We all know the old trick. If there are Japanese people in a Japanese restaurant, that's a good sign. If there are Ethiopians in an Ethiopian restaurant, that's a good sign. Well, yes, in Barcelona there are a few hundred Italian pizzerias and in La Balmesina there are always Italians. This says it all, but we know you are demanding, so we will tell you something else. We are in the middle of the long Carrer Balmes, just above Avinguda Diagonal, but below Travessera de Gràcia. If you're a partygoer, you'll feel quite comfortable: some of the best commercial nightclubs in town, such as Bling Bling, Sutton, Costa Breve and Luz de Gas, are just a five minute walk away. La Balmesina's pizzas are gourmet pizzas, made with organic flour sourdough and long fermentation. The first thing they will ask you when you arrive -after, of course, offering you some beer and, for example, some giant olives- is what kind of dough you want: the tonda (classic thin dough with its crunchy point) or the spelt tonda (with wholemeal spelt flour). After that, it's time to decide. Our favourites are the Bufala (tomato and buffalo mozzarella -with raw, unbaked product- and with the option of adding Cantabrian anchovies), the Bardolino (tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms, rocket and smoked ricotta), the Bootyfarra (mozzarella, butifarra, artichokes, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, parmigiano and basil), the Trufaldina (mozzarella, mushrooms -ceps and mushrooms-, burrata, truffle sauce and option of sweet ham) and, our favourite, the Cecina (fresh tomato, buffalo -with fresh unbaked product- and cecina from León from old cow selected by El Castro). Round it off with an Affogato (an ice-cream scoop of Paral-lelo cream 'drowned' in a coffee) and face the night with full guarantees. We promise: The Balmesina never fails.