If food is the best way to a person’s heart, a delicious meal at one of the most romantic restaurants in Toronto’s is surely the swiftest way to shoot cupid’s arrow come date night. Luckily for us, some of Toronto’s best restaurants are havens for the heart, from dazzling downtown Toronto restaurants to cheap eats and vegan restaurants dotted across the city.
The city’s current obsession with steakhouses offers a promising gambit for your next romantic restaurant night. Practice your come-hither eyes across the table as you devour rib-eyes and dirty martinis at spots like Black + Blue and Linny's, one of the newest Toronto restaurants that's already turning heads. Plus, there’s never a shortage of top-notch Italian restaurants where you can tuck into endless pasta possibilities and recreate your own Lady and the Tramp meatball moment.
You’ll find ambiance and charm of all kinds on this list of the most romantic restaurants in Toronto that are sure to get your heart beating. Easy, tiger.
28 of Toronto's most romantic restaurants
1. Linny’s
176 Ossington Ave.
Chef David Schwartz’s jazzy new Ossington deli-inspired steakhouse makes us swoon. We love noshing on the fresh challah, served with cheese and jam, before digging into melt-in-your-mouth beef cuts that are seared in an overfired boiler before being brushed with pastrami tallow butter. Schwartz isn’t afraid to get cheeky, too, with the dill pickle-dusted Shake n’ Bake Chicken. Don’t skip the hand-cut pastrami, served with fresh pickles and mustard.
2. and/ore
1040 Queen St. W.
Divided simply into “above ground” and “below ground,” and/ore oozes romance. A reservation here is sure to impress your boo. The moody upper level feels like a scene out of your favourite fantasy novel; a forest mural is decorated with dangling plants and stretches up to curved greenhouse scaffolding. Whether you’ve arrived with pookie, or are trying to catch the eye of Prince Charming, a night here is a fairytale. Below, things get sultry in the mysterious subterranean cave. Entirely separate from the “above” level, the space features a six-course tasting menu that showcases chef Missy Hui’s forward-thinking Canadian cuisine.
3. Ardo
243 King St. E.
If pasta is your love language, spend your next date night at Ardo, an unpretentious and Michelin-recognized romantic restaurant on King East that gives diners a taste of Sicily. Ardo is all about the love of food with a sense of place, and it's co-owned by chef Roberto Marotta and Jacqueline Nicosia, a husband and wife team (cute) who met in Sicily before moving to Canada to open their own restaurant together (double cute).
The dishes feature the highest-quality ingredients and, like any good relationship, aren't overcomplicated — even the simple house-made bread, with whipped butter and Sicilian olive oil, tastes special. Don't miss the pesce alla brace, cooked perfectly over natural charcoal.
From under-the-radar to Michelin-recommended, Ardo is a Toronto treasure
Ardo gives diners a taste of the Sicilian coast with thoughtful seafood dishes and lots of feel-good, old-school hospitality. Mediterranean vacay, who?
Read more4. Henry’s Restaurant
922 Queen St. W.
This West Queen West wine bar and restaurant is absolutely dripping with that slow, long-lingering romance. More casual than a fine dining restaurant, but with all the elegance, exceptional cuisine and stellar service, Henry's Restaurant is an unpretentious place to fall in love for the first time or all over again. The seasonal menu changes often, but it ranges from larger dishes like pasta, steak and cornish hen to snack plates like the addictively crunchy shrimp toast. Even the house made country loaf sourdough bread with St. Brigid’s butter is a treat. Pair it all with their lengthy list of rare bottles, and don't worry if your wine knowledge isn't up to snuff — the expert staff will guide you towards a pick that will impress your date.
Henry's restaurant patio is an unforgettable, romantic summer dream
Casual fine dining spot in Toronto, Henry's restaurant's back garden patio is as romantic as they come. Sip on wine from their novel-sized selection and dine on incredible fare in the magic of it all.
Read more5. Black+Blue
130 King St. W.
A luxurious, modern take on the classic steakhouse, Black+Blue eschews stuffiness and pretention in favour of youthful sophistication. Nestled in the financial district, the sprawling restaurant and enclosed, heated patio services the business crowd during weekday evenings, but as the night gets later, Black+Blue becomes a more sultry, romantic restaurant.
Canadian and Japanese steaks (including the elusive kobe beef) are available by the ounce with plenty of opulent add-ons of the seafood variety. But we recommend sharing the Beef Wellington for Two with your date. The delicious dish is sliced and served tableside in two perfect portions — no fighting over the last piece or over who ordered the better entrée. And it comes with a side of beautifully cooked baby heirloom carrots and mashed potatoes. For dessert, the Tableside Crepe Suzette for Two is flambéed with enough showmanship and heat to get things going. Thank us later.
Black + Blue is a down-to-earth luxury steakhouse with a beautiful patio
Tucked in the heart of the Financial District, Black + Blue is a modern steakhouse dishing impeccable food in a refined, yet relaxed atmosphere with a beautiful oasis of a patio.
Read more6. Lake Inez
1471 Gerrard St. E.
View on Instagram
Sometimes you love something so much, you just want to keep it all to yourself — that's how we feel about Lake Inez. Selfishly, we don't want to tell you how great this romantic restaurant in Little India is.
We still don't know how to fully describe the concept. The menu is refined comfort food, the craft beer is all Ontario, and the vintage furnishings are both quirky and sophisticated. OK, phew, we did it. But their Instagram captions do a better job. Follow along for beautiful stories inspired by remarkable food, or maybe it's the other way around?
7. The Chase
10 Temperance St., Fl 5
In our books, there's nothing more romantic than a date who will spring for an entire seafood tower — especially when it's brimming with unbelievably fresh and succulent crustaceans. The Mother of Pearl offering at The Chase is as show-stopping as they come: Dive into a dozen east coast oysters, jumbo tiger prawns, Hokkaido scallop ceviche, organic king salmon and an entire lobster. But if that's too rich for you, mains like lobster spaghetti and a melt-in-your-mouth veal chop are just as impressive. The beautiful cream-coated dining room and year-round patio offer two different, equally alluring atmospheres at this romantic rooftop restaurant in downtown Toronto.
Dinner at The Chase restaurant is a show-stopping seafood feast
Nestled on a rooftop in downtown Toronto, The Chase restaurant delivers unbelievably fresh seafood dishes, meaty mains and delicious cocktails in an opulent atmosphere fit for any special occasion.
Read more8. Rhapsody
214 Ossington Ave.
From the same owner as Mrs. Robinson, this resto-lounge on Ossington Avenue is just as vibey, but with a killer menu of Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) snack plates and a more romantic ambience. Above the bar, three magnificent chandeliers glisten with hundreds of tiny crystalline leaves. Along with the illuminated backbar, this is the brightest part of the restaurant, which is otherwise shrouded in a sultry darkness with only the glow of table lamps.
Rhapsody feels both like a romantic cocktail bar you could get dressed up for and a neighbourhood haunt that you could wander into on a spontaneous date night. When we visited, the DJ was remixing old R&B songs into modern, dancey tunes that we couldn't help but bop along to in our seats. The cocktails here range from crowd-pleasers to complex serves that will pique your curiosity.
Rhapsody is a super vibey spot with delicious cocktails and bites
From the same owner as Mrs. Robinson, Rhapsody is a cool new resto-lounge dishing flavourful Nikkei share plates and complex cocktails in an artsy space on Ossington.
Read more9. Short Turn
576 Queen St. W.
View on Instagram
While we love the grungy, Toronto hole-in-the-wall romance of 416 Snack Bar, sharing a table with strangers can sometimes kill the mood. Around the corner, sister spot Short Turn has all of the snacks we love but in a more polished space with a slightly more refined atmosphere and a menu of classic cocktails with a twist. The name and the design of the long narrow bar are a nod to the city’s streetcars. Snuggle into a half booth side-by-side in the dimly lit, down-to-earth snack bar and playfight over the last piece of Korean fried chicken.
10. Grey Gardens
199 Augusta Ave.
View on Instagram
Not to pick favourites, but Grey Gardens is Jenn Agg’s most romantic restaurant in our books. The stunning 55-seat wine bar and dining room feels out of place amongst Kensington Market’s grungy, pocket-sized shops, but it's still wonderfully intimate and down-to-earth. Take a seat along the marble bartop or slide into a banquette surrounded by leafy motifs, then sip on rare vino and snack on bites of seafood or pasta. The dishes, like the decor, draw attention without being in-your-face about it. And that's why we keep returning for more (the smoked fish chips n' dip also has something to do with it).
11. Maxime's
77 Portland St.
Stepping into Maxime's, the illuminated hallway is the first indication that this King West resto-lounge is a flashy, Instagrammable hotspot. Seductive red curtains, gold detailing and a large mirror wall set the scene for seeing and being seen in the trendy crowd of diners. Nightly live DJs play vibey electronic music, while trippy visuals on floor-to-ceiling screens transfix guests. Befitting the glamorous, romantic restaurant, the menu at Maxime’s is all show-stoppers. Succulent seafood and juicy steaks share the spotlight, while plates of pasta wait in the wings. All of it compels diners to heat things up after — on the dance floor or elsewhere…
Tuck into a boujee seafood tower feast at Maxime's on King West
The steak might get the bulk of the attention, but Maxime's doubles as a sultry seafood spot with show-stopping seafood towers, boozy cocktails, live DJs and lounge vibes.
Read more12. Laylak
25 Toronto St.
Follow the floating periwinkle butterflies and the golden script into a romantic restaurant that will instantly enchant you. In the whimsical and warm fine dining room, Laylak’s velvety cream banquettes and marble tables sit under the glow of a magnificent chandelier of interwoven gold leaves and white flowers. Striking a beautiful balance between liveliness and elegance, the atmosphere is perfect for date night.
The menu of authentic and halal Lebanese dishes is full of interesting flavour and texture combinations, from the crispy, savoury halloumi cheese rolls with juicy watermelon to the grilled octopus served on a bed of herbs. Cocktails and mocktails lean on the refreshing side, like the signature Laylak cocktail that's blossoming with lavender, elderflower, butterfly pea, lemon, mint and gin.
Full of warmth and ethereal romance, Laylak will instantly enchant you
Indulge in authentic and halal Lebanese cuisine paired with whimsical cocktails in Laylak's gorgeous cream and gold dining room in the Financial District.
Read more13. The Hamptons
53 Clinton St.
Taking your date to The Hamptons restaurant feels like being the guests of honour at a dinner party where the host is a professional chef. Tucked down Clinton Street just off of College, the restaurant is set in one of those classic Toronto houses that’s synonymous with the city’s older residential neighbourhoods. Inside the homey, romantic restaurant, marble tables, fresh flowers and white wood details add polish to peeling walls that give way to exposed brick. It’s a date setting as comfortable as dining in a friend’s charming, eclectic home.
With produce coming from 100km Foods, you can taste the freshness in the cooking. The menu changes often, showcasing the best local ingredients of the season pulled into flavourful and inventive dishes. Even the butter served with bread changes weekly. Venison tartare, beautiful pastas and wild-caught fish are some of the past stand-outs.
The Hamptons restaurant is a dream dinner party come true
The Hamptons restaurant is as comfortable as a friend's house, but with a menu of hyper-seasonal, innovative dishes and wine pairings that will make you swoon.
Read more14. Harriet's Rooftop
550 Wellington St. W.
If twinkling lights and views of the city get your engine going, Harriet's is the romantic restaurant for you. On the rooftop of 1 Hotel Toronto, the glass-enclosed, year-round patio is illuminated by the twinkling lights of surrounding skyscrapers and string lights glowing overhead. Heaters blast enough warmth in the winter months to keep the space feeling like the indoors with all the charm of being outdoors. The menu prices might have you double-checking your bank balance, but Harriet's Rooftop isn't really the place to stuff yourself with a full meal. It's a sultry spot to grab delicious cocktails and coyly snack on light bites like sushi and wagyu tataki without getting too full for... erm, post-dinner activities?
Harriet's rooftop serves stellar sushi and cocktails with oodles of ambience
Above 1 Hotel Toronto, Harriet's Rooftop is a glamorous oasis outfitted in greenery and string lights. We try their sumptuous winter cocktails and Japanese-inspired bites.
Read more15. Parquet
97 Harbord St.
Dashing enough to get us weak in the knees, Parquet is a romantic, neighbourhood French bistro on Harbord Street. Think antique glassware, warm wood, lots of brass and a marble bar that offers some of the best seats in the house. If the handsome space and dim lighting don’t woo you, chef Zachary Darke’s refined, rich and Michelin-recognized cooking will. Unlike a situationship, their famous fall-off-the-bone confit duck leg will never let us down.
16. AP
55 Bloor St. W., 51st Floor
Set on the 51st floor of the Manulife Centre, AP restaurant’s atmosphere alone makes it a perfect big-night-out date spot. The sultry space is outfitted with black marble tables and cushy, floral-patterned banquettes. Trying to pry your eyes away from the sparkling cityscape to gaze longingly into your date’s eyes might be a challenge, but the romantic restaurant’s view is well worth it.
Play chopstick footsy as you share Japanese dishes with Latin flair, maki rolls slathered with mouthwatering sauces, delicate sashimi and plenty of wagyu. For the full experience, win your date over with the $95 Chef's Tasting Menu at AP.
Wine and beer make an appearance on the menu, but you’d be remiss not to try some sake from their extensive list. Cocktails here are as complex as the dishes, full of layers and intricacy. This is a place to sip and savour the evening. Romance: activated.
AP's new tasting menu is a deep dive into delicious flavours and textures
In addition to the à la carte menu, diners at AP restaurant in Toronto can now opt for the Chef's Tasting Experience, a six-course adventure into exceptional Japanese flavours with Latin flair.
Read more17. Bar St. Lo
26 Market St.
View on Instagram
Located right on Market Street, this intimate, brick-walled, romantic restaurant sources its ingredients right from its neighbour: St. Lawrence Market. Its menu is constantly changing, but expect beautifully plated Canadian classics, bright vegetables, daily catches and delicious bites like gnocchi with brown butter and mushrooms.
They offer $2 oysters Tuesday to Sunday from 5–6 p.m., along with red and white wine specials. Plus, music lovers are in for a treat with their live music events.
18. Evangeline
51 Camden St.
This romantic rooftop bar, inside Ace Hotel Toronto, is bookended by two oversized fireplaces for optimal coziness. Floor-to-ceiling windows face west with an unobstructed view for prime sunset watching. Sink into the leather couches with some small plates, then an after-dinner Ace Martini, made with a house tincture and vermouth blend; or the Raisin Hell, a moody number with fig-infused cognac.
Ace Hotel Toronto is the city's sexiest hotel
Toronto's Ace Hotel may have taken seven years to build, but you'll fall in love with its stunning design and homey hospitality in a second.
Read more19. Reign
100 Front St. W.
View on Instagram
The Fairmont Royal York hotel feels like old Hollywood glamour, and its romantic main floor restaurant Reign is no exception. With its warm wood accents, sleek marble fireplace and stunning grand piano, you'll feel like you've just stepped into a gorgeous stately home (the old-money kind).
Reign has just the right amount of sophistication, with an atmosphere that's approachable and homey. Split a bottle from their killer wine list, along with one of their elite tasting boards (Canadian cheese, charcuterie or chef's selection) that will make you question every single charcuterie board you've ever had.
20. Canoe
66 Wellington St. W.
A classic romantic Toronto restaurant, Canoe is where suits go for important business meetings, and where Torontonians celebrate extra-special occasions. This seminal restaurant on the 54th floor of TD Bank Tower has managed to keep up with the new kids on the block and establish itself as one of Toronto's essential and most romantic dining destinations.
The views of the city are spectacular, and the menu of contemporary Canadian cuisine pays homage to The North way beyond maple syrup and poutine. From Atlantic salmon with wild shrimp to citrus-braised Ontario pork cheek, Canoe pulls out all the stops.
21. La Palma
849 Dundas St. W.
True love has many layers. It picks you up when you're down. It's saucy, hot and just the right amount of cheesy. Oh, wait, we're describing La Palma's magnificent 100-layer lasagna. Besides sensational carbs (like a cacio e pepe pizza we never knew we needed), this Italian-inspired eatery serves grilled meat and seafood dishes, vegetable plates and delicious cocktails in two different, equally romantic vibes. Downstairs, the breezy dining room has a coastal aesthetic with wavy pastel murals, while the upstairs lounge is giving Palm Springs with blue floral patterned couches, light wood panelling and a central fireplace.
22. Chubby’s Jamaican
104 Portland St.
Chubby’s is all about celebrating Jamaica's food, drinks and people. And we're absolutely head over heels for its warmth, good vibes and homestyle Caribbean cooking. Wood fire-grilled jerk chicken, curry goat, ackee and saltfish bites — Chubby's has it all.
It's impossible to have a bad time inside this 19th-century row house transformed into a romantic island oasis with palm tree murals, tons of bushy plants and jumbo rattan lights dripping from the ceiling. P.S. Ask to see their rum-tasting menu for a trip through Caribbean rum culture. Island time starts now.
23. Milou
1375 Dundas St. W.
View on Instagram
The Dundas West neighbourhood is iconic for a reason, especially when romantic restaurant concepts like Milou come around. Opened in early 2021, this café-bistro-bar is the Toronto take on a quintessential Parisian restaurant; it's inspired by the kind of haunts where artists and writers like Hemingway would post up. From the black-and-white checkered floors to the uneven brick walls, the touches look old-school Paris. Reminisce with a lover over some bubbling gruyere fondue, or catch the eye of someone new when you pop in for an afternoon cuppa.
24. Cluny Bistro & Boulangerie
35 Tank House Lane
Every day, Cluny opens its doors at 8 a.m. to service the under-caffeinated in its stunning, light-filled café. And from Thursday to Sunday, their dazzling eatery brings another glow to the Distillery District with modern French dishes and pastries that give us that "joie de vivre." In the summer, their romantic patio could give the City of Lights a run for its money with thousands of twinkly lights woven through leafy vines. It's a truly magical experience.
25. Bar Mordecai
1272 Dundas St. W.
There's something so romantic and sentimental about a hotel lobby, and the conceptual Bar Mordecai on Dundas West evokes that same dewy-eyed grandeur of hotel lobbies from yesteryear. Inspired by the imaginative sets of Wes Anderson's films, every detail in this fanciful space has been thoughtfully chosen, from the bubble-gum-pink bar to fairytale scenes covering the mirrors like ivy. The same care and creativity go into their menu of small plates, and cocktails developed by co-owner Christina Veira. Many of these crushable concoctions are takes on hotel bar classics like the Royal Old Fashioned which uses rum instead of whisky. We know you'll enjoy your stay here.
26. The Comrade
758 Queen St. E.
View on Instagram
Stepping into The Comrade is like sneaking back in time to a 1920s speakeasy. The warm, rustic and romantic atmosphere — and occasional taxidermy — give this Riverside hideaway a homey feel that’s hard to beat. The Comrade’s burger is one of the best patties in the city, so grab a signature bun, plus snacks like shrimp cocktail and any of their fresh pasta dishes. It’s also a fab spot to order classic cocktails like negronis and old fashioneds, and from 5–7 p.m. every Monday through Saturday, The Comrade’s Cocktail Hour sees the price of libations slashed to $12 each. Don’t miss their hush-hush sister spot Goods and Provisions in Leslieville for more cozy date night vibes.
27. Lapinou
642 King St. W.
Everything sounds better en Français, and at Lapinou, a romantic neo-bistro and wine bar on King West highlighting the best of inventive French fare, it tastes pretty darn good too. Cozy up in a green booth underneath the beamed ceilings and vintage-style oil lamps, and enjoy the modern French bistro flavours inspired by Ontario ingredients. Who could fail to be charmed by beef tartare, oysters on the half-shell and decadent desserts, paired with Old World wine, all served by candlelight? If date night doesn’t go well, at least you’ll fall in love with Lapinou’s old Hollywood movie vibes and soft lighting.
28. Louix Louis
325 Bay St.
If the decadent, 13-layer, hazelnut-chocolate signature King’s Cake (with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, adorned with chocolate shavings) at Louix Louis isn’t an aphrodisiac, we’re not sure what is. A golden-brown crown atop the St. Regis Toronto, the romantic restaurant is the picture of opulence; the 60-foot mural, titled “A Bouquet of Whisky,” is inspired by a glass of Canadian rye. This Gatsby-esque space is a place to see or be seen — and the menu, spanning from delicacies like kaluga caviar to two-handers like the Louix Louis Burger, doesn’t disappoint either.
