best restaurants for a romantic dinner

Spending time with that special someone is priceless and we, sometimes, get so much carried away by our lives moving so fast forward in the city that we forget how it’s like to share some romance. It doesn’t take much to spark the fire and keep it flaming, and, luckily, Toronto is full of options that can allow you to strengthen your bond and spend some relaxing, romantic time together with your significant other. To give you an idea, here is a list of the 10 most romantic date ideas in Toronto!

1. Go Skating

The ice rink at Nathan Phillips Square is a quintessential Toronto experience and a great place to start a romantic date and have loads of fun. It will help you loosen up, let off some steam, and be more relaxed as you skate mitten to mitten. And, if you feel up to a quick getaway, the Drake Hotel is always charming and inviting and only minutes away. You can have some serious fun there and stay in quaint romantic rooms that have nothing to be jealous of modern suites!

2. Star Watching

The David Dunlap Observatory, sitting on a large estate north of Toronto (North York), hosts star gazing events from time to time, as well as info sessions if you are into astronomy. It is a unique place to fall farther in love as you watch a falling star, especially at times when we have left our romantic moods aside for the sake of the demanding day-to-day life. Don’t forget to make a wish…for eternal love…for the moment to last…for many more moments like that…for anything you feel worth wishing for.

3. Movie Night

Cliché or not, a movie date choice is something you should definitely try because going to the movies has an entirely different meaning in Toronto and can make for a splendit, memorable evening. You can line-up for a premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and watch star-stunned movies and the series currently shown at Bell Lightbox. During the summer months, you can catch outdoor screenings of classics, and all that without spending an arm and a leg.

4. Painting

Painting is cathartic while it also releases your creativity and allows it to express on canvas. Painting side-by-side can be a truly amazing experience and a way of exploring one another’s artistic souls. Paintlounge offers this pretty sensual experience (do we need to remind you of the famous scene from the Titanic?) for $20 if you want to go freestyle painting. Gab over coffee and dare to express yourself on a shared canvas and see what happens. If nothing else, fun is guaranteed!
There are also interesting social painting events hosted at Pappas Grill a couple of times a month that you could also check out!

5. Couples’ Massage

Get pampered and seriously spoiled with Urban Nirvana’s couples’ massage. Take a break from the daily grind and treat yourself and your date to a foot soak and massage, a sensual Thai massage, alongside fruit and tea. You can have all the fun you want during the massage, but we suggest you let yourself go and allow the positive effects of massaging get to you. You’ll certainly leave relaxed and feeling fully energized, ready for whatever the nights holds for the two of you.

6. Dinner

Yeap, another cliché dating option. Toronto is known for it’s multicultural variety of cuisines and romantic restaurants that will WOW your significant other. We suggest going to Pappas Grill as it is a go-to-romantic spot that takes romantic dating to a higher level, and probably back to the good old times. Their cosy wood fireplace and the authentic Greek ambiance and music will travel your mind and soul to faraway lands showered by sun, and feel like soaking your feet in crystal clear waters and letting the light summer breeze caress your skin. Romance at its most over fine dining in this award winning restaurant and its rustic Greek inspired design. After that, you can take the subway and stroll along the Danforth, Greektown, do good shopping, or just have a peaceful walk in the afternoon in a lively and fun place.

7. Dinner Cruise

Ignite your relationship as you witness the lovely city skyline, hand-in-hand, while on a dinner cruise departing from the Harbourfront. Very few things can beat that in the romance-o-meter. Dine by moonlight and rediscover the beautiful city from a new perspective as the DJ gets your shoes tapping under the stars! Indicatively, Mariposa Cruises charge a dinner cruise for $73 per person (tax excluded).

Alternatively, you may want to try the elegant Rooftop Lounge at the Park Hyatt, in Yorkville neighborhood, instead, and grab a stunning view of the city from the hotel’s 18th floor with the inviting heated patio, and cosy fireplace.

8. Yoga (Partner)

Balance (and flexibility!) are vital for any relationship and working up a sweat with your sweetheart at a partner yoga session will help both of you with those. What is more, partner yoga is an excellent way to build trust and connection with your date. No matter how one sees it, it is a win-win situation and a great date option, promising ultimately romantic moments after each session.

9. Play Trivia/Game at Board Game Bar/Café

This one is a top recommendation for first dates as trivia nights help bond and have fun with your new sweetheart. It is also fantastic for long-time love birds, as nothing feels as close to real love than simultaneously spitting out lyrics and lines of favorite songs and movies! There are several board café cafes all over the city where you can enjoy yourselves while playing Snakes and Latters or Snakes and Lagers and have the time of your life!

10. Have a Picnic

Toronto Islands are superb places to have a picnic. They offer you a mini-getaway from the city for something less than $10 (for the ferry), if you bring your own food along. Pick a lovely, warm day and enjoy an outdoor date option that guarantees lots of relaxing, intimate moments with your other half, under the loving and embracing rays of the sun. An excellent date option, especially if you are on a tight budget.

Now, if you are looking for cost-effective date ideas, you can check out our 10 Low Budget Romantic Things to Do in Toronto!

Location

The first and foremost thing that you need to do is choose a suitable location. It is important that you choose a location that is convenient for both you and your date. Make sure your date does not have to travel a million miles to reach the restaurant. A romantic rendezvous is a serene event so make sure you choose a peaceful neighborhoodthat is near your date so that you don’t have to spend too long of a time driving there, especially if it is the first date or one of the first few dates. Driving for too long can create awkward moments and can hurt the date, unless you are comfortable with your date. If you are comfortable with your date a longer drive can actually have a positive effect as it can create suspense and mystery. just make sure your date doesn’t fall asleep : )

Noise level

Make sure the noise level in the restaurant isn’t too quiet or too loud. It is important that you are able to communicate easily with your date with some soft music setting the mood. It is unacceptable to speak loudly on a romantic date so make sure the music isn’t too loud. Choose a restaurant that has soft music as it will heighten the romance in the air. If you are worried that there will be too many awkward moments of silence on your romantic date, you may want to go to a bar beforehand and have a drink or two to loosen up a bit while playing pool, then go to a restaurant on your romantic dinner. This will make the whole experience more fun and you won’t worry as much.

Food

It is important to find out what food and drinks your want the restaurant to serve. Plus take your date’s food preferences into consideration before choosing a restaurant and avoid messy foods. Make sure that the restaurant has a diverse menu. Good food and excellent cuisine are offered by most romantic restaurants. Mediterranean (Greek cuisine) or Italian cuisine would be a good choice for a date. Avoid foods such as black squid rice that is available in some Mediterranean restaurants. It tends to make your teeth look black and you will look silly! Also avoid drinking too much red wine because it will make your lips look red (a problem with males mostly) and it will stain your teeth as well making them look dark and dirty.

Lighting

The role of lighting on a romantic date is often under rated. The perfect light set up can set the perfect mood of a date. Choose a restaurant where the lighting isn’t too bright; dim and mellow will do the trick. Notice how romantic the dim candle light is in the photo above. This helps to make your romantic date intimate. A restaurant with a lot of candles should be your ideal choice. If you’re not a big fan of candles and find it too gloomy for your liking then choose a restaurant that has cozy lighting, and try to take your date out for dinner instead of breakfast, brunch or lunch. Dinner just spells romance!

Price

While all of the things mentioned above are important for the success of your date, your primary concern should be to know the cost you will incur. It is recommended that you find out about the prices beforehand to save yourself from unnecessary pressure and embarrassment, especially in todays economy where almost everything is over-priced. These two things could well spoil your romantic date. Finding out about prices beforehand would help you choose a restaurant that fits you budget or work out ways to pay for your date. Remember, the point is to be yourself, so if you are just starting out with a new job and you do not have too much extra money to spend, don’t try and act like a Rockefeller. Sooner or later your date will find out that you are not loaded and will be turned off. Always be yourself and do your best with what you have.

There are likely to be countless restaurants in and around your neighbourhood, the points mentioned above will help you to narrow down your choices and choose the perfect romantic restaurant for your date.

Top 10 Romantic Dates in Toronto