The 12 Best Restaurants in Toronto for Any Romantic Occasion

The follow-up to chef Rob Rossi and restaurateur David Minicucci’s critically acclaimed restaurant Giulietta is every bit as alluring as its predecessor. Osteria Giulia’s northern Italian dishes, such as handmade ricotta and egg yolk raviolo tossed in brown butter and black truffle or caviar-kissed burrata, are fresh, simple, and sophisticated. Don’t skip the exquisite desserts, which include a delicate millefoglie pastry layered with pistachio and raspberry cream.

The fourth Toronto location for the Aburi Restaurants group offers the signature flame-seared sushi after which the brand is named. And while sushi may be Aburi Restaurants’s claim to fame, Minami does an equally stellar job with its Japanese-style seafood, meat, and veggie mains, including a buttery, shareworthy wagyu that’s served on a sizzling stone hot plate alongside black garlic miso, truffle kimizu, and seasonal vegetables. Couples can also choose from the restaurant’s experience tasting menus that highlight its diverse land and sea offerings, as well as its top-notch European-influenced desserts.

This Kensington Market wine bar-cum-restaurant from well-known Toronto restaurateur Jen Agg features an outstanding wine list that makes for an indulgent evening. Grey Gardens’s wines will wow enthusiasts, but the restaurant is also approachable for newbies thanks to the menu’s straightforward tasting notes. The food menu is divided into shareable plates, such as beef carpaccio and shrimp cocktail, plus heartier noodle dishes diners can linger over, like ricotta gnudi and a standout ravioli.

Open since 1987, Auberge Du Pommier continues to prove that it’s worth the trip to north Toronto. Specializing in modern French fare, the restaurant is classic fine dining at its best. Over the years, some of the city’s best chefs have passed through this landmark spot, so there’s always something new and inventive, sure to impress even the choosiest date, on the seasonal menu. Current chef de cuisine Tim Schulte puts an emphasis on fresh ingredients and playful textures. The a la carte menu — which features dishes such as bacon-wrapped tenderloin with truffle croquettes and poached pickerel roulade with vermouth sauce — is excellent, and the multi-course tasting menu is well-worth the splurge.

At Chadon Beni, Trinidadian chef Ross Milne brings his own unique flair to Caribbean-influenced fare. The rotating small plates menu features dishes with big, vibrant flavours such as wild boar sliders with bacon and pineapple, or clam fritters with tamarind and mango chutney. Many dishes incorporate the restaurant’s namesake herb, a citrus-flavoured ingredient commonly used in Caribbean cooking. Rum is the focus of the cocktail menu, with drinks like the Trini rum punch, a white rum, orange-pineapple, soda, bitters, lime, and nutmeg concoction that helps set the tropical vacation mood.

Chef-owner Anna Chen’s inviting Bloordale restaurant combines inspiration from her Hakka Chinese and Indian roots with her culinary training in Italian and French kitchens. The menu is thoughtful, seasonal, and ever-changing, but saves room for long-time fan favourites such as a savoury scallion flatbread served with housemade stracciatella cheese. The small and large plate menu format gives plenty of options for pairs who want to try a little bit of everything, as well as those who believe that separate entrees are the secret to harmonious coupledom.

Gare de L’Est’s name is a nod to Paris’s historic train station, as well as the restaurant’s location in Toronto’s east end. The menu, tailormade for a romantic rendezvous, brings a local, seasonal influence to traditional French brasserie fare with dishes such as steak frites with pan-roasted 8-ounce Ontario striploin, or cod stew with Fogo Island shrimp. Gare de L’Est often unveils set menus for holidays and special occasions, showcasing the restaurant’s greatest hits.

With a grand setting in the restored turn-of-the-century Harbour Commission building and a menu centred on USDA prime beef, Harbour Sixty stands for the quintessential steakhouse date night experience. The menu offers old-school steakhouse fare done right, from seafood towers to New York strip and Japanese wagyu steaks, along with fancied-up sides like lobster mashed potato and white truffle mac and cheese.

Dining experiences don’t get much more intimate than Brockton Village’s Ten, which takes its name from the number of seats perched by its inviting open kitchen. While not exclusively vegetarian, chef Julian Bentivegna’s multi-course tasting menus are produce-centric, aiming to showcase the wonderful bounty that grows in Southern Ontario. Floor your date by mentioning that the restaurant’s influence goes beyond its noteworthy fare — Bentivegna recently co-founded a network of community fridges in Toronto.

This pretty East End brewpub focuses on fresh Canadian fare, with many ingredients grown onsite in a 4,000 square-foot rooftop garden. The hyper locally sourced bounty (the bar also contains an in-house butcher) enhances a menu of casual, approachable dishes, ideal for a more casual date. Feast on the creamy swiss chard melt, served alongside a pile of fries, and a selection of other comforting dishes designed to complement Avling’s house-brewed beers, many of which also rotate seasonally.

Little Italy’s much-loved Spanish tapas restaurant skillfully blends traditional small plates with chef Grant van Gameren’s passion for nose-to-tail cooking. Order as many as you can fit on the restaurant’s primarily petite, bistro-style tables, from simple but delicious house-made bread and olive oil to whole grilled octopus and platters of tender jamón. The nibbly dishes pair perfectly with flirty banter, and an exceptionally well-curated selection of beer, wine, and cocktails that consistently turns the heads of seasoned drink aficionados. Keep an eye out for experiences like prix-fixe menus or special a la carte holiday items.

This lively King West restaurant tingles tastebuds with dishes that draw culinary inspiration from all across Latin America. Much of the menu is made for sharing, including the reimagined OG duck chaufa, a riff on the Peruvian dish arroz chaufa, featuring delicately caramelized fried rice mixed with duck confit, edamame, and chile, served in a heated stone bowl. The drink menu includes classic cocktails, as well as creative house concoctions that mirror the food’s Latin American flavours.