LE MAG by AMARANTE LVA

You have planned your travel to a dot. You know all the museums, parks, galleries, monuments and markets you shall visit. You have your luxury apartment in Barcelona secured and even your to-take list is prepared. You have read about the best restaurants and cafes in the area and have all the lunches and dinners planned and re-planned. However, what you need to jot down, are some must-tries that you cannot let yourself miss in Barcelona.
When it is hot outside and you walk all day through, you never feel like heavy food or crockpots. You are looking for something fresh, easy, not-too-big and tasty. Tapas suit it best. We will not be talking about cold cuts, just mind that they are must-tries too. Absolutely unavoidable.

Gambas al ajillo
Shrimps with a garlic touch. 





Pulpo a la gallega
Olive-oil drizzled octopus with potatoes.





Croquetas/buñuelos de bacalao
Cod croquettes.





Chipirones a la andaluza
Fried baby squid 




Escalivada
Smoky grilled vegetables


Can be perfectly married with anchovies.

Mykonos, also called the island of the winds, is known for its vibrant nightlife and lily-white architecture. Part of the Cyclades, Mykonos lies between Syros, Tinos, Paros and Naxos. Rising to more than 340 m at its highest point, Mykonos boasts a mountainous landscape with scanty trees. Covered with flowers in spring with only a few, not-partying tourists, Mykonos would be a fantastic destination for those not looking for the summer fuss.
And apart from all that, Mykonos is also a brilliant place for fine dining. Offering a wide range of places from boho chic to traditional taverns, the island has something to satisfy all the tastes. The good thing with Greece, is that with almost where you eat, it is always good. The bad thing is that sometimes you need more time than you planned to try it all.

Nammos

Situated by Psarou beach, this hip & vibrant restaurant is well-known for its fresh fish dishes. Popular among all the Mykonos travellers, a booking of about 6 months in advance is required.

Nammos Restaurant, Mykonos

Nammos Restaurant, Mykonos

Nammos Restaurant, Mykonos

 Scorpios

This layback beach restaurant offers a lounge chic setting for lunch and energetic live music for dinner.  A hymn to the Mediterranean cuisine, the restaurant focuses on the modern Greek healthy dishes.

Scorpios, Mykonos

Scorpios, Mykonos

Scorpios, Mykonos

Matsuhisa by Nobu

Situated in the chic Belvedere Hotel, the renowned Matsuhisa by Nobu is a mecca of the modern Japanese cuisine lovers.

Matsuhisa by Nobu, Mykonos

Matsuhisa by Nobu, Mykonos

Matsuhisa by Nobu, Mykonos

Remezzo

A place for a fine Greek dining, international legendary cocktails and jet-setter parties.

Remezzo, Mykonos

Remezzo, Mykonos

Remezzo, Mykonos

Kiki´s Tavern

Situated on the quiet beach away-from-it-all Agios Sostis, this tavern serves grilled fishes and meats and salads. Not having arrived before opening, you will have to wait to be seated and it is worht waiting.

Kiki´s Tavern, Mykonos

Kiki´s Tavern, Mykonos

Kiki´s Tavern, Mykonos

Inspired with the Myconian food, do not forget about lodging. Check out our luxury villas on Mykonos!

We want the holidays to be perfect. They just must be perfect. We are waiting for this period all the year and do not want to fail or even jeopardize them. So when planning a trip we want to plan everything to a dot. The time, the things to do, the accommodation, the transport, the food, the guides, the clothes, absolutely everything.
One thing that might look a bit unimportant, but is actually the keystone of the travel is the moment of the year to visit the place in question. It depends on various factors such as the situation of the place, climate, events to be held, the party you are travelling with, public holidays, flights frequency and what kind of holiday you are up to. It is quite clear that going to the mountains in winter and in summer are two absolutely different trips. As well as going to the mountains with your friends in the mid-thirties and with three children under three.
So what is the best time to visit Barcelona?
Let´s start with the climate. If you are coming for a beach holiday and your main desire is to tan and relax, then July and August are your months. Be prepared, Barcelona and its beaches will be quite packed, so if you are looking for some hot weather and seclusion, a luxury apartment with a private pool in Barcelona might be a better solution for you rather than a hotel. The swimming season varies from ano year to another and normally starts in mid-June though you will see some people sunbathing at the beginning of May; it finishes at the end of September.

Barceloneta Beach, Barcelona

Barceloneta Beach, Barcelona

Luxury Pool Penthouse, Barcelona

Though walking around looking at the sightseeing points of the city with the sun beating down, +29 C and quite high level of humidity is not the best solution. If you come primarily to enjoy the works of Gaudi, museums, beautiful parks, try the delicious local food and do some cultural tourism, then the best period would be mid-Apil through June and September, October. Barcelona doesn´t have a lot of rainy days throughout the year, and the infrequent rains normally tend to fall in September, October and November. Find out what to do in Barcelona on a rainy day here.

If you are a big foodie and come for shopping, you shall know that some places remain closed in August for the early leave, so if you want to try it all, avoid August.

Bar Mut, Barcelona

Cerveseria Catalana, Barcelona

If you live in a Northern country, the winter in Barcelona with its +8-9C will seem very mild to you, so coming for Christmas will bring you a lot of nice moments. Just bear in mind that the cold seems colder with high humidity.

If you have come to Bangkok for a long time and by now have got tired of the Thai food and want something easy but prepared exactly the way you want, there is nothing better than to buy the ingredients and cook them yourself or... have them cooked for you right in the market and right like you want. Any fish, meat, poultry or seafood that you buy in the Gourmet Market located in the shopping mall of Siam Paragon (991 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwanm, Bangkok 10330, Thailand) can be prepared at one of the stalls in front of you. You choose between the wild and farm fishes from all over the world including fresh salmon, tuna, mackerel, swordfish, butterfish, grass-fed, wagyu and black angus beef, first-category pork and lamb cuts, chicken and turkey, extra fresh wild seafood. You choose the exact piece you want and its size. You choose the way of cooking, a side dish, a sauce or fetch some salad, soup, appetizer, dessert and a drink from the supermarket and enjoy your dinner. What can be better?

Kitchen by Samsung, Gourmet Market, Siam Paragon

Fish department, Gourmet Market, Siam Paragon

Salad bar, Gourmet Market, Siam Paragon

Soup Stall, Gourmet Market, Siam Paragon For accommodation, check out our luxury apartments in Bangkok!

If you are planning to come to Barcelona shortly, you must have planned your trip to a dot and know perfectly well by now where to go, what to do, how to avoid pickpockets and get the best event admissions, you must have your flights booked as well as luxury apartment in Barcelona by now, you might even know what to try out of the Catalan cuisine. Or you might be thinking you know? No, we are not going to talk here neither about the famous paella, pa amb tomaquèt, cocas, truita de patata nor calçots that everyone who has ever been to any spot in Catalonia or have read any tourist guide about this beautiful region knows. We will try to show you the dishes you might have missed.

Winter selection

Escudella i carn d´olla. A traditional Catalan soup and stew with meatballs, seasonal vegetables, bones, sausages, meats, garlic, parsley, pasta or sometimes rice. The broth with the pasta or rice is called escudella, while the meats with the vegetables are named carn d´olla and are served after the soup. When served togeter, the dish gets the name of escudella barrejada.

Escudella barrejada

Faves Ofegades. Aka faves sacsades is a traditional pot made of broad beans, sausages, bacon, mint and herbs stewed for a long time. Sometimes garlic, sobrassada, pork ribs, chorizo and onion are used, peas can replace broad beans.

Faves ofegades

Botifarra amb mongetes. Boiled white beans sautéed with a traditional sausage.

Botifarra amb mongetes

Suquet de peix. A traditional fish soup originally made by the fishers with fishes that were the hardest to sell. Nowadays it is cooked with the best fishes and seafood on the market including monkfish and bream.

Suquet de peix