With Valentine’s Day approaching, OpenTable has released its list of the top 100 most romantic restaurants in Canada this year, with two places in Ottawa and one in Gatineau making the cut. Riviera, on Sparks Street, and Zoe’s at the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa were named to the list this year, as was Arôme at Hilton Lac Leamy in Gatineau. OpenTable describes Riviera as great for creative cocktails. Zoe’s is fancy and charming, while Arôme is good for special occasions. OpenTable compiles its annual list from analyzing more than 900,000 customer reviews and ratings, looking for words like “romantic,” as well as analyzing reservation demand. According to OpenTable, nearly half of Canadians plan to dine out on Valentine’s Day, but 40 per cent say it’s difficult to find a spot. In 2025, dining on Valentine’s Day was up 46 per cent year-over-year, along with a 54 per cent increase in dining on Valentine’s Day weekend, a news release said. The three national capital area restaurants are popular destinations that frequently appear on OpenTable’s lists of the best restaurants in Canada. Both Riviera and Arôme were considered among the most romantic spots last year, and Zoe’s was on the list in 2024. No dinner at Ikea Notably absent from Valentine’s events this year is the annual dinner at Ikea. The furniture store has hosted a meal on Valentine’s Day the past several years at its Swedish restaurant but says it won’t be happening in 2026. “While we’ve loved celebrating with our guests in previous years, we won’t be hosting the event this year,” Ikea said on its website. The event in Ottawa sold out quickly in 2025.
