This IKEA holds a special place in my heart. It was the first IKEA I ever visited. At that point…read moreI was staying at my sisters home in Plaisir and we needed some Christmas day fixin's including decorations and food. Which we found, this place has everything. I was amazed at how cool this store was and still to this day is, here and elsewhere, but again, this one is 'special' to me. Again, first visit was before they opened in Schaumburg, IL or Miami, FL - both places where I have resided. As with all IKEAs it is a huge place to shop that has everything from Napkin rings to Swedish Meatballs. The price is economical compared to other stores and is a 'go to' store for any extras or basics. Then and now.

IKEA, or 'how to have a taste of the fourth dimension'. It…read moreis clear that the design of the actual IKEA stores was made to make you spend as much time as possible looking at ALL of the different sections in the store (living room, kitchen, single rooms, couple rooms, kid rooms, there must be a pet house somewhere in that mess). Now, I wouldn't come here for cheap light bulbs, not only cause it's as far from Paris as the Bermuda triangle, but also because you will save your time by just going to the nearest expensive store near your home. I guess I should talk about the furniture (but don't forget about the meatballs at their restaurant - you will need something substantial to survive this grueling experience in modern horror that will likely take the whole day). It would be fair to say that the furniture is as confusing as the layout of the store and the instruction manuals to assemble the different unpronounceable Swedish designs. It is nearly impossible to decide on anything mayor in here, it's either totally minimalistic or just huge. So if you have a small flat you will be scratching your head and wondering why the choice of sizes of desks and sofas are so limited. And yet everything seems to fit perfectly in the store much better than it ever will in your own home, this is where you realize their space is distorted, like something from 'Alice in wonderland' (there should be a rabbit having tea on one of those kitchen tables). Now, don't get me wrong, their prices aren't bad (even if their furniture is far from perfect) and like every other Parisian who's not filthy rich, I have my share of their products. But when I look at them closely and remember my visit to IKEA my mind starts spinning into this vortex of shapes and figures strange to this world, and in a fit of insanity I have a glimpse of the fourth dimension! PS: This experience would not fit Yelp's rating system, only a complex algorithm could balance the pro and cons of it. But I know that I have experienced better, on hallucinogenic drugs.