Best Date Night Restaurants in Toronto
By Natalie DiScala / Oh! Travelissima
Valentine’s Day is around the corner and if you’re looking for the perfect romantic corner table for you and your someone special, look no further than this list of suggestions from Toronto-based bloggers who know the city inside out. From new Toronto hot spots to tried and true favorites you’ll love returning to over and over, these are the best date night restaurants in Toronto, according to the experts!
Colette Grand Café
If you can’t actually be in romantic Paris for Valentine’s Day, the next best thing would be to book a corner booth at Colette Grand Café in Toronto. The Parisian-inspired café and restaurant is the ultimate date night spot with cozy nooks, a classic marble bar where you can sip on a cool glass of champagne pre-dinner, and perfect sharing foods like oysters. Speaking en français is optional, but can only make Valentine’s Day that much sweeter. —Jennifer Weatherhead Harrington, Travel & Style
Enoteca Sociale
Enoteca Sociale is the ultimate date night spot for my husband and me. It’s not too fussy or overpriced, and we feel like it’s casual enough that we can just relax together after a long week. We pick this restaurant without any hesitation – I don’t have to worry about getting super dressed up and it was a five-minute drive from our home at Queen and Dufferin streets. We usually each start with a glass of wine, share an appetizer, and I always order the bucatini all’amatriciana that’s made with pancetta, a rustic tomato sauce and a nice thick bucatini pasta to enjoy under the candlelight. — Lisa Ng, This Beautiful Day
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Cafe Boulud
One of the best spots for a splurge and date night is at Café Boulud at The Four Seasons Toronto. There is nothing better than the four-course dinner with wine pairings by sommelier Drew Walker. Book a table for two, preferably the two-person sofa seated at an elegant quiet table, and savor the award-winning Michelin-star cuisine designed by chef Daniel Boulud and Tyler Shedden. After your French-infused dinner, retire to D Bar for cocktails and if you are truly feeling up to continuing your date night until morning, book a suite at the Four Seasons and enjoy an evening of chic contemporary luxury. — Deb Corbeil, ThePlanetD.com
Scaramouche
Though Canoe may have the best views of the Toronto Islands, Scaramouche has a spectacular view of Toronto and the CN Tower from the famed One Benvenuto Place. The subdued restaurant tucked uptown in an apartment building is one of Toronto’s most romantic with a well-executed Italian menu. The sophisticated setting is perfect to share dishes such as roasted chicken, filet mignon, and fresh tagliatelle. Of course, the piece de resistance is the iconic coconut cream pie, perfect for two. Keep your radar up for Chef Keith Frogett’s Lobsterlicious menu, offered every winter (this year through February 4). — Natalie Taylor, freelance travel writer
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Playa Cabana
Who says date night has to involve white tablecloths and an easy-listening soundtrack? One cuisine that pretty much pleases everyone is Mexican, and one my favorites in the city is Playa Cabana, the original of the now four-chain brand. They don’t claim to be authentic or traditional, but what they do serve up is really good. Favorites include the housemade chips (that usually arrive warm) and salsa, to-die-for tacos, and completely addictive margaritas you can order by the pitcher. The seating inside is limited, so it’s a cozy squeeze next to your companion, which is never a bad thing when you’re on a date. — Steph Gray, Travel & Style
Terroni
Our favorite date night spot is one that holds sentimental value. We only discovered Terroni, the original location on Queen Street West, after my oldest child was born 12 years ago. We were frazzled new parents desperate for a night out and my sister-in-law and her husband insisted they’d watch our baby so Ish and I could go out. They suggested the Italian eatery — it had a lot to live up to. As sleep-deprived parents, we didn’t have the energy for a stuffy, snooty restaurant but we also weren’t looking to do fast food. We knew we only had this night for a while and if it was a bust it would be a nightmare. It was spectacular. We’ve been back dozens of times since. There’s something about the laid-back atmosphere and incredibly simple but delicious offerings that bring us right back to that first time. We lean back in our chairs, order up favorites, chat with our waiter, and suddenly the world outside disappears. Anytime we need a relationship reboot, we head to our spot. — Heather Greenwood Davis, GlobetrottingMama.com
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The Keg Mansion
We definitely don’t do date night as often as we should. And because of that, we never know what the “good” places are to go to or whether or not we could even get a table. So for our most recent night out for dinner sans enfants, which was probably our first in close to a year, we headed (without hesitation) to the Keg Mansion. We can count on a great classic steak dinner, it’s not a pain to order around my husband’s gluten intolerance, and we don’t suffer from sticker shock when the bill comes. Plus, to this day, I’m still fascinated by the history of the place (there’s a rumor that it’s haunted), and not being smack dab in the heart of downtown means we’re not held up by traffic getting there or heading home. I just realized how boring I’ve made my life sound, but it’s truly a treat to get out just the two of us, so this tried and true staple pretty much guarantees an enjoyable night out! — Corinne McDermott, HaveBabyWillTravel.com
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