Hearts and flowers are all right, but if you really want to woo someone, go for the gut. Our food critics have cruised the city and selected their top 10 date restaurants, guaranteed to get you laid (or, at least, loved) this Valentine’s Day.

Amuse Bouche
(96 Tecumseth, 416-913-5830)
No restaurant in this city screams giant Parisian cliché more than the utterly charming Amuse Bouche. Not much bigger than a box of chocolates, it’s the decadent choice for a romantic tête-à-tête over a terrine by chefs Bertrand Alépée and Jason Inniss. And with Sarah Lyons catering to your every front-of-house whim, like a bottle of bubbly chilled upon your arrival, Amuse Bouche will have your tongue dancing in ways you’d never have expected. AAV

Batifole
(744 Gerrard E, 416-462-9965)
A slice of bawdy Paris in east Chinatown seduces with gamey terrines that glisten in the flickering candlelight. Chunks of slow-braised meats swim in fatty pools of buttery heaven. Flavours build, intensify, but the climax, of course, is for you to provide. SKK

C5
(Michael Lee Chin Crystal at the ROM, 100 Queen’s Park, 416-596-7928)
You’ll certainly impress your date by scoring a table atop this architectural marvel, but it’s the food constructions of chef Ted Corrado that will set your hearts aflutter. If you’re planning on doing any kneeling during dinner, don’t get any crazy ideas that ordinary crystal will do. Diamonds are still a girl’s (and this guy’s) best friend. AAV

Corner House
(501 Davenport, 416-923-2604)
Think old-school continental cuisine delivered with elegant French service in intimate rooms with a naughty Victorian vibe. It’s as though a virile, sweat-sopping Mr. Darcy might at any moment burst through the door. Getting lucky will seem like an understatement after a cozy dinner pour deux. SKK

Le Petit Dejeuner
(191 King E, 416-703-1560)
Beat the odds and wake up early for the most romantic meal ever: pancakes. That way, your day is left free for eye-gazing, hand-holding and strolling in a post-pancake stupor. And the night is free for doing it. CM

Lucien
(36 Wellington E, 416-504-9990)
Chef Scot Wood’s oozy, melt-in-your-mouth foie gras ravioli would only taste better if licked off your date, rather than savoured on a plate. And Lucien is so dark, you might even get away with it. Mini brioche loaves double as pillows should you decide to go down, under the table, that is, for added privacy. AAV

The Only Café
(972 Danforth, 416-463-7843)
Loaded with revolutionary, post-iconic, seething punk-rock ideological charm, this east-end tradition lends the perfect down ’n’ dirty aesthetic to get your skeeze-romance freak on. After the bender, an ultra-casual brunch menu, ranging from fresh Belgian waffles to a greasy cowboy breakfast, provides whatever your post-coital, early afternoon haze demands. SKK

Perigee
(Distillery District, 55 Mill, 416-364-1397)
Tucked away up a flight of stairs off of one of the Distillery District’s period cobblestone alleys is a shrine of food wizardry. When money is no object, let the kitchen prepare one of its dizzying, nine-course magic shows. In expectation of gorging, it’s wise to perform bedroom adventures in advance. CM

Rosebud
(669 Queen W, 416-703-8810)
The roomy booths at the back of this bistro have become such a dependable spot for candlelit moments that we’ve worn an ass-groove into the cushions. The anti-pretentious vibe eliminates the need for bashfulness as we knock over wine glasses and dribble rich sauce from our chins. CM

Torito
(276 Augusta, 647-436-5874)
For some it’s oysters. For us there’s no more potent aphrodisiac than Torito’s patatas bravas; chunky cylinders of smoky Spanish chorizo and fingerlings seducing us into their wanton pool of pork fat–laced tomato sauce. After tapas this sinful, promiscuous sex is almost a mitzvah. CM

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