Sprawling at the heart of New Mexico, where the main eastwest road and rail routes cross both the Rio Grande and the old road south to Mexico, ALBUQUERQUE is, with half a million people, the state's only major metropolis. Though many tourists dash straight from the airport up to Santa Fe, without a thought for Albuquerque, the " Duke City " has a good deal going for it. Like Phoenix, it's grown a bit too fast for comfort in the last fifty years, but the original Hispanic settlement is still discernible at its core, and its diverse, cosmopolitan population gives it a rare cultural vibrancy. Even if its architecture is often uninspired, the setting is magnificent, sandwiched between the Rio Grande lined by stately cottonwoods and the dramatic, glowing Sandia Mountains . Specific highlights for visitors include the intact Spanish plaza , the neon-lit Route 66 frontage of Central Avenue and the excellent Indian Pueblo Cultural Center ; while every October Albuquerque hosts the nation's largest hot-air balloon rally, attracting upward of 100,000 people to its mass ascensions.

The chefs of Santa Fe may be trying to redefine Southwestern cuisine, but Albuquerque still knows what it likes - mountainous Mexican meals. This is the place to get to grips with what real New Mexican food is all about, with family diners all over the city competing to create the spiciest chiles rellenos, enchiladas and sopaipillas.

Artichoke Café 424 Central Ave SE tel 505/243-0200. Simple but classy restaurant in the heart of downtown, with indoor and outdoor seating. Good, varied menu of California-influenced modern American cuisine; most entrees well under $20. Closed Sun.

Conrad's   La Posada de Albuquerque , 125 2nd St NW tel 505/242-9090. Classic Art Deco hotel diner, modernized and serving expensive but excellent Hispanic-influenced dishes, including tasty salads and tapas, plus the signature dish, a superb seafood paella, complete with lobster and saffron rice.

Double Rainbow 3416 Central Ave SE tel 505/255-6633. University-district coffee bar, with a stupendous array of breads and pastries, full cooked breakfasts and a huge stock of magazines. Daily 6am-midnight.

Duran Central Pharmacy 1815 Central Ave NW tel 505/247-4141. Mexican dining counter attached to a working drugstore, not far from Old Town, with delicious, inexpensive tortillas, enchiladas and plenty of chile. Closed Sun.

High Finance 40 Tramway Rd NE tel 505/243-9742. Pricey seafood and steak place in unparalleled location, at the top of the Sandia Peak Tramway with eagle's-eye sunset views. Open daily for dinner only.

Kanome 3128 Central Ave SE tel 505/265-7773. Bright, colorful, modern pan-Asian diner near the University, where few of the Thai, Chinese or Japanese entrees cost over $10. Open daily for dinner only.