La Balsa is the kind of place where if you are willing to trek up to the Tibidabo area and try something most guidebooks don’t cover, you will be pleasantly surprised. I found the restaurant recommended in a specialty Spanish guidebook that is only for restaurants. La Balsa is connected, I believe, to a country club in the upper region of the city - what you might call "shi shi". There aren't many tourists AT ALL in this very pretty, very residential neighborhood, so it's a nice break from the places you might fall into the trap of frequenting.
The food is simple and delicious, the atmosphere is elegant and the dining room is a sort of bungalow, with a thatched roof, jasmine trees on all four sides, and a tropical, humid, lush feel about it. The servers are helpful and sincere, and the wine list features great regional whites and reds. We all had fresh seafood (hake, crab and clams) along with a mint and cannelloni bean salad, mini potato croquettes and a few other tasty dishes. My stomach's growling as I write this.