'Love is in the air': Six Ottawa restaurants among Canada's top 100 most romantic

Coconut lagoon, North and Navy, Riviera, The Shore Club, Zoe’s at Fairmont Chateau Laurier and NeXT are among the 100 most romantic restaurants in Canada, according to OpenTable. (Instagram)

OpenTable -- a reservation platform -- has released its 100 most romantic restaurants in Canada for 2024, with six Ottawa restaurants making the list.

The capital’s romantic restaurants are Coconut Lagoon, North and Navy, Riviera, The Shore Club, Zoe’s at Fairmont Chateau Laurier and NeXT.

Coconut Lagoon is known for its South Indian cuisine that offers you and your date high quality food of inimitable flavour, aroma and originality.

North and Navy, on the other hand, gives you and your date a taste of the Northern Italian kitchen inspired by the Bacari of Venice.

“Our menu is inspired by tradition and dictated by the quality and availability of ingredients. We play off the similarities between the climates of Eastern Ontario and Northeast Italy, and create our take on classic dishes made with seasonal game, seafood and vegetables. Plus, sometimes we’ll just add whatever we want,” North and Navy says on its website.

Meanwhile, Ottawa’s Riviera gives the romantic experience of your dreams, with high-end, creative Canadian cuisine and drinks. It’s located just steps from Parliament Hill.

The Shore Club’s romantic experience starts with its luxurious and contemporary décor.

“The menu’s classic yet contemporary steak and seafood dishes are influenced by the season’s cues and creativity of Head Chef Kirk Woodland,” says the restaurant on its website.

You can enjoy Zoe’s at Fairmont Chateau Laurier’s superb selection of regional Canadian cuisine, while getting the ultimate luxury dining experience for your date.

Meanwhile, NeXT has a unique food style described as a “balance between Canadian roots with a strong influence in both Asian and European cuisines.”

A Gatineau restaurant has also made the list, and it’s Arôme - Casino du Lac Leamy.

More information about the 100 most romantic restaurants in Canada is available online. 

What are OpenTable’s latest Valentine’s Day Trends?

Splurging trend

OpenTable’s data suggests that diners love to splurge when “love is in the air,” as the average spend per meal for Valentine’s Day was up 48 per cent year-over-year in 2023. The platform’s research suggests that the trend will continue this year, with 73 per cent of Canadians planning to spend the same or more for Valentine's Day than they did last year.

Solo Indulgence Trend

New research by OpenTable suggests that 22 per cent would dine alone on Valentine’s Day this year. The platform’s research shows that people who celebrate alone “would treat themselves to visiting a quaint cafe for coffee and light bites (15 per cent), going to a buffet or bottomless dinner (12 per cent), trying out a dining experience like a wine and food pairing or tasting menu (11 per cent) or treating themselves to an award-winning restaurant (10 per cent).”

“New consumer research shows that nearly a quarter of Canadians would solo dine on Valentine’s Day, making it an opportunity to date yourself and practice self-love,” said OpenTable Canada Country director Matt Davis.