Lora

Nestled within a sleek 400+ room resort in Barcelona’s El Poblenou neighborhood, Lora defies expectations of typical hotel dining. This Middle Eastern restaurant brings an air of sophistication that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Manhattan members’ club, yet manages to feel welcoming rather than stuffy. The polished interiors set the stage for what turns out to be an unexpectedly memorable meal.

The kitchen excels at elevating familiar Middle Eastern dishes to celebration-worthy heights. Start with the fattoush salad, where every forkful delivers satisfying crunch alongside bright, fresh flavors. The house-baked Kubaneh steals the show—imagine the best qualities of brioche meeting croissant, arriving warm and ready to be dragged through an array of silky dips. For the main event, the pomegranate-glazed lamb shoulder arrives impossibly tender, practically dissolving on the tongue with each bite.

What truly surprises at Lora is how generous the portions are given the upscale setting, and the prices remain more accessible than you might expect from a restaurant of this caliber. The service team strikes the right balance between attentive and relaxed, making even first-time visitors feel like regulars. Fair warning: the wine list veers into expense-account territory, so plan accordingly if you’re ordering bottles.

For those seeking a place to mark a milestone or simply treat themselves to an evening of refined Middle Eastern cuisine, Lora delivers. After dinner, consider heading up five floors to Kyara, the hotel’s atmospheric cocktail bar, where inventive drinks help extend the evening and work off any pleasant food coma.