Courtney R.
Yelp
I very, very rarely write reviews unless they are positive because I have a lot of respect for those in the service industry and the restaurant business, but I figured since I am someone who HAS TO research a place very thoroughly before visiting, I should help the next person who comes along researching La Dama before a dinner out in Barcelona.
We booked La Dama through Airbnb Restaurants, a new feature on the website that allows you to book tables at certain restaurants via a partnership with Resy. When I mentioned this at the restaurant after they didn't have our group's name in the reservation system, we were told that this was "impossible" and were we SURE that we had booked a table at La Dama (I was asked this multiple times). We were then treated very rudely by the hostess and various staff who made a show out of finding a place for us. I can understand that having an unexpected group of 8 show up on a Saturday night at peak time for a reservation you were not aware of would be inconvenient, but in any other circumstance that I've been in where this has happened, the restaurant has at least apologized and not treated guests like an inconvenience.
The food was quite good and wine selection quite good as well, but there were other small things - not providing a knife other than a fish knife to those with the salmon entree when they had to cut asparagus (and so had to borrow knives from others at the table), laughing at one of our guests when she had to repeat an order for a glass of wine 4x and then pretending like they hadn't heard the order in the first place, etc.
On the way out, staff once again told us "Next time, don't make the reservation through Airbnb!" as we walked out the door. Pretty sure they were trying to make a joke but once again, making paying guests feel like THEY are the ones in the wrong for making a reservation online that the restaurant has not kept track of is frankly rude.
Again, this sounds like quite a rant and might seem ridiculous to some readers but I haven't had a restaurant experience that was quite this unpleasant in a very long time. I in no way felt welcomed or comfortable and felt rather like I was being ridiculed for the entire dinner. Would not go back and had to write this novel of a review....
2/5 because the bartender at the front is an absolute angel who makes a killer cocktail and because the space/building/decor is truly spectacular.