Once I fell out of bed in the morning, I headed towards a café I found out about on Instagram, despite having visited London many times. (I should be ashamed.)
Having breakfast in a… toilet!? The idea intrigued me! I was curious not only about the place itself but especially about how they came up with the idea of opening a café right in a public restroom.
I arrive in the Fitzrovia neighborhood – the name doesn’t sound English to me at all.
I read that it’s a residential area where grand apartments from the 18th and 19th centuries stand alongside social housing.
I, I must admit, only see beautiful buildings. Some of them very beautiful!
Although closed, I see bars, galleries, various companies.
It’s Sunday morning, the ground is still wet from last night’s rain.
It’s quiet, people haven’t come out yet. Only a few residents are walking their dogs, and the employees of some cafés and restaurants are starting to set up tables and chairs.
I arrive at the public toilet, an underground one that would look just like the ones we had in Romania, except this one has a unique “attire”, not just a wall of bricks.
ATTENDANT COFFEE ROASTERS
I go down to the toilet… well, in the café. And I am amused at first sight:
Basically, if you want to have a coffee or eat something, you take a seat in front of a urinal, and you’ll be served. (There are also a few normal places with bar stools.)
Of course, I took a urinal and… I wasn’t even thinking about breakfast, but about how to take more pictures haha.
The guys and the girl working here are very friendly, they let me do my thing and then brought me the menu.
I ordered a juice and an omelette.
While waiting, I took a walk with my phone and, being curious as I am, I questioned one of the employees.
Apparently, all these public toilets were closed by the Westminster City Council. Many years ago now.
In 1986, what were they thinking? That they could make some money out of them. Said and done. They put them on the market, and some citizens bought them, for various purposes.
The person who bought this public toilet saw it as an investment from the beginning. He had no idea what to do with it. Until one of his friends had a light bulb moment and said: “My friend, what if you turned this public toilet into a cafe?”
Hallelujah! Cafe it is! But let’s keep the urinals too 🙂
And that’s how 13 years ago it was inaugurated. Since then, people come here for breakfast or just to grab a coffee “to go”.
While I was at the table (urinal, in this case), quite a few people came in. Locals and tourists alike.
The urinals next to me were taken by some cheerful Spanish ladies. Behind me, at a “normal” table, some Asians sat down.
I ate well. Omelette with toast and butter, plus some bacon, not to forget my friend, the pig…
I admired the water tanks above, I analized how they put marble in each urinal to create a table, I saw pictures from when this public toilet was taken over, and surprisingly, I didn’t find out if the owner was English or of another nationality. None of the employees knew.
I drank the orange juice, didn’t flush (since they didn’t have a chain), and left.
Outside, I encountered some curious people who were also taking pictures of the place. Some of them went down to taste something.
Others turned around. Clearly, they are among those who can’t see this place as “some good shit” 🙂
Info: It is very close to the Oxford Circus. It’s open 8am-5pm (9am-5pm on weekends)
