If you’ve met a promising person while swiping through the dating apps (or actually managed to find someone in person!) and you’re ready to spend some time with them, you might be wondering to yourself, “Wait, but what if it’s awkward and I don’t know what to say?”
Looking for love is hard enough as is and it can sometimes be overwhelming to try and put your best foot forward if you’re nervous about making a good impression at the same time. Luckily, there are so many date activities in Toronto that’ll help you fill that dreaded conversation gap until you get to know the person better and the words start flowing freely.
Whether you’re looking for something interactive, like board games or a food tour, or something where you can sit back and relax, like a comedy show or listening to some jazz, there are loads of activities in the city that’ll help you enjoy your next date night, without the awkward silence.
The Rex
Price: $10+
Address: 194 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1Z1
Why You Need To Go: The Rex is Toronto’s longest-running jazz club, and with over 60 shows a month and two live shows every day, there’s likely a fun band playing during the time you’re looking to meet up with your potential boo.
The first show begins at 5:30 p.m. and costs $10 for cover. You can order drinks and nibbles to enjoy while listening to some smooth music, and if your date is going particularly well, you might want to stick around for the 8:30 p.m. show. Just keep in mind that you need to buy tickets for the latter!
Revue Cinema
Price: $7+
Address: 400 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2M9
Why You Need To Go: If your idea of a good date is sitting silently beside someone, a trip to Revue Cinema is a must.
The iconic Toronto location plays a truly wide variety of films, ranging from classic romcoms like Miss Congeniality to double features of the Alien movies to the 1925 version of The Phantom Of The Opera, the latter of which is part of their silent films, so it might be one to skip if you’re looking for dialogue to fill the space.
“We believe it’s our role to offer the community something different, whether it is to ensure great films from the past are not forgotten, important but less commercially successful films are properly recognized and special events from a range of cultures and interests have a venue for exhibition,” says Revue Cinema.
There’s something for everyone!
A food tour in Kensington Market
Price: $79+
Address: Kensington Market
Why You Need To Go: Kensington Market is one of Toronto’s most vibrant locations, so a guided tour of some of the most delicious bites in the area is sure to give you plenty of food and food for conversation.
Chopsticks + Food offers an international food tour featuring tastings from “8 countries, 5 continents in less than 3 hours and less than 1 mile of walking.”
During the tour, you’ll sample food from Nu Bügel, Golden Patty, Jumbo Empanadas, Pow Wow Café, Tibet Cafe and Bar and Fika Café, although some restaurant substitutions may be made during your tour depending on closures.
A “Beer Makes History Better” tour
Price: $99+
Address: NW corner of Yonge St. and Front St, outside the Hockey Hall of Fame
Why You Need To Go: If you’d prefer a beer tour over a food tour, that’s totally doable!
The guided tour is led by a “beer geek” through the St. Lawrence Market and Distillery District with a focus on craft beer made in Toronto and its surrounding regions.
“Throughout the tour, you’ll learn about what role beer has played through the decades in helping Torontonians cope with cholera, fire, war, depression, rebellion, muddy streets, general Victorian stuffiness, and decades of losing seasons by the Maple Leafs (of course),” they say of the tour.
At each stop, you’ll get a beer that’s included in your ticket price and a visit to a craft brewpub.
Snakes and Lattes
Price: $5+
Address: 489 College St, Toronto, ON M6G 1A5
Why You Need To Go: With over 1000 board games to choose from, you’re bound to find something that’ll keep you and your date entertained while getting the conversation flowing.
If you get to the board game bar early you can ask one of the helpful staff to help you pick out a game that’s good for sparking conversations with someone new (I’ve done this myself, and they recommended a very good pick that ended up giving us something to chat about while we worked together to solve the problem).
They also have a selection of food and drinks, including a fun alcohol shot called D20: “Test your luck by rolling a 20 sided die & see what shot you get! YOU ROLL IT, YOU SHOOT IT!”
That’s one way to get the convo going!
Casa Loma Escape Room
Price: $45
Address: 1 Austin Terrace, Toronto, ON M5R 1X8
Why You Need To Go: To add an element of intrigue to your date, why not try escaping from one of Casa Loma’s several escape rooms?
The escape rooms require teamwork, so you’ll have something to talk about as you try and navigate the clues in the historical Toronto building before the time runs out.
From assisting an operative in trying to find out what war information has been leaked to accepting a secret meeting during a Prohibition-era style game, there definitely won’t be any awkward silences as you scramble to escape.
Yuk Yuk’s
Price: $5+
Address: 224 Richmond St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1V6
Why You Need To Go: Sit back, relax, and let someone else worry about being funny while catching a comedy show at Yuk Yuks.
Whether you’re looking to enjoy seasoned comics or hear amateur comedians shoot their shot, you’ll get between 90 minutes to two hours of entertainment for the price of admission.
Just be warned — some of the content can be quite edgy or NSFW, so keep that in consideration!
And if all else fails, you could always hang out at Yonge—Dundas Square. It might not be the most romantic spot in the world, but it’s definitely always noisy!
Narcity does not condone the overconsumption of alcohol. If you’re going to drink alcohol, please do so responsibly and only if you’re of legal age.
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
This article’s cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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