Photography by Chris Osburn

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, right? Well, sneaking into the swelling ranks of London supper clubs and underground restaurants is the Stolen Supper Club, eager to flatter the hell out of the culinary world's most celebrated restaurants and chefs. Can't afford to splash out at the likes of upscale joints such as Nobu? Consider sitting in for a stealthy bite with Stolen Supper Club founders, Mia Kulla and Leandro Santos. Their Monday evening meals offer fine dining for up to 15 guests in an intimate setting. Payment is by donation and guests are welcome to BYOB.

Londonist enjoyed this past Monday's “fish menu” which offered a chance to taste Stolen's take on Nobu, E&O, the Ivy and Marcus Waering. Our verdict was a resounding 'more please' as we were impressed not only with the food but equally with the ambiance. A candlelit conversation across the table with friendly folks from a variety of backgrounds and postcodes was most accommodating to the gorgeous courses of new style sashimi, chilli salt squid and Thai baked sea bass with fragrant rice. A peach and Champagne sorbet for dessert and a generous sampling of Akashi-Tai sake rounded out the experience nicely.

The “fish menu” cost a suggested donation of £30 (excellent value for money considering portion size, presentation and flavour) and was hosted in a lovely flat in Notting Hill. The next supper club is to be on the 8th of March and will feature dishes inspired by The Iraqi Cookbook, Ottolenghi and the Ivy. In addition to the sit down sessions of foodie thievery, Stolen offers a catering service and has a Thursday market stall at Maida Hill Market from noon to 5pm.

Is this cheeky haute cuisine an act of homage, inspiration or outright recipe infringement? Visit www.stolen.it (or their Facebook fan page), make a rez for an upcoming supper and see for yourself.

Former Museum of the Month, the Hunterian Museum, has a delightful new exhibition themed around microscopy. Artist Susanna Edwards found a collection of Victorian microscope slides in a charity shop. She then photographed the 19th Century preparations using microscopes both antique and modern - the oldest, a 1730s Culpeper microscope, dates back the best part of three centuries, over which time this analytical technique has developed immeasurably. The resulting images, when displayed alongside the slides and microscopes on the Hunterian's upper floor, explore 'microscopy as craft and technology, art and science'. The exhibition is supported by a series of lectures, tours and workshops at this, one of London's most unusual museums. Curious: The Craft of Microscopy runs at the Hunterian Museum, Lincoln's Inn Fields, until 3 July.

In search of London’s best sandwich since sliced bread

With the icy winds still penetrating our city, London’s collective core body temperature has nose-dived into the spectrum normally occupied by cryogenically frozen oligarchs who are awaiting their reincarnation. The thought of another near frosty sandwich selected from the chiller cabinet is enough to bring us out in cold sweats. Frosty sandwiches simply won’t do. We need something hot that will stick to our ribs like suet pudding.

Luckily help is at hand. In between St. Ockwell and Vauxhall, in area we aren’t sure whether to refer to as Vauxwell or Stockshall, is the Canton Arms which is serving up-market toasties on its bar menu. Given that it has recently been re-opened under the guidance of the team that has worked at The Anchor and Hope, The Fox, The Eagle and Great Queen Street our hopes were freakishly high.

The pub has only just opened, so was understandably quiet on a bleak Tuesday lunchtime. We greedily ordered the two most decadent toasties on the snack menu, assuming that the Montgomery Cheddar version would be excellent as well.

Their foie gras toastie should be in the Tate Modern. Slices of poached ballotine of foie gras oozed from the Brevilled white bread in such decadent fashion that you have to pinch yourself and have another slurp of ale. It’s the sort of thing you can imagine Borris Johnson having as a snack in his student digs in Oxford. The haggis toastie is just as good. It’s dense, substantial and deeply savoury. Simple. But perfect.

Having wolfed down both sandwiches without taking a breath, the chef and owner, Trish Hilferty (who is a leading authority on pub food), popped out for a chat. She explained her irritation at the term ‘gastro-pub’ and the craze du jour for Scotch eggs. Her mission is simply to provide Stockwell with a decent boozer for locals where they can eat some proper pub food including toasties and Scotch pies at the bar and more substantial fodder at a table.

We almost considered staying for dinner when we found out they had a pigeon and foie gras toastie planned for the evening service. The Canton Arms should help to put Stockwell on the map for all the right reasons.

The Canton Arms, Stockwell, London SW8 1XP

Google Maps are all very well for presenting information. But where's the charm? Where's the love? Reminded earlier this week about the special allure of hand-drawn charts, we thought it'd be fun to revive the idea of homemade cartography.

So here's your mission, should you choose to accept it. Draw a map of your local area, be it home or work, indicating all the corners, bars, parks, features and characters that are important to you. You can be as colourful or cryptic, as detailed or sketchy as you like, using whatever medium works best - as long as you pick an area in London. Then photograph your work and send it to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or upload it to this general Flickr pool and tag it Londonist. We'll show the best ones on the site. (And save the original - if we get some really good ones we might see if anyone's mad enough to give us some gallery space.)

Finch on a G-string, by M@.

There's not really a lot to say about this new installation, other than get the hell down to the Barbican at your next opportunity. Even the most arts-immune cynic can't help but find pleasure in this: a flock of colourful zebra finches playing electric guitars.

Upturned cymbals full of bird seed or water, amped-up guitars and microphone perches have been dotted around the Barbican's Curve Gallery. As you move through the space, the birds soar around you, sometimes at you, coming to rest on the various instruments (they seem to flock, particularly, to the bass guitars). The resulting sound is more minimalist than cacophony. Clangs and twangs (surely that wasn't a chord?) fall randomly, with occasional rhythms emerging from the bass-string hops of an individual bird.

Despite his extravagantly artsy name, Céleste Boursier-Mougenot has created something here of huge popular appeal that Londoners will talk about for years. It's clever, it's unique and, most of all, it is one of those rare pieces of art that has every visitor smiling throughout the whole experience. An absolute must see.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot's Curve installation can be seen at the Barbican Arts Centre until 23 May. Entrance is free.

Images clockwise from top left: Olympic memories marathon film, London Fashion Week. It's another world. , US Embassy models at NLA and gourmet toasties in Stockwell

The week's most popular posts, and a round-up of what's happening around town.

In the news:

• Last week it was Diane Abbott, this week its rumours about James Purnell running for Mayor
  
• A thinly disguised fake magazine is doing the campaign rounds for the Lib Dems in Islington South
  
• Threats to Ministry of Sound provoked an online petition
  
• London's getting a local bank for the high street and a giant cube for Nine Elms
  
• The best show at London Fashion Week is undoubtedly the fashionistas
  
• What should the 2012 Olympic theme tune be?
  

See the News category for more

Around town:

• We discovered the excellent Freelancer's Map of London, toyed around with the skyline and put Routemasters in space
  
• A copycat menu at Stolen Supper Club hit the fishy spot
  
• Learn about London's oddest toilet, follow Henry Moore around town and delve into Jewish Book Week and much more with the literati
  
• Something for the weekend: take time out to draw a map of your London as you see it
  
• Here's a teaser for the elephant parade coming soon in May
  

See the Arts & Events and Food & Drink categories for more

Comment of the week:
In response to our piece on 'Olympic Eyesore to Cover Up Existing Eyesore'

Elongated paean to elegance and beauty. Just excellent. My homework is now to use this expression in conversation in the next 3 days. Well written!

Thanks, Jason B Standing!

After disappointment earlier in the week at the N20 Comedy Festival, it's with a glad voice we give thanks for Laura Solon's Rabbit Faced Story Soup. The story of one young woman's journey through the fraught world of publishing, accompanied only by a stuffed white rabbit called Ian, it's the kind of character stand-up that not only has you weeping with laughter but also a little bit awestruck at Solon's self-assuredness and abilities.

Her show is populated by all manner of personalities (some of whom will be familiar to listeners of her radio show), the best of which is Marci, über-bitch literary agent with an arsenal of acerbic put-downs, closely followed by a pair of Parisians who take pretentiousness to new heights. Bad literature and 'Russian' oligarchs join the French as subjects for Solon's gentle skewering, presented with a fabulous knack for the unexpected word (we will be spending the next two weeks attempting to work "shit-fit" into every conversation we hold) and a sharp eye for the ridiculous which her occasionally squeaky voice belies.

The N20 Festival ends tonight with Phil Kay and the sold-out Gavin Osborn (you never know, there might be returns, but don't go down to Clapham saying Londonist sent you), and you've got a few more chances to catch Laura Solon around town over the next couple of months. You should. You really should.

N20 Comedy Festival at the Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, SW11 / Laura Solon is at the 606 Club, Chelsea, on 3rd March; Firestation Arts Centrem Windsor, on 6th March; Leicester Square Theatre on 7th March; Watermans Theatre, Brentford, on 6th June.

       

A series celebrating the talent of our friends over in the Londonist Flickr pool. Here, they introduce themselves and share their favourite London shots. Today, introducing ProphecyBlur:

I’ve had a passion for photography as long as I can remember. However it wasn’t until last year when my girlfriend bought me a photography lesson for my birthday that I finally realised maybe I could do it for myself. Most of my photography is in and around London’s Docklands where I live and work. In particular I like the old, decaying and rusting signs of the old docks and the stark contrast they have with the shiny clean modernity of the banking hub it has become today.

After my initial enthusiasm I found myself taking my camera out less and less as the year progressed. I realised I needed to find myself some structure and discipline if I was to improve as a photographer. With this in mind on November 27th I started my ‘Project 365’ requiring me to take and post a photograph each day for a year. The goal was simple, to get me out taking photos, to improve my eye for photography, and force me to keep looking and experimenting with the world around me.

To have any chance of completing this project I knew I needed a camera with me at all times. With this in mind I bought myself the Canon Powershot S90 and have been amazed at the results achievable with such a small pocket camera. It has allowed me to become more playful, experimental, spontaneous and enthusiastic with my photography. I have selected some of my favorite photographs from my Project 365 so far to include with this post. 

I am still learning and developing my style of photography, with the ambition someday to be able to exhibit my work publicly. I’m currently only 90 days into my challenge, and am already much more deliberate and focused than I was when I started. You can follow me on my journey at prophecyblur.com or on Flickr where I have found the support and encouragement of others a great motivation to keep going.

Explore more at ProphecyBlur's Flickrstream and website.