Press release
Love at first bite: OpenTable Reveals Valentine’s Day Dining Trends and Canada’s Top 100 Romantic Restaurants for 2026
New research reveals that nearly half of Canadians (49 per cent) are planning to dine out this Valentine’s Day151 per cent of Canadians believe Valentine’s
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[{"type":"text","content":"New research reveals that nearly half of Canadians (49 per cent) are planning to dine out this Valentine’s Day151 per cent of Canadians believe Valentine’s Day is becoming more about celebrating all relationships, rather than just romantic connections1More than half (53%) of single Canadians would go to a restaurant for a first date on Valentine’s Day1 TORONTO, Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Love is in the air as OpenTable has unveiled its list of Canada’s Top 100 Romantic Restaurants for 2026 ahead of Valentine’s Day. The list is compiled from analyzing over 900,000 diner reviews, along with diner ratings, reservation demand and percentage of reviews with the tag “romantic” among other factors. 2Nearly half (49 per cent) of Canadians plan to dine out at a restaurant this Valentine’s Day1, but securing the perfect table isn’t always easy. Forty per cent of Valentine’s Day diners say they find it difficult to find and book a restaurant for the occasion, spending an average of two hours and 14 minutes searching for the right spot. 1In addition to the Top 100 list serving as a helpful guide for discovering the top romantic restaurants in Canada, OpenTable is spotlighting cultural shifts in how Canadians are celebrating all kinds of love around the table, with trends that reflect changing traditions. Not just a table for two. Group dining is on the rise for Valentine’s Day (February 14), with the occasion in 2025 showing a 65 per cent year-over-year increase in parties of four, and a 88 per cent increase in parties of six. 3 Galentine’s Day (February 13) showed traction too, with parties of four seeing a 41 per cent dining increase year-over-year and parties of six seeing a 40 per cent increase. 3 Reflecting this shift, 37 per cent of Canadians plan to celebrate Galentine’s or Palentine’s Day this year on February 13 or 14,, with 59 per cent planning to mark the occasion over a meal out. 1 “Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romance anymore and Canadians are embracing the cultural shift, with 51% saying it’s now about celebrating all kinds of relationships, not just romantic ones¹,” says Matt Davis, Senior Director at OpenTable Canada. “Gen Z is really driving this change, with 59% planning a Galentine’s or Palentine’s Day celebration, 22% above the national average, and 65% of them looking to mark the celebrations by dining out.¹ ...