything together?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all about the ferns!\u201d And the accessories, which are Agg\u2019s favourite part of the process. \u201cI am pretty obsessed with the large-scale fabric flower on the mezzanine level,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I love the bar lamps. I decided on them last minute after scrapping an earlier idea. I keep myself open to shifts and changes, but only my own. I am stubborn and defensive of my own design ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Agg has been that way ever since she opened The Black Hoof; a \u201cnose-to-tail\u201d.<\/p>\n
Now, 10 restaurants later, Agg is one of Canada\u2019s most prominent restaurateurs, able to create trends before anyone else. She also topped best book lists with her candid 2017 memoir, I Hear She\u2019s a Real Bitch. She has a follow-up book in the works, but that\u2019s under wraps for now.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will just say my next book is called They\u2019ll Toast Me When I\u2019m Dead!<\/em>\u201d Agg says. \u201cAnd they will, but too bad I\u2019ll have to be dead!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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01 GENERAL PUBLIC RESTAURANT<\/strong><\/p>\n
You can usually find Agg at General Public. When asked what her favourite dish is, she shares that it really depends on her mood. \u201cThey\u2019re all my favourites, or they wouldn\u2019t be there. But I really love the tuna carpaccio.\u201d<\/p>\n
201 Geary Avenue, Toronto, generalpublic.ca<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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02 SAM JAMES COFFEE BAR<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a Sam James loyalist,\u201d says Agg of the Toronto coffee shop and roaster with four locations spread across downtown. \u201cEven their worst pour is still pretty great, and very often the caps are perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
samjamescoffeebar.com<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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03 IMANISHI JAPANESE KITCHEN<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I always recommend the same stuff because I am such a creature of habit. But I will never tire of drinking quality sake and eating the same four things at the bar at Imanishi.\u201d<\/p>\n
1330 Dundas Street West, Toronto; imanishi.ca<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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04 ROSETTA RESTAURANT<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201cI have been doing this stupid restaurant thing too long and am under-travelled for it, but I really love Mexico City,\u201d says Agg. Rosetta, a beautifully decorated restaurant in a large old mansion in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, tops her list. The menu is creative and seasonal with a fusion of Mexican flavours and Italian techniques.<\/p>\n
Colima #166, Colonia Roma Norte, Mexico City; rosetta.com.mx<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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05 THE FOUR HORSEMEN<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201cNo trip to New York City would be complete without a long bar sit at The Four Horsemen,\u201d Agg says of the Michelin-starred, James Beard Award-winning restaurant in the Williamsburg neighbourhood of Brooklyn, which opened in 2015. Helming the kitchen at the legendary restaurant and wine bar is Nick Curtola, who has created a menu of exceptional small plates\/tapas, which pair perfectly with the world-renowned natural-wine list.<\/p>\n
295 Grand Street, Brooklyn, N.Y.; fourhorsemenbk.com<\/a><\/p>\n
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