OK, so Ian McEwan's Saturday tends to split readers over whether they find it a brilliant work of detailed insight or a somewhat pretentious, but nobody can deny it's a great choice for spotting bits of London in fiction. Set mostly around a tight chunk of Fitzrovia (with a few temporary deviations to Marylebone and west London), it allows us to wander some of central London's quieter streets, and McEwan's sharp prose really nails these corners.

The book itself is set on 15 February 2003, the day of the mass protest against the Iraq War, though the march only impacts indirectly on events. Much like our first location shoot, it covers a day in the life of its central character, surgeon Henry Perowne - a day that should have been a happy family reunion, but a chance meeting in University Street causes it to take a darker turn.

(All page numbers refer to the Vintage edition of Saturday; images author's own.)

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The capital's many parks are enjoyable enough on their own, but would the experience be enhanced at all by added bonus of a large polyethelene bubble? We'll get the chance to find out later this year when the Portavilion makes its London debut as part of London Festival of Architecture.

The 20m by 10m bubble, created by German architecture and artist collective Raumlabor-Berlin, resembles a Disneyfied version of Boba Fett's spacecraft in Star Wars. It will tour round London's open spaces throughout the summer months, beginning with Potters Fields on May 20th, and will take in Sadler's Wells, Tate Modern, the Roundhouse, and Primrose Hill, among other picturesque spots.

Last year's alien visitations seem to have done more for Londoners than simply provide light entertainment; it's provided original excuses. A motorist in Southwark claimed distraction caused by a UFO resulted in his illegal incursion into a bus lane. Other excuses include the notion that rain negates all parking restrictions and a sick dog. Unsurprisingly, the eccentric excuses aren't all on the motorist's side - TfL and Wandsworth council were been nominated for an award by AppealNow for slapping a ticket on Thames whale rescuers despite permission to park from the police and even a National Blood Service truck in situ complete with freshly-bled donors didn't escape the beady eye of Sutton council parking wardens. Photo by daveograve

If you like your dystopian futures to be served with a cool beer and an intelligent discussion (hey, Londonist will be there), you're going to like the Big Picture event on 19 April. The Paradise By Way of Kensal Green, one of our fave pubs, are showing cult(ish) movie Gattaca for just a fiver a ticket, courtesy of the Big Ideas folk. The film, starring Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, deals with the problems and repercussions of using genetic technologies for social engineering. After the film, we'll be downing a few yeast-based technologies while discussing some of the issues raised by the flick. Get your ticket here, and turn up on 19 April for 7pm doors opening.

Feeling farmy after last week's goat race? Visit Vauxhall City Farm for free.

Tonight: Let SELFS regale you with tales of London's haunted pubs, whilst sitting in a pub. We don't yet know if it's haunted but the decor in the upstairs room is certainly wonky and we've been told about the brides squashed into those chairs up front. Or were we inebriated? Find out for yourself, tonight at the Old Kings Head, Borough High Street from 8pm. £2.50. Beard optional. Facebook event RSVP.

There's free storytelling at Persepolis in Peckham and it's also just a fiver to get into Brighter Later at the Boogaloo for new music and charity love.

Friday: If you were wondering about the roots of Bollywood ready for your audition, stop by the Clore Ballroom at 6.15pm for a free session looking at Indian Classical Dance. Sonia Sabri demonstrates Kathak and Mavin Khoo showcases Bharatanatyam. A real opportunity to see and talk to these great artists. Part of the Southbank Alchemy festival.

The National Gallery is open till 9pm, every Friday and there's a free tour of the collection between 7-8pm, meet in the Sainsbury Wing.

Saturday: Ever been to Vauxhall City Farm? It's free and open Weds-Sunday 10.30am-4pm.

Alchemy spills out onto the roof of the Queen Elizabeth Hall from 7.15pm with a free preview of Sufi: Zen by dance group Akademi.

Sunday: It's Kite Day on Streatham Common - make your own with a binbag, sticks and sellotape and bring it along.

South London Botanical Institute is having a Lichen Field Meeting on Tooting Common between 2.30-4pm. Meet in car park at jnction of Tooting Bec Road.

Or drop by Sustainable Food Day at Arcola Theatre, Dalston, free between 11am - 7.30pm.

Monday: Get a unique insight into Nelson Mandela from his autobiographer, Richard Stengal, at LSE tonight from 6.30pm. Free, first come, first served, Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building.

Tuesday: Join Sharp’s Folk Club at Cecil Sharp House, Regents Park, for a friendly, informal singaround in the bar from 8pm, £3.

Wednesday: Have a quick flick through short films from around the world at the Roxy, Borough High Street from 8pm, £3.

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Photo by Cakehole via the Londonist Flickrpool.

Photography by Chris Osburn

It would be daft for a sushi restaurant not to include tuna in its menu, right? Or, would it be a commendable approach to offering quality food while still adhering to sustainable ethics? On the road to joining the SRA, Award-winning Sushinho is the first high-end sushi restaurant in London to completely remove tuna from its menu.

As bluefin and bigeye tuna are now endangered and yellow fin tuna is currently being overfished Sushinho owner, Oliver Girardet, reckons that “With half of the fish eaten in Europe dished up in restaurants, it is time that restaurants such as Sushinho took the lead and stopped demand at source … We owe it not only to this generation, but to generations to come.” Should global tuna stock return to a healthy level, or a source be found from which Sushinho can obtain sustainable and responsibly caught tuna, the restaurant will then consider putting tuna back on the menu.

As yummy as tuna may be, it's not much missed from Sushinho's menu. On our visit, we were more than pleased to sample this upscale restaurant's blend of Japanese and Brazilian cuisine, a dining concept that's not as unusual as one might initially think. With an estimated 1.5 million people of Japanese decent, Brazil has the most populous Japanese community outside of Japan … with their own unique mash up of flavours.

We adored Sushinho's spider roll featuring five pieces of soft shell crab, jalapeno, lettuce, tobiko and chilli mayonnaise (£12) and couldn't get enough of the warm shredded pork and crackling salad with mango, green shoots and burnt orange & chilli dressing (£7.50). For our pudding, a passion fruit crumble with toffee ice cream and sesame tuille (£6.50) certainly hit the spot … as did the Sushinho Sakeirinha house cocktail featuring Honjozo Akashi-tai sake with muddled pink grapefruit and passion fruit (£8.50). Other potent potables we hope to sip soon include the intriguing Venison & Dark Chocolate Rob Roy (venison infused Monkey Shoulder vatted malt whisky, stirred - £9) and the fruity Brazilian Coconut Martini (Brazilian coconut, organic cachaça Abelha Silver, Koko Kanu, Frangelico, garnished with a Marasca cherry - £9.50).

Of course, it's not just about the yum-yums here. Foregoing the convey belts and minimalism, this King's Road joint is as swank as it is inviting. With a cosy bar as well as a downstairs lounge, its a welcoming place to tuck in for a exotic and tropically-infused evening.

Sushinho is located at 312-314 King's Road (SW3 5UH) visit them online at www.sushinho.com.

London has the largest litter of lions in the world. A magnificent pride their history goes back 120,000 years. There are colossal, legendary and living lions. Lions from one of the seven wonders of the world, from the cradle of liberty and there's a lion on the very first coin. Appearing on the greatest historical treasures, living in masterpieces of art lions are roaring on the capital's biggest tourist attractions. London is leonine.

Meet the whole pride: Lions of London past entries.

By Aidan Potts and Dylan William

Photo / Jymography

To be fair to the PM, it's not a question he'd rapidly have a coherent response to, but Brown didn't help matters by trying (and failing) to look like he hadn't heard the man, and getting into his limo. A subsequent communique from the Prime Ministerial carriage said that he was off to another meeting, hence the aborted stop-and-chat.

Yet for a politician aiming to get out there and speak to real people on the streets, as Brown has vowed he'll do, the failure to improvise and think on his feet in this particular encounter bodes ill for the three debates lined up over the coming weeks. Though Mr. Butterworth's interjection was perhaps a planned one -- he is a blogger and no doubt aware of how these minor things can catch fire -- it's to be expected that Messrs Clegg and Cameron will fire more probing questions in Brown's direction. Those overpaid advisors best start with the debate practice early.

Previous winner: North Kensington boot garden

The awards are running over the course of a year, acknowledging that different green spots have different seasonal bests. Monthly certificates will be given across categories as diverse as community areas, roof gardens, dodgy cut throughs and alleys, blooming mews and green garnish to bus stops and stations (a full list of categories is after the jump).

Monthly winners will go forward to the final judging in 2011 and overall winners will get special prizes, with - importantly - the nominators scooping a bottle of bubbly. And that's where you come in.

Anyone can nominate a green corner. You just need to email the Conservation Foundation with 2 photographs of the patch and a few details. You can get some inspiration from our Nature-ist series and if you let us know what you're nominating, we'll cover them for Nature-ist too. Deal? Deal. So, where's looking its springy best right now?

See all categories after the jump - we're particularly keen to find out about your 'No Man's Land' spots and 'Edible Corners'.

• Community Green Corners - urban green spaces cared for and shared by people living nearby (supported and judged by Archant London)

• Edible Green Corners where herbs, fruit and vegetables thrive (supported and judged by Capital Growth's campaign for 2012 new food growing spaces).

• Green Corners for Health and Wellbeing - in offices and public buildings, as well as shops, hotels and restaurants which boost physical and mental wellbeing

• On The Move - green corners on boats, bikes, buses, trains, tubes, taxis or at stations and bus stops and visible from them as you pass.

• Mews Green Corners made colourful by green fingered neighbours (sponsored and judged by Lurot Brand).

• No Man's Land - unloved and uncared for strips of land, alleyways or cut throughs.

• Pavement Green Corners - pavement patches and tree wells (in association with Guerrilla Gardening's Pimp Your Pavement).

• Roof terraces, balconies and window sills with bird and insect loving plants (sponsored and judged by Capital Gardens).

• Sacred Spaces - peaceful places for quiet reflection (sponsored and judged by Natural England).

• School Green Corners where pupils and teachers get together to turn grey spaces green (in association with Tools Shed).

• Water-wise Green Corners planted to flourish whatever the weather (sponsored and judged by Thames Water).

• Young Londoners - green corners created by young people under 25.

Previous winner: Sarastro Restaurant, Drury Lane

Visit www.conservationfoundation.co.uk for more information.