There is something about ascending a staircase to reach the dining room of a restaurant. It’s a tone setter, more effective as an appetizer than any bread basket. Each step amplifies anticipation. Even those not inclined to make an entrance are about to make an entrance.

It works best when the restaurant at the top is a luxe room decorated in rich hues of cognac, amber, and oxblood, with a grand bar shaped like a racetrack at the center, tufted nooks with curved banquettes set into the back wall — for eating dinner, and for watching the theater of dinner transpire. This is @lapadronaboston, which opened in May at the Raffles hotel in Boston. Any description of the place must include the word “swank” or it’s a dereliction of duty.

Read the ⭐⭐⭐⭐ review at the link.