We are sexist boozers

We like to think of ourselves as stylish inhabitants of a sophisticated city.

But, according to a guide for American business travellers, Londoners are in fact sexists with unfortunate personal habits, an over-fondness for getting drunk after work and an obsession with public transport.

We are redeemed, it appears, only by our table manners.

What's more, the capital's pubs are shrouded in palls of cigarette smoke, our theatres are cramped and overpriced and most house wine in the restaurants tastes like vinegar.

The unflattering picture is contained in a new guide to the lifestyle and behaviour of British businessmen and women published by the Economist magazine.

In a section on business etiquette, the London City Guide - which will be distributed to more than 75,000 high-fliers worldwide - is quick to explain that we regularly enjoy a "swift half " after work.

The guide cautions that once fully in the swing of things the British are quite capable of causing offence both with their conversation and personal habits.

"The British are less politically correct than their American counterparts," it warns. "Wittiness often means an agility with sexual innuendo with a pint in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

"The strongest relationships tend to be forged after work - in a pub or at an informal evening meal.

"The line between work and private life is not as clearly delineated as in America. Brits tend to socialise with colleagues quite regularly.

"Drunken behaviour will be laughed off the next morning and, in some cases, it is quite the norm."

Other advice on London life offered by the guide includes:

A warning to health-conscious Americans that many British pubs come complete with a "haze of smoke. . . [that] can be blinding", and that London's theatres are "cramped and stuffy" with overpriced programmes, too few lavatories and "horribly crowded" bars

Don't bother trying to schedule a breakfast meeting with a London contact. "Oscar Wilde's claim that 'only dull people are interesting at breakfast' still rings true for many," states the guide

If relations do seem to be disintegrating, the guide recommends that visitors should immediately raise the matter of public transport - getting a Londoner onto the subject of their horror journeys by Tube or bus is highlighted as an absolutely "sure fire" way of reviving a flagging conversation

In order to charm a British contact, travellers are counselled to mind their manners while eating. "Table manners are keenly observed as a subtle sign of good breeding," says the guide. "Never talk with your mouth full, never reach across the table or yell 'I'm done' to the waiter."