The restaurant
La Balsa is one of the most emblematic and prestigious restaurants in Barcelona. It is also a popular meeting place for cultural and political celebrities.
Located at the beautiful slope of Tibidabo, La Balsa emphasizes comfort and casual elegance. Our flexible floor plan is an ideal place for events and any kind of celebrations. Our terrace is surrounded by various flowers and greenery, which not only offers a relaxing and comfort dinning experience, but an oasis in the hustle and bustle of Barcelona.
La Balsa Restaurant serves exceptional Mediterranean cuisine in a mediterranean terrace. Our passionate chefs are excellent at creating dishes with seasonal ingredients. They take pride in each and every dishes they produce – they use only fresh ingredients from local suppliers to ensure you can eat the freshest, finest and tastiest dishes.
History and architecture
La Balsa was found in 1979 by Antonio López de Memé and Lamadrid with support from by the Güell family. Lamadrid was the manager and one of the owners of Tusquets Editors.
The unique design of the terraces and large windows won the FAD Architecture Prize in 1979. Lluis Clotet and Oscar Tusquets were the architects and they decided to keep the original stone wall and build a wooden structure over it to create a restaurant with style in uptown Barcelona.
The stone wall of La Balsa was a pool in the 19th Century. This stone wall becomes the foundation of the building. The entire building is symmetric and embedded in the geometry of the wooden structure. The heavy stone base was successfully transformed into a stunning building which fully utilized the daylight through the windows on the top of the building. It was built in the Rocalla-Jujol-Kitsch style.
There are two terraces. The summer terrace is facing north and covered by trees and greenery. The winter terrace is equipped by sunshades and wind-screens.
The secretive entrance, the verdant route of access, the beautiful garden, the wooden furniture, the unique spiderweb-like gate, the stair and even every single tree planted were all carefully selected to give you the most memorable experience.
