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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nI arrive in the Fitzrovia<\/strong>\nneighborhood \u2013 the name doesn’t sound English to me at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I read that it’s a residential\narea where grand apartments from the 18th and 19th centuries stand alongside\nsocial housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I, I must admit, only see\nbeautiful buildings. Some of them very beautiful!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although closed, I see bars,\ngalleries, various companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s Sunday morning, the ground\nis still wet from last night’s rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s quiet, people haven’t come\nout yet. Only a few residents are walking their dogs, and the employees of some\ncaf\u00e9s and restaurants are starting to set up tables and chairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I go down to the toilet\u2026 well, in the caf\u00e9. And I am amused at first sight: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Basically, if you\nwant to have a coffee or eat something, you take a seat in front of a urinal,\nand you’ll be served. (There are also a few normal places with bar stools.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, I took a urinal and… I wasn’t even thinking about breakfast, but about how to take more pictures haha. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The guys and the girl\nworking here are very friendly, they let me do my thing and then brought me the\nmenu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I ordered a juice and\nan omelette. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While waiting, I took a walk with\nmy phone and, being curious as I am, I questioned one of the employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Apparently, all these public\ntoilets were closed by the Westminster City Council. Many years ago now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1986, what were they thinking?\nThat they could make some money out of them. Said and done. They put them on\nthe market, and some citizens bought them, for various purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The person who bought this public\ntoilet saw it as an investment from the beginning. He had no idea what to do\nwith it. Until one of his friends had a light bulb moment and said: “My\nfriend, what if you turned this public toilet into a cafe?” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hallelujah! Cafe it is! But let’s keep the urinals too \ud83d\ude42 <\/p>\n\n\n\n And that’s how 13 years ago it\nwas inaugurated. Since then, people come here for breakfast or just to grab a\ncoffee “to go”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While I was at the table (urinal,\nin this case), quite a few people came in. Locals and tourists alike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The urinals next to me were taken\nby some cheerful Spanish ladies. Behind me, at a “normal” table, some\nAsians sat down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I ate well. Omelette with toast and butter, plus some bacon, not to forget my friend, the pig…<\/p>\n\n\n\n I admired the water tanks above,\nI analized how they put marble in each urinal to create a table, I saw pictures\nfrom when this public toilet was taken over, and surprisingly, I didn’t find\nout if the owner was English or of another nationality. None of the employees\nknew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I drank the orange juice,\ndidn’t flush (since they didn’t have a chain), and left. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Outside, I\nencountered some curious people who were also taking pictures of the place.\nSome of them went down to taste something. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Others turned around. Clearly, they are among those who can’t see this place as “some good shit” \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nATTENDANT COFFEE ROASTERS<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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