The vibrant bars and restaurant scene in London has led to the capital being voted the second coolest city in the world. It beat perennial favourites like Sydney, Barcelona, San Francisco and Rio to receive 10% of the votes in a survey commissioned by STA Travel and CoolBrands, just behind New York with 14%. New York Magazine recently commented that if Paris had been the capital of the 19th century and New York that of the 20th, London was shaping up to become the capital of the 21st century. The Observer 09/09/07 pages 18 & 19