Victorian public toilet transformed into trendy coffee shop – complete with porcelain urinal tables
IF you haven’t bean out for a coffee for a wee while, this is the place for you.
Victorian toilets have been turned into a trendy coffee shop — with the curved tops of the cleaned-up porcelain urinals now serving as counter dividers.
The men’s underground loos were open from the 1890s to the 1960s before standing unused for half a century.
The building still contains the original tiles and workers needed eight months to restore the staircase and to peel off 12 layers of paint.
Now called The Attendant, the compact 390sq ft venue is a hit with residents in Fitzrovia, central London, where gourmet sandwiches and barista-style coffee are favourites.
One customer said: “It’s hilarious to have tea in a toilet.”
Another joked: “The coffee is great — it’s just a shame we have to spend more than a penny.”
The shop offers its own seasonal espresso blend as well as single-origin filters from around the world.
Owner Ryan De Oliveira said: “We wanted to create an environment to allow people to detach from their 9 to 5.
“We wanted to create a place with more personality and something that was driven by a focus on provenance, sustainability and a strong core ethos.”
BRITAIN’S smallest restaurant has opened — serving just two diners a night from Tuesdays to Friday evenings. Meals at Hodson and Co No 23, in Alysham, Norfolk, cost from £200 with wine pairings.