Deriving its name from the personal hobby of architect Victor Horta (psychedelic mushrooms), De Ultieme Hallucinatie is indeed a fanciful place. No tie-dye or oversize peace signs here, just plenty of swirling art nouveau details and a “step back in time” feeling that comes as soon as you’ve crossed the threshold of this restored 19th century house.

We were greeted just inside the front door by a period piano, a marble staircase, and signature Nouveau adornments everywhere. It was silent here and we delighted in the time warp feeling for a moment before passing on through to the second room.

A polished wood table was lit by Tiffany lamps and surrounded by wall cupboards and tapestried sofas. We wondered if it was the original dining room of Paul Hamesse, the architect who redecorated this house in 1904 in the contemporary style. It was beautiful but felt like a museum, so we continued on to the next room and found - Bingo! - the bar.

One of the prettiest bars I've seen, it was a long marble counter framed by a series of carved wooden "windows" overhead, with natural light pouring through stained glass above. I could have spent an entire afternoon here exploring the beer list, but this was a rare sunny day and the action was on the terrace.

The fourth and final room at De Ultieme Hallucinatie is a patio, filled with greenery and (slightly stagnant) pools of water. We took a table in the sun and ordered up some croquettes, the nothing-fancy bar staple of Brussels. They grey shrimp variety was tasty, but the cheese croquettes were like glue and required lots of cold beer to wash them down. Lucky for us, there was plenty of that around. But the trippy stone walls looked as if they were melting long before we had taken our first sip.

Although the food isn't anything to write home about, De Ultieme Hallucinatie is worth a stop for anyone interested in architecture. Learning about the turn-of-the-century style is especially fun with a tall beer in hand. And Art Nouveau or no Nouveau, the sunny patio and stylish bar make an excellent stop before a concert at the nearby Botanique.

De Ultieme Hallucinatie; 16 rue Royale, 1210 Brussels (St-Josse)

In the heart of the Pigalle sex district, just down the street from the storied Moulin Rouge, La Cigale is one of my favorite places to see live music in Paris.

Photo: Andreas Praefcke

Founded in 1887 and protected as a historical monument, it began life as a cabaret featuring stars like Maurice Chevalier. Later on, in the years followoing the first world war, La Cigale on 120 Boulevard de Rochechouart played host to vaudeville theater and futuristic parties by Jean Cocteau. From the 1940s on, it fell into a bit of disrepair, becoming a cinema that specialized in Kung Fu and later X-rated films.

The venue got a new lease on life in 1987 when it was taken over and redecorated by rising designer Philippe Starck. La Cigale returned to its roots and once again started pulling in the best singer/songwriters of the day. The plush red seating and curvaceous balconies provide a lovely setting for quiet shows. I saw Vincent Delerm here and loved curling up in my velvet chair while trying to translate his lyrics. 

Photo: Mu Foo

Those same chairs are cast aside when the big bands come to town. La Cigale has a loud side, too, and books (along with la Maroquinerie) the best indie pop and rock shows in Paris. The main floor bounces like a trampoline during rowdy shows. As you can see from this video I made at last night's Vampire Weekend concert, you can't help but jump along. 

 
After the Show
When I want a post-concert bottle or a bite, I head west half a block to La Fourmi. This cavernous bar, which has a fabulous wine bottle chandelier, is inexpensive good fun. They serve basic sandwiches and pasta until around 11pm.

Cul de Poule                                                                                                           Photo: Mu Foo

Another alternative is to head south down the rue des Martyrs to Cul de Poule. This funky new hot spot serves great wine and simple food using top-shelf ingredients. Their kitchen stays open until 11pm, but they serve stellar charcuterie and cheese upon request until 1am. Play it safe and call ahead at +33 (0)1 53 16 13 07.

Advance Warning - If you're planning to be in Paris, you may want to reserve in advance for the following concerts at La Cigale:

November 13 - Franz Ferdinand 
November 16 - Hot Chip
November 26 - Stereolab
April 08 - Kim Wilde
April 09 - Sébastien Schuller

Insider Tip - when shows are sold out there's almost always somebody standing outside selling extra tickets at face value. Just show up and keep your ears open - you can usually score a ticket. Increase your chances by carrying a sign that reads cherche billet.

Go further: Read here at which music venues in Stockholm Francis goes dancing and screaming and here to find out where in Prague Jason goes for inexpensive beer and Czech art-rock.    

Photo: roboppy 

How did a boy from Kansas become one of New York City's best-known food obsessives? By eating, mapping and meticulously describing the city's best junk food. Adam Kuban founded Slice, "America's favorite pizza weblog", and later branched out into buns with A Hamburger Today. Each of these food blogs takes its single-minded pursuit very seriously. It's no wonder, then, that they were taken under wing by Serious Eats, a fantastic food site where Kuban now serves as Managing Editor. With a resume like this, Kuban is exactly who you want managing your cheap eats itinerary. Lucky for Momondo, he's opened up to share a few favorites.This is his New York.

You've reviewed and mapped hundreds of pizzarias, but is there any one place that you keep going back to?

I keep going back to Di Fara Pizza and Una Pizza Napoletana, which are probably my two favorites in New York City. Di Fara makes an old-school pizza the way they used to make pizza in Brooklyn 40 years ago. It's a family operation, but the proprietor, Dom DeMarco, is such a perfectionist that he's the only one who makes the pizza. He's been making it for decades and hasn't even taught his kids how to duplicate his pizzas. At Una Pizza Napoletana, you'll get some of the best Naples-style pizza in New York. Again, this is a place where the owner-pizzamaker, Anthony Mangieri, is the only one who ever touches the pizza. Both these men are obsessive about their food, and they're involved with every step of its production, so you get a superior pizza.

Photo of Di Fara pizza: Adam Kuban

Some of your favorite pizzerias are way outside of Manhattan. Is there anywhere that a center-bound tourist can go to get a great slice?

Pizza Box and Joe's Pizza, both in Greenwich Village. Sal and Carmine's, on the Upper West Side. New York Pizza Suprema, across from Madison Square Garden. Those are all great slices. There are also places that sell pizza on a "whole pies only" basis, meaning you have to buy an entire pizza. These are usually sit-down, eat-in places. John's of Bleecker is one of my favorites. Arturo's Coal-Oven Pizza is also a great place for a whole-pie-only experience.

Photo of Joe's Pizza: Adam Kuban

Around the world "American food" equals hamburgers. Where would you send a visitor for a bite of this heritage?

Someone visiting New York City has to go to the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. It's a little building nestled among the trees and bushes, and it makes the most amazing burgers. When it's nice outside, you can't get a table with a better view—parkland to one side, the landmark Flatiron Building to another. The burgers here are also a manageable size, so you can have your "American food" while avoiding the worst excesses of "American portions."

Photo of Shake Shack: Adam Kuban

Europeans are beginning to hear a lot about Brooklyn. What would you recommend for someone who's ready to go beyond Manhattan?

I'd recommend Williamsburg to anyone from Europe who wants to venture outside Manhattan. It's where the hip kids live, and there are good restaurants, lots of live music options, and small and interesting shops and boutiques. It's unlike any other neighborhood you'd find in Brooklyn—and it's a very short subway ride away from Union Square in Manhattan.

 
Photo of Times Square: mynameispaul

And finally - is there any particular place that feels incredibly, over-the-top New York to you?

As cliché as this is, Times Square is the most incredibly over-the-top part of New York to me. I still can't get over the light show there and the crush of people visiting. And if it all gets to be too much, I can hop into Jimmy's Corner for a drink. (140 West 44th Street, just off Broadway) Jimmy's is a throwback to a New York of a different era—its owner, Jimmy Glenn, is a boxing cornerman who has worked with the likes of Muhammad Ali!

Go further:

Local view: Catherine Sanderson's Paris

Local view: Melissa Maldonado's Berlin

Local view: Jerome Weatherald's London

Local view: Lauren Elkin's Paris

Local view: Sebastian Horsley's London

Local view: Gilles Valentine's Istanbul

When I walk through the door at Goumanyat et son Royaume, I'm greeted by a cascade of bells and then the trickle of an indoor waterfall. It's a brief moment of calm before the sensory overload begins. I'm in the best spice shop in Paris, and my eyes and nose are going to be working overtime.

All photos: Mu Foo 

I begin to scan the shelves and am soon approached by a friendly, soft-spoken man. This is Jean Marie Thiercelin, sixth generation owner, whose family has been trading in since 1809. He gives me a lengthy lesson about the history of saffron, complete with old photos of his grandparents, and then offers to take me to the bar. "Le Sniff Bar," that is.

Le Sniff Bar consists of more than twenty glass containers. Their contents range from the highest quality clove and star anise – two ingredients for which the shop is known – to specialties that Jean Marie creates himself. A blend like poivre de dames – a mix of pepper and Iranian rose petals – might be crafted especially for a local chef. Top restaurants across the city source their spices from la Maison Thiercelin, and Jean Marie counts chefs like Pierre Gagnaire among his clients and friends. He lifts the lid on jar after jar, and I'm intoxicated from the heady mix of stories and smells.

Jean Marie then invites me to explore the Chinese apothecary chests that house hundreds of powder-filled drawers. "The chests make sense," he explains. “Spice merchants were the original druggists.” He then excuses himself to greet some other clients in perfect English. There is plenty to keep me occupied, and I begin to fill a basket with delicacies. Low prices make it easy to experiment (saffron vinegar, smoked salt…) without breaking the bank.

Beyond spices, Goumanyat also sells books, high-quality knives, and cookware like Le Creuset. Not exactly easy to carry home in a suitcase, but nonetheless fun to drool over.

Down in the basement there's a carefully-stocked wine cellar and a demonstration kitchen. Cooking classes are taught here on Saturday afternoons. They cost 89€ for a three-hour session, and the theme changes every month. Sign up in November, for example, and you'll learn how to put on a twelve-course holiday meal. December on the other hand, is for serious foie gras gluttons. The fun part about these classes, explains Jean Marie, is that you can just run upstairs to the shop if you need a pinch of oregano.

When I finally leave Goumanyat, I'm shocked to discover that the afternoon is nearly over. The cure for my sensory overload is waiting across the street at Café Crème, where locals are gathering for the apéro. I sit among them and am joined by a friend for a pre-dinner drink. Sipping glasses of pastis, we turn the pages of Saffron: the Gold of Cuisine, Jean Marie’s book, and begin to dream about what we can cook.

GOUMANYAT ET SON ROYAUME, 3 rue Charles-François Dupuis, 75003.

CAFÉ CRÈME; 4 rue Dupetit-Thouars, 75003.

Driven by "love and work, and the love of work," Gilles Valentin arrived in Istanbul seven years ago to work in the publishing industry. The native Frenchman travels extensively, but deeply loves his adopted city. "Every time I land back in town, I am taken by that homey feeling again, and I feel at ease, surrounded by the sea, the ancient and the modern, the crowd and the (rare) emptiness." This is his Istanbul.

Is there any particular place in Istanbul that represents the spirit of the city?

Istanbul is so diverse, multi-faced that it is hard to find one place that represents the true spirit of this city. Ortakoy can be a good place to start from though: A small village by the Bosphorus, it is a place where people from all walks of life gather to muse around, enjoy a tea by the sea, look at the view, shop for souvenir (although the place is mainly visited by local Istanbulians, it still has a distinctive touristy feel) or dine and party out in one of the posh clubs and restaurants around (Angelique, House Café, Banyan). It is also possible to enjoy smaller places with lovely rooftops terraces and embrace views of the beautiful Neo-Baroque 18th century Ortakoy Mosque, nested under the Bosphorus Bridge, spanning across the strait, the first physical connecting infrastructure between Europe and Asia. It is a nice place to sit on the edge of Europe and gaze through the waters, looking at the Asian shores. And for those who have a curious eye, it is possible to spot a small synagogue and an orthodox church, highlighting the truly multicultural dimension of the city.

Photo: Caiuscamargarus

Where do you go for a blow-out lavish sort of evening?

The choice of night spots is huge, but I would start by dinner at Mikla in Pera. The rooftop views are spectacular, and the food is a great combination of influences. 360 is also a good place to start an evening, as well as to continue it. Again, wonderful views and fusion food will kick start an evening very nicely. I would then head to The Hall, a great club that happens to be walking distance from either ones of these two restaurants. For early morning partying, there are plenty of bars and clubs that can finish off a lavish night nicely, and plunge you into a variety of atmosphere, from rock to posh. But for me, the nicest finish is always at a friend’s place or at home, with a Bosphorus view and a good bottle.

Photo: Mikla restaurant

What's the most memorable meal you've had in Istanbul?

Asitane is a very interesting restaurant, as they practice the art of ‘culinary archaeology’. Their menu is inspired by recipe books, menus and stories dating back to the Ottomans. A dinner at Asitane is a unique opportunity to share the festive menus of the Ottomans and enjoy the most traditional type of Turkish food, back to some of their very roots. The Chef and its team have been putting a lot of efforts to reconstitute these dishes and the result is truly spectacular. This is probably the best experience I had with Turkish food, besides the unrivalled home foods that one can enjoy when sharing the table with a Turkish family!

Photo: Asitane restaurant

I recently discovered a new restaurant, called Abracadabra, in Arnavutkoy. I enjoyed breakfast from their 3rd floor terrace. The place is nested by the water in one of my favourite places, Arnavutkoy, the ‘Albanian Village’, home to some of Istanbul’s most beautiful water-side houses. Abracadabra is in one of them, and despite being by the road, is a nice restaurant serving rather inventive dishes. From the top floor, the road is not so much of an issue anymore, and you can enjoy the view.

Where do you like to go on sunny day when you want to be outside?

I like to go to a place called Kuzguncuk, on the Anatolian coast, above Uskudar. It is a lovely valley, besides a large park, host to many old traditional wooden houses, old churches, mosques and synagogues and the village atmosphere is very enjoyable, when one wants to forget that Istanbul is hosting over 15 million inhabitants. It is a lovely place to walk around and enjoy the mix of beautiful houses and shanty-like habitations. I assume this place is headed for major changes in the years ahead, as the location, overseeing the Bosphorus, is truly spectacular.

Photo: TrekEarth

What's your favourite local place that you wouldn't necessarily recommend to tourists?

A place that I would recommend to tourists who don’t care about the way the place looks like, but can be amazed by the location is a tiny tea place on the left side of Mimar Sinan beautiful arts university. It is sitting literally on the Bosphorus, and on a wavy day, you’d better choose your spot carefully if you don’t want to be sprayed... The place doesn’t have a name [it's a man with a tea pot and three plastic chairs], but is a great place to stop for a quick tea and a fresh breath of saline air.

Find more roftop bar's in Istanbul here and read more about the brilliant restaurant Abracadabra here.

Go further:

Local view: Catherine Sanderson's Paris

Local view: Melissa Maldonado's Berlin

Local view: Jerome Weatherald's London

Local view: Lauren Elkin's Paris

Local view: Sebastian Horsley's London

Local view: Adam Kuban's New York