The Draco Tavern, by Larry Niven

The Draco Tavern is an interspecies bar and restaurant, sited at the point of landing and departure of interstellar travel, funded by the Chirps (who own the galaxy) and owned by Rick Schumann. What the Tavern really is, is Niven's playground of the mind. It is a meeting place for philosophies, sciences, ideologies, ideas, beliefs, and customs. It is an attempt to show how limited our own viewpoint is in scope, due to the fact that we are all humans, having been born on Planet Earth. These many short stories raise questions only - there are no answers - and they are delivered with Niven's customary intelligence and wit. A must for any Niven fan, but probably not the work I would first suggest to someone who hasn't read Niven yet.