Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

All eyes are on the host of this year’s World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, where a citywide rejuvenation effort has infused Rio’s neighborhoods with newfound energy. Once-derelict Lapa, for instance, now reverberates far into the night with samba’s percussive beat at venues like Carioca da Gema. And the artsy district of Botafogo—with views of Sugarloaf Mountain—has also become a gastronomic hub. “My go-to place for modern Brazilian cuisine is Iraja Gastro, run by chef Pedro de Artagao; get the pirarucu fish with sautéed banana,” says furniture designer Sergio Rodrigues, whose studio is found in Botafogo. —Colin Barraclough