This quirky bar-restaurant is currently one of the top favourites among the cruising class. A complete break from the rest of the chrome and glass décor beloved by other top establishments, Joe Diamond's offers lashings of velvet, overstuffed armchairs and accommodating ottomans that surround the low wooden tables. It's like walking into a mad North African gothic dream. Understandably, both restaurant and bar do a roaring trade. The restaurant needs booking ahead but the bar can be breasted any time.
Don't shrink from visiting the only place in the world where you can walk through a larger-than-life underground soil ecosystem. Through illusionary magic, you will be shrunk to 1/100th your normal size for an incredible journey among life that teems just beneath Earth's surface. Shrunk to the size of a bug, you'll wander among extraordinary plants and fungi, hear the clawing of a mole cricket and turn a corner to come face to face with a wolf spider twice your size devouring a beetle bug as big as your head.
Improbable as it may sound, this haunting, moving and ultimately inspiring 'theatrical documentary' by Collective Unconscious has developed a loyal following among airline employees and flying instructors. It's an acclaimed staged work whose dialogue is recreated entirely from cockpit voice recordings made during six different flight accidents. But there's no melodrama or cheap voyeurism. It's a deadpan examination of the complex web of relations among crew members and air traffic controllers necessary to keep a plane flying and its passengers safe. And it won't stop you flying to your next vacation, either.
Visit the White House right here in Chicago. Built from more than 80,000 LEGO bricks, this 20-foot-long model of the Prez's DC digs is displayed at the new LEGO Construction Zone. This area is designed to provide stimulating and creative play for children of all ages. Vibrantly-coloured, it features a life-sized race car constructed from bricks, as well as brick-built tables where kids can design and build their own models. Uniquely, the third floor of this mall is devoted entirely to children, with shops offering clothing, accessories and toys.
Belvedere Road, SE1 (box office 020 7960 4242/ recorded info 020 7261 0127)
Embankment tube/ Waterloo tube/rail. Open during exhibitions 10am-6pm Mon, Thur-Sun; 10am-8pm Tue, Wed. Admission varies (phone for details). GoSee Card member. Credit AmEx, DC, MC, V.
Website: http://www.sbc.org.uk
The Hayward, part of the south bank's thriving arts scene, is one of London's finest venues for temporary exhibitions of contemporary and historical art. The relatively high admission charges are usually justified by the quality of the work. A feature of recent exhibitions has been the policy to involve celebrated architects such as Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas in adapting the space for specific exhibitions. The Hayward flits between big names in art, such as Bruce Nauman, Anish Kapoor, Lucio Fontana and Chuck Close, and themed shows, such as twentieth-century fashion and 1999's Cities on the Move . In 2000 the startling technological sculptures of Belgian artist Panamarenko will be followed by Sonic Boom (27 Apr-18 June), Force Fields (13 July-17 Sept) and Know Thyself - an exhibition exploring the art and science of the human body from Leonardo da Vinci to the present day (19 Oct-14 Jan 2001).
This Puccini opera is a reliable pleasure, with a rich score and the tear-jerker story of a beautiful Japanese woman who gives up everything for her lover, the ultimately faithless Naval Lt Pinkerton. For their 2001 production of 'Madama Butterfly', the New Orleans Opera has scored a small coup in getting Liping Zhang for the title role. Hong Kong-raised and Canadian-trained, Zhang is a rising star who was hailed for her stirring performance in the 'megamusical' production of 'Madama Butterfly' in London and Sydney.
On the slopes of the Celium hill is one of Rome's most interesting groups of religious buildings - the 17th-century Oratori del Celio. For years these three chapels dedicated to Saints Barbara, Sylvia and Andrew had fallen into disrepair, and were seen as mere outbuildings to the majestic Church of St Gregory nearby. The oratorios and the wonderful frescoes by Guido Reni and Domenichino are now beautifully restored. For relic seekers, there's even the table that St Gregory used to eat at, occasionally accompanied by a visiting angel.
A subscription to the New Yorker magazine is like getting a new work of art in your mailbox each week. The venerable American magazine's illustrated covers have become legendary, an artistic interpretation of the news and trends of the day. The Meyerovich Gallery in San Francisco hosts the magazine-sponsored exhibition honoring these artworks, 'Covering the New Yorker: Cutting-Edge Cover from a Literary Institution'. Presented in honor of the magazine's 75th anniversary, the exhibition features 41 well-known covers, from the witty and irreverent, to the controversial and insightful.
246 Tenth Ave between 24th and 25th Sts (212-206-6766)
Subway: C, E to 23rd St. Mon-Sun 6-11:30pm. Average main course: $18. AmEx, DC, MC, V.
Stop searching for New York's most pleasant garden - you'll find it at Bottino. Housed in a former hardware store, this art-world playpen fuses worn-down rusticity, simple Tuscan elegance and a backyard that any villa owner would be proud to call his own.
This monthly party at Prague's vaunted Roxy club is the place to be on Saturday night - particularly if you're partial to E. The idea is that everyone pops a pill at the same time and the crowd has a mass simultaneous climax. Everyone is guided to these heights by the able veteran Prague DJ Chris Sadler, a Nottingham native. Joining him on the decks is a Prague native Josef Sedlon, another DJ force to be contended with and a star of local fringe radio. Dan Cooley is also on tap tonight, with chillout tracks provided in a second dance area by DJ ALI. Just mind the crumbling plaster of this former 1920s' movie house.
Debuting this year amid more new nightspots than South Beach has ever seen, Level has the personnel, parties and square footage to rise above all else in clubland. Led by nightlife impresario and fashion designer Gerry Kelly, this huge yet versatile space hosts everything from the grandest of bashes and the smallest soirees. Thursdays offers a fashion showcase; Fridays is gay night and Saturday is all reggae. A bush schedule for sure.
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