London now puts Paris night life in the shade

Those of us lucky enough to have been born in the French capital have always been proud of its reputation for Gallic excess - one which has put cold, grey, puritanical cities like London in the shade.

Not any more. More than 15,000 Parisians have signed a petition calling on our mayor, Bertrand Delanoë, to prevent the place from becoming "the European capital of boredom".

A dreary combination of anti-noise legislation, the smoking ban and the creeping gentrification of previously bohemian quartiers has ensured that "wild" night clubs, bars and restaurants have become anything but.

La Locomotive, once a regular venue for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, is facing bankruptcy because of complaints that its amplifiers are too loud.

The Left Bank cafés where philosophers and artists pontificated into the small hours are often shut before midnight.

Not so much Le Crazy Horse as Le Knackered Pony is how many of us now refer to the legendary cabaret off the Champs-Elysées.

While London endures almost exactly the same social developments as Paris, an prevails, ensuring that most French people have changed their opinion about the city.

Rather than a hard-working, Anglo-Saxon commercial centre, it's increasingly seen as a place where you can party all night, and not just at the massively overpriced young royals and footballers' wives' nightclubs like Boujis and Maddox.

Everything from spit-and-sawdust pubs to trendy dance clubs are available 24/7. Parties take place almost anywhere, including the freezing pavements where put-upon smokers turn an unpopular ban into a chance to club together for a laugh, rather than a Gallic-style moan.

The English capital's international reputation means that revellers come from around the world, with this cosmopolitan vibe reflected in the huge selection of entertainment on offer. Even the VIP clubs in London are less cliquey.

In contrast, the waiting list for entrance to Paris clubs like Cab can stretch back weeks.

There's also a more innovative feel about London nightlife compared to the Parisian version, with the British music and dance scene far less clichéd and old-fashioned (topless cancan girls might still be a novelty to some, but the Moulin Rouge was built in 1889).

Night transport in London is far more frequent and safe than in Paris, with the large crowds about at all hours increasing the sense of security.

For all these reasons, hundreds of Parisians - and not necessarily just the younger ones - buy cheap weekend Eurostar or easyJet tickets to cross the Channel at weekends and party all night before returning home in the early hours. Cheap accommodation is also far easier to find in London.

But personally I think there's also a philosophical reason for London's ascendancy as the fun capital of Europe.

It's to do with what Jean-Paul Sartre, the most famous Paris existentialist, referred to as "ennui" - a state of boredom or even depression which is prone to develop during downtime.

While Parisians will spend much of their social life talking about this kind of thing, modern Brits are far more likely to party - like people used to at Bogart's bar in Casablanca.