Susanne Daniel took me through the busy kitchen into his delicatessen store which is adjacent to the restaurant and showed me the wide assortment of gourmet sausages made by the East London Sausage company: varieties such as Venison, Irish Beef, Wild Boar, Welsh Lamb and Mint, Chicken, Lemon and Coriander were enticing the taste buds. Delectable cheeses, organic and locally made cakes are favourites among local gourmets.
All sorts of extravagant delicacies
On my way back to my table Daniel showed me an impressive mural that was recently completed by a local artist. As a supporter of local art, Daniel has come up with a new concept called “Gig17”, which features special events and music performances that are held at Eat 17. Obviously this new restaurateur has all sorts of ideas of how to create a popular venue for the locals.
Funky mural at Eat 17
Finally I arrived back at my table, definitely ready for a great dinner. I enjoyed a delectable Mushroom and Spinach Risotto while Andrea had a Bacon and Brie Beefburger. For dessert we shared a couple of Eat 17’s famous waffles: an Apple and Cinnamon Waffle as well as a scrumptious Fresh Berry Waffle. Andrea and Nina had been right on the nose – this was definitely a place worth visiting.
My favourite: the Fresh Berry Waffle
On our way out we thanked Daniel for a great dining experience and headed back into the city. We came back into town via the Tube and exited at Leicester Square. When we got out of the underground I was absolutely stunned by the amount of people on this pedestrian square in London’s West End. Young, hip people dressed up in evening attire were milling about, and we really had to plough our way through the crowds. Leicester Square is the heart of London’s cinema district, and many big movies premiere here. It is also home to several nightclubs, and this Saturday evening the entire area was absolutely hopping.
Leicester Square is a happening place
From here we strolled through Chinatown which is centered around Gerrard Street in London’s Soho area. An ornamental gate announces the entrance into Chinatown, and numerous Chinese-owned shops and restaurants line the streets. On this warm early May evening, many patrons were still sitting outside on the restaurant patios, enjoying the pleasant spring air. We continued our walk on Shaftesbury Avenue, the centre of London’s West End theatre district, distinguished by such venues as the Apollo, Gielgud, Lyric and Queen’s Theatres.
London, Europe’s theatre capital
The throngs of people throughout the entire area continued and reached its apex when we arrived on aptly named Piccadilly Circus – it was truly a circus full of young people in search of entertainment. With its big colourful neon billboards it reminded me of Times Square in New York City. Piccadilly Circus is one of London’s most popular shopping and entertainment areas. Dozens of twenty-somethings were hanging out on the steps of the Piccadilly Circus memorial fountain.
Piccadilly Circus – a people magnet
It was absolutely amazing how much of London we had seen in the last 15 hours. We had criss-crossed the city from east to west and back, and hopped off at many different destinations. Now thoroughly tired from a very long day of explorations and so many new impressions, it was time to head back to our comfortable hotel and rest up for another packed day of discoveries.
Piccadilly Circus
