Just in time for Valentine's Day week, or weekend, OpenTable reveals the Top 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in Canada 2025 list. The list was compiled with 2024 data with over 900,000 diner verified reviews, along with diner ratings, reservation demand, and percentage of reviews using the tag "romantic" and other factors.
According to OpenTable data, Valentine’s Day dining 2024 in Ontario saw a 27 per cent increase year-over-year, with Toronto seeing a 26 per cent increase year-over-year.2 This year, a new OpenTable consumer survey reveals 55 per cent of Ontarians are planning to dine at restaurants this Valentine’s Day.
Toronto takes 23 of the 100 spots with the following restaurants (in alphabetical order and not ranking)...
Amal Restaurant, Toronto
AP, Toronto
Auberge du Pommier, Toronto
Bar Isabel, Toronto
Bar Prima, Toronto
Blu Ristorante, Toronto
BlueBlood Steakhouse, Toronto
Byblos Downtown, Toronto
Cluny, Toronto
Daphne, Toronto
Don Alfonso 1890, Toronto
Gusto 501, Toronto
KŌST, Toronto
La Vecchia, Toronto
Le Sélect Bistro, Toronto
Lee, Toronto
Maison Selby, Toronto
Old Mill Toronto, Toronto
REIGN, Toronto
RH Courtyard Restaurant at RH Toronto, Toronto
Scaramouche Restaurant, Toronto
Via Allegro Ristorante (Etobicoke)
See the full Top 100 List HERE along with methodology.
Dining Trends...
In addition to sharing the top spots for romance, OpenTable is serving up Valentine’s Day dining trends.
Cupid says the more, the merrier. Last year, group dining gained popularity, with OpenTable data showing a 36 per cent increase for group dining (6+) on Valentine’s Day year-over-year (YoY) and a 24 per cent increase for tables of 4. This year, 44 per cent would consider a double date with another couple at a restaurant. In the spirit of platonic love, of the 28 per cent of survey respondents intending to dine out with friends on Valentine’s Day, 76 per cent are opting for a larger group outing.
In with the new. On Valentine’s Day 2024, 78 per cent of diners opted to try somewhere new and for 2025, of the 48 per cent who plan on dining out, 79 per cent are planning on trying a new restaurant. For those looking for inspiration, new additions to the Top 100 Romantic List this year include Le 9e - Restaurant Ile de France in Montreal and Amal Restaurant in Toronto.
An experience worth savouring. Canadians are seeking more than just a meal, with experience dining, such as tasting menus or wine pairings, for Valentine’s Day in 2024 showing a 60 per cent increase YoY. This Valentine’s Day, 58 per cent of Canadians expect a special offering from the restaurant where they dine, and of those planning to dine out, 63 per cent are more likely to book with a restaurant that is offering a unique dining experience. Niagara’s The Winery Restaurant at Peller Estates and Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant are a couple of spots with pre-fixe meals for the day of love.
Love knows no (spending) limit. Canadians are investing in love as diners spend, on average, 13 per cent more on Valentine’s Day in 2024 compared to non-holiday days, with restaurants priced CAN $51 and over per person seeing the highest YoY increase in seated diners (+29%) last year. Some of the top luxe spots on OpenTable’s Top Romantic list this year include Bar Isabel in Toronto, The Five Fisherman in Halifax, and Damas in Montreal.
For the girls. Nodding to the trend of celebrating love in all forms, Galentine’s Day (February 13), a day that celebrates female friendship, saw a notable YoY increase in group dining in 2024, with parties of six or more experiencing the most growth (+87%). This year, 20 per cent of Canadians plan to celebrate the day.