Private time: Reserve one of Colborne Lane’s two exclusive rooms downstairs, where it’s as quiet as you want it. The ultimate amenity: a dial on the wall allows diners to set the music volume.

Whispered sweet nothings: A cozy Forest Hill estate, carved into five small dining rooms, Corner House is one of Toronto’s most romantic institutions. The trick is to ask specifically for a quiet table.

Small spaces: Wedged quite improbably into a strip mall in Mississauga, Hashimoto is Lilliputian, but the result is a comforting, contemplative hush.

Elbow room: There’s an inviolable rule of economics in restaurants: the bigger the space, the more tables you cram in. Not at Splendido, where every table is an island.

Top secrets: Service at Truffles is professional and discreet, and tables are far enough apart that diners couldn’t rub shoulders with strangers even if they tried.