MIAMI NICE
ESCAPES
MIAMI NICE
Words by Eleni Papaioannou
Travelling to the new, hot culinary destination with Qatar Airways, the indulgence begins as soon as you board the plane!
In our collective consciousness, Miami is linked to the fluorescent fifties and the corrupt eighties. Never had it come to mind as a real, actual place, but rather a stop over, a weekend getaway for fast food eating Americanos and a pop reference for retired souls and trapped travelers.
However, back in 2008, when the crisis hit hard, this city stood up from the ground and did something unexpected: It reinvented itself. Whole new neighborhoods were built from scratch, exciting architectural beehives were born, fascinating, old-new age hotels were erect and art came here to blossom, on the chariot of Miami Art Basel. Everything was fresh again and it started to lure guests into a newfound land, but what really still keeps them coming back for more, is the incredible culinary revolution that has turned the city upside down.
Grown up enough to take responsibility for its actions, the city is feeding guests with the best there is, bringing in promising new trends, testing out exciting young chefs and serving perfection on a platter.
HIGH CUISINE
As a constant seeker of all that is exquisite out there, I could not wait to get my feet on some warm Miami sand and my taste buds on some new, savory experiences. In the same time, as a constant traveller, I knew that the only way for me to start my delicious adventure would be onboard Qatar Airways. This is a new age of airline dining, with extraordinary cuisine designed by world-renowned chefs, exclusive vintages expertly served and an on-demand à la carte service menu.
Eager to get on my way, I settled in my seat as fast as I could so as to enjoy its large dining area that makes the perfect setting for world-class dining.
I know that the two Master Chefs that have been chosen by Qatar Airways are simply the best. Taking up the challenge of inflight dining, Nobu Matsuhisa and Vineet Bhatia spent months adapting and testing their specialties for Qatar Airways’ passengers, taking into account not only flavors and spices, but how the taste buds are altered at 30,000 feet, and what types of food are most suitable to long-haul flights. Their uncompromising approach to creating a sophisticated, comforting experience for the customer, made with the finest available products, makes this the perfect start of a beautiful journey for the senses. So I turn on the inflight Oryx One entertainment and smile. It is a good life…
MIAMI MUSTS
Where to go, what to see in Miami:
New and IT neighborhoods
Walk around to get a feel of all that’s new and happening, and you’ll be inspired!
·Wynwood
www.wynwoodmiami.com
Home to over 70 Art Galleries, Retail Stores, Antique Shops, Eclectic Bars, and one of the largest open-air street-art installations in the world, this one time warehouse district is now one of the largest and most prominent creative communities in the United States.
·Design District
www.miamidesigndistrict.net
This district embodies a dedication to the unity of design, fashion, art and architecture, and a commitment to encourage a neighborhood comprised of creative experiences. The Miami Design District is a neighborhood dedicated to innovative fashion, design, architecture and dining experiences.
·Brickell
This is Miami’s fastest growing neighborhood, where all the beautiful people live.
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South beach hotel -
South beach hotel -
Edition hotel -
Edition hotel -
Faena hotel -
Faena hotel -
Nautilus a sixty hotel -
Nautilus a sixty hotel -
Croydon hotel
NEW HOTELS
Creating the new and exciting face of the city, these are the hotels everyone talks about:
·Faena Hotel Miami Beach
www.faena.com/miami-beach
This hotel is part of the Faena district, where the Argentine developer created a whole new neighborhood.
·Miami beach Edition
www.editionhotels.com/miami-beach
·Metropolitan by Como
www.comohotels.com/metropolitanmiamibeach
·1 hotel South Beach
www.1hotels.com/south-beach
·Nautilus, A Sixty Hotel
www.sixtyhotels.com/nautilus-south-beach/
·Thompson Miami Beach
www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/thompson-miami-beach
ICONIC HOTSPOTS
Comfortable, giant sun beds, gorgeous views and delicious meals by the sea, you want to get the best out of your visit? Don’t spend another minute asking around, we have gathered, just for you, the best spots in town:
·Soho Beach house Miami
www.sohobeachhouse.com
·The Setai Hotel
www.thesetaihotel.com
·Nikki Beach
www.nikkibeach.com
·The Standard Spa hotel
www.standardhotels.com
Chrome hearts
Chrome hearts
Alchemist
Wanderlista
Base store
35
SHOPPING
A diverse and fascinating shopping destination, here are the places to go when you want to get some shopping therapy, Miami style:
·Design District:
www.miamidesigndistrict.net
Located less than three miles from Downtown Miami, the Design District is not a mall, it’s a neighborhood, like New York’s Soho or Melrose Drive in Los Angeles. New stores are constantly moving in so every time you visit there is always something new!
·Lincoln Road, South beach
lincolnroadmall.com
·Collins Avenue, South Beach
www.southbeachmagazine.com/collins-avenue-stores/
Lincoln is a pedestrian-friendly road that intersects with buzy Colins Avenue, just steps from the white-sands of South Beach and its famous stretch of hotels. Here you will find a nice mix of upscale brands with new, high-end boutiques.
·Bal Harbour
www.balharbourshops.com
Developer Stanley Whitman opened Florida’s first high-end shopping center in 1965 and the Bail Harbour Shops have been one of the country’s leading luxury retail centers ever since.
Our Top 5 shopping recommendations.
Narrowing it down, put a pin on these shops:
·Alchemist
www.alchemist.miami
Founded in 2007, this retail concept brings together the synergetic cultural world of fashion, design, art and architecture. It has three locations designed by Miami based firm Rene Gonzalez Architect, and the mission for each space is to provide a surreal landscape for patrons to discover a curated selection of unique and exclusive product.
·Wanderlista Miami, Hotel Croydon
www.wanderlista.com
From Miami to Mykonos, and everywhere in between, Andria Mitsakos voyages far, authoring a virtual passport for the creative cognoscenti. Andria opened her first-ever Wanderlista store in the United States in Miami Beach inside Hotel Croydon, following her success with her resort boutiques in Mykonos, Santorini and her Wanderlista Outpost at Vomo Island Resort, Fiji.
·Base Concept Store
www.baseworld.com
Founded December 1989, BASE has emerged as a highly regarded voice in the world of lifestyle retailing. Blurring the boundaries between Art and Commerce, it has become synonymous with a certain curiosity about life, a Tribe, a resource for the savvy shopper (and hopelessly hip) and with an increasing portfolio of niche and hotel stores, an essential outpost for the discerning nomad.
·The Webster
www.thewebster.us
The Webster is a multi-brand boutique offering a curated selection of luxury designer brands and contemporary fashion labels. This flagship (and first) location is a 20,000 square foot luxury multi-brand boutique located in the heart of Miami Beach, in a historical Art Deco building designed in 1939 by famed architect Henry Hohauser.
·Chrome Hearts
www.chromehearts.com
This is a luxury accessories, leather and furniture company renowned for its sophisticated life-inspired designs, conceived in 1988 by Richard Stark in Los Angeles. Fueled by the passion of the owners of Chrome Hearts, the space is home to both emerging and established artists & designers handpicked to create pieces exclusively for this location.
RESTAURANTS
From the amazing Mediterranean cuisine of the Aegean Mandolin to the creatively traditional Quality Meats, you will find taste heaven here in Miami.
Mandolin beach restaurant
Mandolin beach restaurant
Mandolin beach restaurant
Quality meats
Casa Tua restaurant
Marion restaurant
Mandolin beach restaurant
Mandolin beach restaurant
Mandolin beach restaurant
·Aegean Mandolin
www.mandolinmiami.com/
Proud and passionate about the food they grew up eating, the owners of the Aegean Mandolin crave the smell of fresh baked bread, roasted lamb, grilled fish, and of course, their mom’s homemade specialties. Dedicated to recreating dishes that are simple, rustic and authentic to the villages of Greece and Turkey, the tables here are where family and friends can gather, for love, for laughter, for spirited conversation, As they say, this is “a place to feed your stomach and your soul”.
·Casa Tua
www.casatualifestyle.com/miami
Inside a handsome Mediterranean villa or outdoors in an inviting garden, guests indulge in sensuous sights, sounds, smells, textures and of course, tastes. Just like visiting the home of a very good friend, this is a special place to enjoy delicious Northern Italian cuisine, fine wine, and exquisite art.
·Joe’s Stone Crab
www.joesstonecrab.com
The restaurant was opened in 1913, by Joe Weiss. Joe’s is the top buyer of Florida stone crab claws, and it plays a significant role in the industry, influencing the wholesale price and financing many crabbers.
·Quality Meats Miami Beach
www.qualitybranded.com/
This is the second location of acclaimed Manhattan restaurant Quality Meats, inspired by family – owned butcher shops. Placed in a historic hotel in the heart of South Beach, this is a stripped‑down Art Deco atmosphere with raw edges and warm textural details..
·Marion
www.marionmiami.com
A breezy restaurant, grand café, market, bakery, and oyster bar affording gourmands a new neighborhood meeting place in Miami where they can shop or dine on fresh, locally sourced produce and artisanal delights.
BEST NIGHT OUT
·El Tucan
www.eltucanmiami.com
Visit this modern day cabaret to get the feel of a grand nightclub, worthy of any Casablanca movie lover!
MUSEUMS/GALLERIES
Do not neglect to visit Pérez Art Museum Miami, where, three years ago, this home for some of the world’s most impressive collections of art was created by Swiss architectural firm Herzog and de Meuron. Their design for PAMM encompasses a myriad of architectural references, cleverly fusing both new and old influences. In 120,000 square feet it houses a library, an auditorium, various interactive digital media and art spaces and classrooms, as well as a restaurant and shop.
SHOP NON-STOP
After all the fascinating food and shopping destinations I found myself in while in Miami, I feel that my shopping sense has somehow sharpened. I demand more, I seek finer things, I need quality, I demand brilliance. To my great content, I discover that Qatar Airways has covered this part of my quest for excellence, as well. So, on my way back home, I don’t make hurried shopping selections but I wait until I get on the plane. I settle in and indulge in some retail therapy with Qatar Airways extensive in-flight shopping selection from the comfort of my seat. Browsing through the in-flight duty free magazine, Shopping Extravaganza, I choose from a collection of fragrances, cosmetics, skincare, watches, jewellery, fashion accessories, toys, and Qatar Airways memorabilia. I know exactly what to buy and for whom, I will not have one frowning face at the office!
