Table for Two: Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Toronto’s Fine Dining Restaurants
Nothing quite spells romance like a special meal for two
From New Year’s Eve straight to Valentine’s Day, here’s to another chance at romance. Whether you had your kiss at midnight or you’re still waiting for one, Toronto has your back with plenty of love in the form of delicious upscale food options, cooked and curated with love — beyond the roses, the chocolates, and the champagne.
Valentine’s Day may be notoriously decorated with such commercial clichés. Yet for what it’s worth, restaurants are eternally grateful for all of the hype and the buzz — it is one of the industry’s most profitable and high-traffic days of the year, second to Mother’s Day. And so, what better way to profess your love for your special someone and your restaurant community than to dine in at one of these wonderful places.
Canoe
District Executive Chef John Horne steers the kitchen of this lofty spot made for special occasions. Rising 54 floors to the top of the Toronto-Dominion Centre, Canoe invites you for a special night for two to enjoy contemporary Canadian cuisine at its finest. With a prime downtown view that is as impressive as the food, the restaurant offers both locals and visitors alike the experience of delicious local ingredients morphed into artful fine dining creations, all the while dazzled by the spectacular views of the CN Tower and the many lights that animate the skyline.
You can order from their regular dinner menu or the special Valentine’s Day prix fixe, and take a seat with your special someone at the bar to enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds of the open kitchen. Or reserve a place by the window to look your date, view, and food in the eye as the ultimate statement of love and affection. This is the one day that you’ll have a dining room absent of Bay Street lawyers and bankers shaking hands and closing deals — so bask in the room reserved for romance.
66 Wellington St. W. | (416) 364–0054
Miku
The Japanese philosophy of Ningenmi — “finding joy in your life by bringing joy to others” — is on beautiful and dazzling display at this Harbourfront spot. On that note, this Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to carry out this notion through food with your special partner at none other than Miku. The contemporary, high-end establishment not only prides itself on innovative Japanese cuisine but also in keeping it within the context of Aburi sushi — within the brand’s framework of deliciously torched seafood.
“When flame is applied to sushi, the heat changes the sushi’s flavour to create something new and exciting,” according to Miku. And this new and exciting feeling is only further confirmed once you sit down to their carefully curated multi-course and multi-sensory dining experience of Kaiseki. Likewise presenting a dedicated five-course set menu for the special Valentine’s Day occasion, the restaurant features opulent dishes of butter-poached lobster tail and Australian wagyu striploin, among others in its Kaiseki lineup. After leaving Miku, beyond any Instagram post or Yelp review, you will remember the Japanese eatery as one of the leading purveyors of the Kaiseki experience in Toronto. 10 Bay St. | (647) 347–7347
Buca Osteria & Enoteca
Does your special date have other love interests besides you that involve pasta and pizza? Or do you both have a shared passion for authentic Italian fare and a soft spot for industrial-style interiors? Buca Osteria & Enoteca is one such place that fits the bill. Headed by Executive Chef Rob Gentile — responsible for the restaurant’s other two branches of Bar Buca and Buca Yorkville — the menu at this King Street location is kept animated and ever-evolving, but with a focus on locally-sourced ingredients and optimal freshness.
Quietly tucked away below ground, the upscale Italian restaurant is open for in-person dining, in addition to a special dinner for two available for pick-up or delivery if you prefer to celebrate this year’s Valentine’s Day at home. If you do elect to reserve a table, you will be greeted with an open curing room, and beyond that, the enoteca, a smaller wine bar, all under the soaring ceilings of the restaurant’s industrial chic dining room. Recreate a romantic and cute Lady and the Tramp moment with the popular Spaghetti Al Nero Di Maiale, best enjoyed paired with one of their many great choices of Italian wines.
604 King St. W. | (416) 865–1600
The Civic Restaurant
Travel back in time to Toronto’s elegantly restored Broadview Hotel, and enjoy a romantic dinner for two at The Civic, taking in the enchanting Victorian ambiance and savouring the local cuisine. Offering a special prix fixe menu for Valentine’s Day, the reservation includes bubbles upon arrival and a live acoustic band. Leather banquettes, rich accents, and dark tones give the interior the perfect intimacy for your special date.
But let the seasonally inspired menu, proudly featuring Southern Ontario produce, to serenade your taste buds along with the music. Located within one of the city’s most iconic heritage buildings of the Riverside neighbourhood, The Civic is an experience of a bit of the 1900s where an old-world charm meets a modern sensibility. The two of you might just fall in love with the restaurant, and find inspiration for a return to next Sunday’s bottomless brunch mimosas.
106 Broadview Ave. | (416) 362–8439
Café Boulud
To round off this list, it would not otherwise be complete without the mention of Café Boulud. Full of glamour and flavour, celebrity chef and owner Daniel Boulud’s French Brasserie is sure to satisfy your heart and soul for a romantic and delectable escape to France. Located in the Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville, you and your lovely date can expect to find the French classics, from tartare, terrines, and pâtés to steak frites and rotisserie chicken, with regular appearances made by high-quality local ingredients.
The ambiance is relaxed, yet adequately well-dressed. Diners are comforted by the warm hug of a retro-inspired interior of wraparound banquettes and Art Deco light fixtures. And you can expect bistro classics and contemporary creations in addition to their three-course dinner menu this Valentine’s Day. With restaurants still capped at half capacity, it will be a tight squeeze to get in, so be sure to make reservations well in advance; otherwise, the meal can also be relished at home.
60 Yorkville Ave. | (416) 963–6005
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