Three NOTL restaurants among most romantic

If you are planning a dinner out on Valentine’s Day and want to impress, three Niagara-on-the-Lake restaurants have made OpenTable’s 2023 list of the 100 most romantic restaurants in Canada.

Kitchen76 in the Two Sisters Winery, Treadwell Farm-to-Table Cuisine and The Drawing Room at the Prince of Wales should be good choices for a romantic evening out with that special someone in your life.

In its news release announcing the list, OpenTable said, “Food is its own love language, but when it’s served in a cozy room or a candlelit booth? Guaranteed fireworks.”

The list that should set off fireworks also includes Cafe Amore and Valley Restaurant in St. Catharines, and The Lake House and Vineland Estates Winery in Vineland. Remingtons of Niagara and Table Rock in Niagara Falls are also listed among the most romantic.

OpenTable says a survey it conducted shows 72 per cent of Ontario residents will be celebrating Valentine’s Day with a dinner out at local restaurant, where they expect to spend more than $41 per person on a meal.

OpenTable’s survey also revealed more than two/thirds of Ontario residents who responded are comfortable with bill-splitting for a Valentine’s Day date, although generations are divided — almost 80 per cent of Gen Zers and Millennials believe it’s fine to divide the dinner bill evenly, compared to 50 per cent of Baby Boomers, "signalling shifting attitudes toward dating and finances."

Minding one’s manners can be as important as choosing the right restaurant when it comes to a successful date, says OpenTable, which also recently conducted a survey to uncover diners' biggest dating “icks.” Being rude to staff took the number one spot with 26 per cent of respondents selecting it as their top gripe. Other top date deal breakers include frequent texting at the table, excessive drinking, talking about exes and chewing with an open mouth.

“Our survey revealed it’s as important to be your best self with your date as it is with the restaurant team taking care of you," said Matt Davis, country director of OpenTable Canada. “We want to inspire Canadians to pack their charm along with their passion for romance and dining out this Valentine’s Day.”

OpenTable also suggests booking a reservation for Valentine’s Day at least one week before the holiday, and dining at off peak hours may increase your chances of scoring a table at popular restaurants. Their data shows more than half of reservations were made by Feb. 8 last year, and the most common dining window was between 6 p.m. and 6:59 p.m , closely followed by 7 p.m. to 7:59 p.m. 

To make the list of the top 100 romantic restaurants, OpenTable looked at more than one million reviews by diners, and used a similar process to come up with their best 100 restaurants in Canada last December, which included Kitchen76 and Treadwell’s.