Valentine’s Day has a way of raising the stakes. Reservations book out weeks in advance, and suddenly the choice of restaurant feels oddly consequential. While a special tasting menu or a rare bottle of wine might seal the deal, it’s often the room itself that turns an ordinary dinner into an occasion. This is especially true when planning an evening for the design lover in your life — someone who relishes the details, from the warm glow of the lighting to a curved banquette that invites closeness and acoustics that allow for meaningful conversation. With February 14 fast approaching, we’ve rounded up five romantic dinner spots that impress as much for their interiors as what’s on the plate.

1

Toronto: Eloise & Bar Cart by Westgrove

Eloise makes a case that romance should feel effortless. The dining room, designed by Westgrove, draws on the intimacy of vintage railcars, with wood panelling wrapping the walls and velvet banquettes lining the perimeter like compartments built for two. Overhead, pendant lights are cloaked in sheer drapery that hovers above the tables, with an ethereal quality that sweeps you off your feet. Organic curves throughout — from the arched doorways to the mirrors that line the walls — bring femininity to the space. That warmth carries into the artwork, where earth tones mirror the umami notes of the menu, which spans cabbage with a mushroom XO sauce and chicken velouté.

As the night goes on, head for cocktails next door at Bar Cart, the restaurant’s companion speakeasy, where an oxblood red interior lends a sultrier vibe. If Eloise captures the carefree feeling of early romance, Bar Cart embodies what comes after, when that lightness settles into something deeper.

2

NYC: Brass by Islyn Studio

If a trip to the City of Love is out of budget, a taste of Parisian glamour awaits at Brass — a swanky, high design take on the brasserie. Tucked into New York City’s Evelyn Hotel, an Art Deco building that dates to 1903, the interior, designed by Islyn Studio, oozes old-world elegance while still maintaining a timeless appeal. The grand dining room harks back to the Jazz Age, bathed in a sumptuous palette of muted sage green and walnut, which complements the original mosaic marble floors. Beneath a restored skylight, a vintage grand piano holds court in the centre of the room, setting the ambience with live music in the evenings.

Romantic references abound without crossing into cliche: The chandeliers, for instance, offer a subtle floral motif, while the high-gloss, lipstick red dining chairs are as sweet as candy. If the main dining room is a culinary theatre, the private dining room is backstage — a moodier, more intimate setting outfitted with velvet drapery, brass details and rich plum hues. The French-leaning menu is a complement to the interior, where classics like beef tartare and shrimp cocktail meet decadent wagyu steak and truffle-laden ricotta gnudi. All this has captured the hearts of both diners and critics, earning Brass top points as one of the city’s best restaurants, according to Conde Nast Traveler. 

3

Montreal: Mare by Sid Lee Architecture

There’s an inherent romance to the Old Port of Montreal, where the narrow cobblestone streets and an intimate scale create an atmosphere that feels closer to a European village than a metropolitan centre. At Mare, a new restaurant in the historic district, local firm Sid Lee Architecture has translated that characteristic charm into an interior that feels of a piece with its Mediterranean-inflected menu. The archways and vaulted ceilings feel lifted straight out of Italy, but the overall palette feels distinctly contemporary: black brick, a graphic marble checkerboard floor, and rich red upholstery that brings visual depth.

In keeping with the restaurant’s name, subtle nautical references are sprinkled throughout, from the portholes in the rust-coloured entrance vestibule, overlooking the dining room, to the warm hues that recall the patina of boat hulls. Whether posting up at the crudo bar, an open central island at the heart of the action, or cozying up in a booth with a glass from the impressive wine cellar, Mare delivers with sophisticated flair and white-glove service.

4

Punta Mita: Rubra by Ignacio Urquiza Arquitectos and Ana Paula de Alba 

Where most restaurants tend to lean on roses and low lighting to set a Valentine’s Day mood, Rubra makes a different gesture, pouring romance right into the concrete. Cast in a delicate rosy hue, the al fresco dining pavilion fully embraces the colour of the holiday, swapping moody candlelit interiors with open air and the ocean breeze — a welcome change of pace from the usual mid-February ritual of cozying up against the cold.

Set within the grounds of the W Punta de Mita, the brutalist structure, designed by Ignacio Urquiza Arquitectos (IUA) and Ana Paula de Alba (apda), rises against the lush coastal landscape. Visitors move through the gardens on their way in, anticipation building like the nervous butterflies before a first date. Once inside, the building’s muscular, gridded architecture is balanced with curved banquettes laced with even more greenery, tying the space into its jungle context. What the concrete lacks in softness, it makes up for in its sturdiness — a manifestation of love as a solid, enduring foundation, with just enough pink to keep things playful. And thanks to its resort locale, the celebration needn’t end with dessert. Consider dinner the start of a well-deserved vacation.

5

London: MR PORTER by Baranowitz + Kronenberg

The best relationships aren’t surface level, which makes this subterranean steakhouse beneath the Hilton Park Lane an unexpectedly apt Valentine’s setting. Once through the copper door, you descend a striking marble staircase into the dining room designed by Baranowitz + Kronenberg, where blush pink interiors are cast in the glow of low amber light. With windows replaced by fabric-draped walls that soften acoustics and filter out outside distractions, the focus can remain where it belongs — on the person across from you.

The pièce de resistance is the 360-degree bar at the heart of the room, an opulent focal point that nods to Mayfair’s gilded past. It turns out a host of elaborate cocktails that include Love Potion, a rum-forward mix finished with cotton candy and raspberry foam, and Date Night, which balances gin with vanilla, lemon, cinnamon and apple. The resulting space is versatile enough to evolve wherever the night leads, from elevated dinner service to DJ sets.