【Youqun’s Take】Dining at a urinal? A London abandoned public toilet transformed into a stylish café

Originally fromYouqun Lee

Perhaps only the humor of Londoners could have conjured up such an idea.

The café I’m in, “The Attendant Restaurant,” used to be a public toilet back in the 1890s. After lying abandoned for fifty years, it was redesigned into its current café form by designers Pete Tomlinson and Ben Russel. It’s located in the basement of a quiet corner on Foley Street. Descend the stairs, and you’re greeted by a bright, open space. I bet your first visual shock—sent straight from your optic nerves—is the row of men’s urinals (of course, all thoroughly sanitized), along with the old tiled walls, hanging yellowish bulbs, and wooden toilet doors. The place is steeped in Victorian charm.

There aren’t many seats, especially at the “bar area” in front of the urinals, where there are just a few single tables. Aside from that, there’s the usual ordering counter and a transparent glass cabinet displaying various biscuits and sandwiches. Yet, even during breakfast hours, the place is bustling with people, no different from any other café on Oxford Street. Both customers and staff seem fully aware that this is a “café,” not a “public toilet.”

I “summoned up the courage” to sit at a spot right in front of a former urinal and ordered a freshly brewed black coffee. The menu options are simple and straightforward: a ham croissant for a classic English breakfast, French bread topped with arugula, cheese, and avocado paired with grilled mushrooms, a not-too-sweet banana cake, and chocolate biscuits. “铫铩！?牛?绻?悴唤橐猓?饫镆郧笆怯⒐?鹗棵钦咀拍蚰虻牡胤剑?敲床偷愕?“flavor” actually isn’t too off-putting!”

The wooden wall by the entrance is covered with colorful signatures and messages left by visitors. I joined the trend and left my own memento. One message read “YouGunLee佑群'dLondon.” If you’re lucky enough to spot it, you might find it familiar—feel free to snap a photo and share it with me, so I can take a trip down memory lane.

And if you’re wondering, since the “urinals” have been turned into seats, does this “toilet” café still have actual toilets? Don’t worry—the answer lies behind the counter.

It’s truly a café with “character.”

The Attendant Restaurant│Official website
Address: 27A Foley Street, W1W 6DY London, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7637 3794

Youqun Lee / International Fashion Director

A leading figure in the Chinese fashion scene, holding the record for most fashion magazine founding editorships. Actively involved in the entertainment industry, he is a go-to fashion expert for shows like “Women’s Talk” and a stylist for international brands and celebrities. With fashion at his core, he is the only person in China who uniquely embodies the multifaceted roles of editor-in-chief, fashion director, stylist, and author.

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