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Da Emma

If your V-Day lover has been naughty as of late bring her to prison. The comfort inducing Italian eatery Da Emma resides in one of Canada’s first prisons for women. Feed her the osso buco, the fish, the ravioli or the fettuccini with porcini mushrooms to make her happy. Finish off with the not-to-be-overlooked tiramisu then tell her why she’s there. You’ve fattened her up for the kill. Now it’s your turn to eat.
777 rue de la Commune Ouest, 514-392-1568




Dune

Looking for a cute, new date place for the big V-day? Enter Dune, a tiny bistro in the Plateau, to satisfy your need. And isn’t that what Valentine’s is all about – having your needs satisfied? Offering tapas sized East-meets-West inspired fare, Dune aims to be a spot where a couple can eat, drink, tip well and be out the door for under $100. They have prepared a special five-course romance menu for $45 that includes a soup, an appetizer, a salad, a choice of meat, seafood or vegetarian main and dessert with tea. On any weekday night, the place is packed with a mix of area dwellers and charming date types scoping out the cozy digs, embellished with chandeliers a-plenty and entirely wrapped in chenille and gold accents – perfect for romance.
201 Rachel St. E. (at Hotel de Ville St.) 514-843-9598




Garçon!

Garçon! is a real attention whore, but its attention getting tactics make for a good time. Where else can you don a residential fur and have a martini blended by a snow queen goddess of a bartender outside in an ice palace? They even have a string quartet out there occasionally. It’s not an easy task to do a Montreal terrasse in February. The cool atmosphere will give you a reason to cozy up to your date more intimately than you would dare in a warmer situation. Members of the foodie community swoon over Chef Mark Gaffney’s culinary creations, as he pumps out competently prepared fare that boasts clean, crisp flavours and enough creativity to add a memorable twist to each plate. Despite the name of the place, refrain from snapping at the servers. They don’t like it.
1112 Sherbrooke Street West, 514-843-4000




Garde Manger

This fish-centric restaurant successfully bridges the gap between fine dining and rustic (if not downright pastoral) interior design, creating an ostentatious space in which area dwellers can graze. The 125-year-old stone house (that previously housed Pavarotti) is decked out with a coastal crab-shack décor, creating an atmosphere fueled by an oddly chosen rock soundtrack (not that odd of a track selection for the chef and wait crew). A chalkboard menu, vintage chairs and a large chandelier add a certain depth to a room, oftentimes filled with tourists and downtowners slumming in the area. Whimsical starters like the seafood platter for two (Surprise!) are staples on the menu, as is the deep-fried Mars Bar – one bite equals guaranteed Valentine’s Day loving.
408 St-François Xavier, 514-678-5044