General Public Restaurant — Restaurant in Toronto

General Public has emerged as one of the most talked-about spots in town, offering an elevated take on British cuisine. Known for both its sophisticated atmosphere and inventive menu, it strikes a delicate balance between trendiness and comfort. The interior is a standout—modern vintage design featuring pale wood and rich green accents creates an inviting, stylish space that immediately sets the tone for a memorable dining experience.

My previous visit to General Public was centered around their happy hour offerings. The gin and tonic is exceptional, crisp, and refreshing with a perfect botanical-to-tonic ratio. Equally impressive is the burger—cooked to a flawless medium-rare, complemented by caramelized onions and indulgent bone marrow, delivering a depth of flavor that makes each bite a revelation. The fries, despite being thicker than I typically prefer, are executed to perfection—crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and subtly seasoned with malt vinegar powder. This detail prevents the fries from becoming soggy, while the gentle acidity keeps them irresistible.

Unfortunately, my recent dinner visit didn’t quite match the high bar set by my previous experience. The mussels and clams were a notable disappointment. Without their signature brine, the shellfish lacked the sweet, mineral notes that make them so appealing. Instead, they were overcooked, resulting in a texture that was more reminiscent of fried batter than the delicate richness I had hoped for. It's clear that careful handling and timing are paramount for such dishes, and here, they fell short.

On a more positive note, the martini was impeccable. Smooth and dry with the perfect olive, it was an expertly crafted cocktail that stood out as a highlight of the evening.

The bangers and mash, though promising, didn’t quite live up to expectations. The sausage, made with local pork, marjoram, and black pepper, had the potential to shine, but unfortunately, it was slightly overcooked and dry. While the marjoram provided a pleasant herbal kick, the overcooking diminished the natural quality of the meat, leaving me wanting more from such a simple yet classic dish.

For dessert, the Banoffee pie, a beloved British treat, missed the mark. The bananas, while sweet and ripe, overwhelmed the other flavors, drowning out the salted caramel and whipped cream. The latter, in particular, lacked the necessary sweetness to provide balance. The pie base, though firm, had an unexpectedly chewy, granola-bar-like texture that didn’t quite align with the traditional crisp, crumbly crust associated with this dessert.

While my dinner experience fell short in certain areas, I still recommend General Public for its happy hour and signature dishes like the burger and gin and tonic. However, for those seeking a more consistent dining experience, there is room for improvement—particularly when it comes to execution of key dishes. Despite these inconsistencies, General Public remains a noteworthy destination in the local dining scene, with plenty of potential for...

I originally posted this review on Yelp. I repurposed it here on the Google, where, you know, people might actually see it? ¯(ツ)/¯

Running along the Canadian Pacific railroad tracks just north of Dupont lies Geary Avenue, a short stretch of industrial units in an area that smacks of a DIY, entrepreneurial, not-afraid-to-get-your-hands-dirty work ethic. Which makes it a truly fitting spot for Jen Agg to set up shop.

General Public's interior is pure visual poetry. All green and woodworky when you enter, and more coral '80s the higher up you go.

I've had dinner and lunch at GP so far. Both menus are creative and accessible; grounded in the familiar but done in exceptional ways. Everything was delicious

The lion's mane schnitzel was incredible. The wedge salad was creamy with pops of salty, sharp blue cheese. The dressing on the endive salad was moreish. I can't even fathom how much work went into the potato roulade, but it was worth every second.

And theirs rivals the Gold Standard for the best breakfast sandwich in the city. (I had it without ham.)

The beer selection is well curated.

The General Public lager is a crowd-pleaser with its pleasant bready malt balanced with crisp noble hops. Burdock never disappoints.

The Blood Brothers Sunny Ra is a wild ale that rivals Petrus or anything I have had from Jolly Pumpkin.

I didn't catch the name of the Blood Brothers pale ale they served on nitro, but it felt perfect for the space--very reminiscent of English cask ale.

They also serve wine.

Switching gears a bit. This is more about reviews I have seen elsewhere than anything here, but I only review here, so... this is a sort of subtweet, if you will. And if you won't, stop reading now.

To people who price or portion-size bash I say: I get perceived value, it's a thing, but if what you're after is a giant plate of food for not a lot of money, maybe Mandarin is more for you? (Nothing wrong with Mandarin, mind you. Just saying. Pick a business model that works for you and you'll be all the happier for it.)

And to people who see a price on a menu, order the thing at the price they saw, and then complain about the price...knock it off.

As consumers we seem completely separated from the way things are made and what is involved in making them. Karl Marx called this the commodity fetish. The idea that we tend to see the things we buy as only finished objects–the end product–without understanding all of the labour and other factors involved in the production of said things. Because of this basic dynamic of capitalism, many people can guilelessly complain that a dish that was tirelessly constructed by many dedicated hands was overpriced. It sucks when so much of people's hard work is diminished and devalued by someone price-bashing.

Anyway. Jen. Jake. David. Aurora. Meg. James. Jess. Kaythi. Zane. And anyone else there whose name I don't know, thank you so much for your hard work and for helping to make spending time at...

I’m going to write this through a lens assuming that it was just an off night the day I went to sooth myself. I actually have been meaning to try this place and I thought it would’ve been great to take my partner out for his birthday.

The dinner was a while ago (peep photo timestamps), but I still feel frustrated about the experience. I want to start off with the good, being the ambience with the bustling brassiere vibe and different space segmentation.

Anyways, we allowed ourselves 2 hours for dinner before going to a planned party and we thought that it was enough time to eat at a good pace. We ordered caviar bumps for two, the popcorn clams and mussels, the happy hour burger, the pork chop as a main protein, broccolini and fries.

Our waiter told us they would course out the items and we agreed. In hindsight, we should’ve just asked for everything to come out when ready if I’m being honest. The appetizers came out promptly. There was nothing to complain about when it comes down to a tiny bump and some fried clams and mussels (although I think there could’ve been less batter crumbs in the bowl). After eating our appetizers and awaiting for what would make sense being the fries and burger, we fell silent as we exhausted our conversations for the night waiting for the next dish to come out. Who knew it would take 36 minutes! Maybe I’m being uptight ‘cause to me that feel wrongly long.

While we waited and clearly frustrated, we see other tables (who I can audibly hear around us) order some same items as we have and get their food before us… mind you this was after we ordered. I’m trying to look at our waiter to get their attention but they just zoom by so we’re just sitting and waiting in silence. What also really upset me was that the table beside me was getting amazing service and their waiter was apologetic for some issue that happened so I was quite offended seeing the contrast of treatment.

Finally after some time, I guess our waiter notices us visibly upset, hangry even, and our burger magically appears with our broccolini after 36 mins (timestamp) from our appetizer. I want to say that the burger was probably the best thing we had. The flavour was there with the patty and the bun was good, not soggy so that was solid. After we gobbled the burger, it was followed by the pork chop which was quite cool, dry and slightly tough.

As we have 3 pieces of pork chop left to finish on the plate, for dessert we finally get our fries after also some 10 minutes to end off this night. But a birthday can’t be completed without a candle! So, our waiter lit a candle in an empty bowl for my partner to make a crazy birthday wish with 😜

I hear their desserts are amazing so it sucks we didn’t try them and won’t be back anytime time soon. I think if it weren’t for this delay and service, the experience would’ve...