An amazing restaurant serving tuna only: Restaurant Tunateca Balfegó Espai Gastronòmico (13. October 2023)
I was looking for a place, which was open for a late lunch and actually offered great dishes (according to the rating on Google Maps) and stumbled upon the Tunateca Balfegó Espai Gastronòmico, which specialises in tuna. I went for the “Blue Gourmet Menu” (EUR 93.00), which seemed very reasonable in terms of pricing – and again, they only serve tuna-based dishes (with the exception of desserts).
The lunch started with “toro in a crispy tapioca tuile” and “bluefin tuna sobrassada, honey and mascarpone stuffing in panipuri”, which were both great starters to get your palate moving.
The next dish was the “O-toro with cauliflower, ikura and Yuzu Kosho”, which did not only look pretty, but was actually a great dish.
Next in line was the “Akami tartare with scallop and seaweed sorbet”, which was a bit tricky to eat as the shells were a bit larger than expected, but they turned out to be delicious as a bite.
The “Onsen nigiri with stew soup” felt a bit weird as I have never seen a nigiri served in any liquid, but once you’ve had eaten the nigiri, the soup was actually enjoyable too.
The “bluefin tuna miso soup with potato and cep mushrooms foam” was in thus far interesting as the cep taste would overpower the tuna taste. So, this was the first dish during this lunch, which was a bit ‘less’ tuna-based.
Then it was time for something traditional,i.e., the “Balfegó’s traditional trilogy of sashimi: akami, chutoro and otoro”. And man, as simple as the cuts of tuna are, they are so delicious. Especially the otoro, so the supre fatty tuna, was amazing.
Of course, there were more nigiris, so next in line was the “nigiri trilogy: akami with chives and ginger, negi chutoro and otoro with kizami wasabi”. Personally, I’m always torn between the super red tuna, which just looks so great (and tastes good) and the lighter tuna, which doesn’t look as great, but is actually much richer in terms of flavour.
Then, and somehow this course wasn’t listed on the menu, some “tuna sushi” was served, which was a bit different from the rest, i.e., it was a bit surprising to get that, and it didn’t entirely fit into the run.
Generally speaking, I am not too big a fan of the ceviche, which swims in liquid. However, the “chutoro nikkei ceviche with avocado and yellow chilli pepper” was just mind-bogglingly delicious. The combination of the delicious tuna with corn and shallots swimming in the leche de tigre was just mouth-watering.
The “chutoro fricandó with boletus and roasted air of bacon” was interesting, but – again – the mushroom taste would overpower the flavour of the tuna.
Finally, it was time for the dessert. And usually, I’m not too much into chocolate, but the “chocolate baba with basil ganache, vanilla soup and late harvest ice cream” was actually amazing! Probably, to me, mainly because there was a strong vanilla flavour to the dish! But man, it was really tasty!
Last but not least, it was time for the “petit fours” to finish off the menu, and I must say that they were both very enjoyable, despite the fact that I was almost full and didn’t feel like eating another bite.
What I liked a lot was the fact that we were seated by the place where the sushi masters would prepare the dishes. So, you could watch them prepare everything, which I super liked!
On top of that, the interior of the place is quite nice, and you feel comfortable and relaxed immediately.
The only thing, which wasn’t great, was the ‘starting time’. We arrived 2.30pm sharp, as we had booked. And then, well, then it took a good 45 minutes until the first dish was served, which is, especially for a set menu, way too long! So, you need to be patient (might be that it’s better if you arrive earlier) and you shouldn’t book dinner too early again (as else you won’t be able to eat much).
All in all, I really liked my experience at the Tunateca Balfegó Espai Gastronòmico – especially, when you like tuna! Make sure to book sufficiently in advance, as the place isn’t that large and the quality of the whole experience really is great!
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Tunateca Balfegó Espai Gastronòmico
Av. Diagonal 439
08036 Barcelona (E)
Tel.: +34 937 97 64 60
E-Mail: info@tunatecabalfego.com
Homepage: http://www.tunatecabalfego.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
