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Sant Ambroeus Coffee Bar at Sotheby's (Nicole Franzen)

NEW YORK

Get a taste of Milan in Manhattan at Sant Ambroeus Coffee Bar at Sotheby’s, an offshoot of a popular Italian café chain. Designer Robert McKinley looked to 1950s Italy for the interior with Murano glass lighting, mahogany panelling and geometric-patterned floors in brown, cream and pink marble. Patrons of the auction house can sit inside or on the terrace and snack on prosciutto panini, Caprese salad, Milanese pastries and try a Marocchino (espresso with hot chocolate, milk foam, cocoa powder) or a Shakerato, an icy combo of espresso and sugar served in a martini glass. santambroeus.com

The recently opened Le Zoo restaurant at Bal Harbour Shops (Le Zoo)

Bal Harbour, Fla.

The recently opened Le Zoo restaurant at Bal Harbour Shops is styled after the brasseries of southern France with a good dose of Floridian flare. Leafy palm trees deck the outdoor dining area as hip locals dine on kosher hot dogs, steak frites and chilled lobster. Chef Craig Wallen’s rotating menu of daily specials include traditional dishes such as pot-au-feu, bouillabaisse and coq au vin, while the French wine list features a rare 2005 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs and a 2012 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru from Côte de Beaune. lezoo.com

Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava’s Museum of Tomorrow (Byron Prujansky)

Rio de Janeiro

Looming large over Praca Maua, the city’s revitalized port area, is Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava’s Museum of Tomorrow (Museu do Amanha). The new science museum is decidedly futuristic, accented by a skeletal roof that projects over a public plaza on Guanabara Bay. Inside, visitors will find a dreamy cream-coloured exhibition space dedicated to topics such as climate change, changes in biodiversity and genetic engineering. Linger in the outside areas, which are dotted with reflecting pools, greenery and a bike path. museudoamanha.org.br

Atlantis by Giardino (Gerrit Meier)

Zurich

Atlantis by Giardino, once a bolthole for visiting rock stars such as Freddie Mercury and the Who, has been given a major spit and polish by global design firm the Gallery HBA. Guest rooms are decked in a blend of dark parquet flooring, faux-suede walls, and marble and natural-stone bathrooms. Furnishings are a blend of vintage 1960s and 70s pieces and modern ones. Guests can also enjoy a multicourse menu by two-Michelin-starred chef Rolf Fliegauf. Rooms from $545. atlantisbygiardino.ch/en