The cafe in a toilet - no, I'm not taking the piss.

What would you say if I told you that I recently found myself sipping coffee with several urinals in my line of sight? What if it wasn't just coffee, what if I ate there too? Am I grossing you out?

The Attendant is a cafe located in one of Londons disused Victorian toilets, a short walk from the bustling Oxford Street. The toilet was built around the 1890s and became disused in the 1960's. My curiosity was piqued ever since I heard about it, not on the Loo tour, but via word-of-mouth. It had novelty, clever use of space and a reputation for a really good cup of coffee. The things I do for a good cup of coffee...*sigh*.
 

The cafe kept a lot of its features, the tiles, the urinals, a cistern and hand drier. But all are, naturally, disused, purely ornamental and CLEAN! (Seriously, they'd have to be, can you imagine the food safety inspection before they were allowed to open??) The urinals are now used for individual seating with two small spaces set aside for a couple of tables and the main service area.

I dragged a friend of mine there recently to try it out. The coffee was like having a taste of home, it was that good. Smooth, perfectly balanced and strong. The Vegemite on toast just made my day, and, unfortunately, gave my friend food envy as they didn't have any gluten free bread.

Having arrived fairly early on a Saturday morning, we easily got a table. We sipped our coffee chatted and watched other people come in and be tickled with the novelty of the space. We didnt feel rushed at all.

Unfortunately the space is so small they don't really have a kitchen so the gluten free options for my friend were limited to the sweet offerings.

I had a good time at the Attendant. It had good coffee, quirky surroundings and a chilled atmosphere. It even had a special wall dedicated to 'graffiti' complete with toilet puns. So yep, my friend and I added our names to the wall, as if you wouldn't!

And in case you are wondering, yes, the toilet cafe had a toilet...

Would you visit and add your name to the wall?