Guidebook publisher, Lonely Planet, has performed a volte-face with its latest City Guide to London, which will be available in March.

Lonely Planet’s last London guide, which was published two years ago, was damning in its criticism of the capital, describing it as a ‘joyless’ and ‘decaying’ place where the locals would be ‘more likely to attack you than extend a welcome’.

Now, in the fourth edition of the London guide, the city has been described as ‘one of the most dynamic hubs on earth’ and as being ‘certifiably groovy’. Apparently, it is ‘the place to be right now’ and is a ‘vanguard in music and, these days, even food’.

According to the guide’s author, Sarah Johnstone, eating out in London has ‘become unfathomably fashionable’ while drinking in London is ‘one of the highlights of any visit to this great city’.

The city’s many attractions also fare well, described as ‘a cornucopia of cultural wealth that boasts some of the world’s greatest museums and art galleries’.

Tate Modern tops the book’s galleries list while the top five lists in the guide’s Essential London section include attractions and parks like the National Gallery, St James’s Park, Hampstead Heath and Trafalgar Square.

The London Eye is praised as being romantic while the Cabinet War Rooms, where Churchill met his generals, and 19th Century execution site Tyburn Convent are both also recommended to tourists for interesting visit locations. Details: www.lonelyplanet.com