An extension was built next door in the same style.DID ANY OTHER ARCHITECTS RIVAL HORTA?Horta was certainly the most prolific, but there were others. One of the most whimsical of all is the Maison Saint Cyr, at Square Ambiorix 11. It is a tall, narrow house on four floors, painted in pale turquoise. The restaurant opens noon-2.30pm and 7.30pm-10.30pm daily except for Saturday lunchtime and Sunday; the bar opens from 11am on weekdays, and from 4pm on Saturday.WHERE NEXT?Although until recently there was a rather cavalier attitude towards the preservation of old buildings in Brussels, a surprising number of Art Nouveau homes remains, scattered across the city's residential suburbs. If you are visiting the European quarter, take a detour into the Squares, Marguerite, Ambiorix and Marie-Louise, linked together by Avenue Palmerston. It is possible, with the headset available at the entrance, to pick up the sound of many of the instruments being played.
The museum opens 9.30am-7pm, Tuesday to Friday, until 8pm on Thursday, and 10am-5pm at weekends; admission €5 (£3.60).I NEED A BREAKHead for the restaurant on the top floor of the Museum of Musical Instruments (00 32 2 502 95 08), and from its terrace, itself a masterpiece of glass and iron, there is a fantastic view across the city. Art Nouveau style was applied to the design of a number of caf?and restaurants, several of which have survived. These include the restaurant of the Hotel Metropole at Place De Brouck? 31 (00 32 2 217 23 00; ); Le Cirio, at Rue de la Bourse 18 (00 32 2 512 13 95), and Le Falstaff at Rue Henri Maus 17-23 (00 32 2 511 87 89). But the best-known and most impressive of them all is the Ultieme Hallucinatie at Rue Royale 314 (00 32 2 217 06 14; ), a gem of Art Nouveau design, with stained glass panels, ceiling lights and the original sofas built into shelf units in the area where regulars sit to play chess. The shop has a beautifully preserved Art Nouveau window.On an altogether grander scale is the Old England department store at Rue Montagne de la Cour 2, which once epitomised elegance for women of a certain social standing.
Designed by Paul Saintenoy, it now houses the Museum of Musical Instruments (00 32 2 545 01 30; ), and contains a comprehensive selection of musical exhibits. It is worth visiting for the building alone, which was originally designed in 1906 as the home of the Charles Waucquez textile shops.Not far away are Magasins Wolfers, another Horta design, at Rue d'Arenberg 13, and Daniel Ost, a classy florist's shop at Rue Royale 13, which now provides flowers to the Royal Palace. Its contents chart the development of the comic strip, featuring prominently Belgium's best-known cartoon character, Tintin, and on the ground floor is a photographic exhibition of the building's history. It's open daily except Monday, from 9am to 6pm, and tickets cost €6.20 (£4.45).