GO HERE: for restaurateur Jen Agg’s most ambitious dining project since her flagship spot, Black Hoof, opened in 2008. The dim charcuterie-and-tartare-heavy Hoof is a Toronto icon (as is Agg herself), but Grey Gardens is lighter, more nuanced, and impressive without being ostentatious. It’s equally suitable for indulgent dinners and evening nibbles at the restaurant’s walk-in wine bar.
ORDER THE: fish, which generally dominates any other protein on the menu, and for good reason. The smoked mackerel chips-and-dip is irresistible. The hand-torn pastas come in a close second. And the annotated wine list is both deep and accessible.
THE VIBE IS: chatty, with a frisson that comes from watching chef and co-owner Mitchell Bates’ open kitchen from the intimate dining room. Grab a seat at the kitchen counter if offered.
PRO TIP: Don’t miss an opportunity to snap a selfie in the aggressively floral bathrooms.
PRACTICAL STUFF: Dinner hours are Wednesday–Sunday from 5:30 to 11 p.m.; the wine bar is open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
WORTH NOTING: Agg’s own Rhum Corner, one of the most energetic, transportive bars in town, is a brisk ten-minute walk away if you’re up for a strong rum drink and nonstop Haitian-Creole soundtrack after your meal.