Attendant

Most people have rated this 5 stars, but I guess the only thing preventing me giving it 5 is just how tiny it really is. I came here to pass on two hours of time in London in-​between meetings to crack open my laptop and get on with some work. It did the job for this, however I was propping my laptop up on the tiniest of wooden bench tables. Maybe I just need to get an iPad!
Size situation aside — this place is way cool. It’s an underground, slightly hidden café, where you go downstairs under the road to access. With walls adorned with graffiti and quirky images, it’s a laid back, unique little place, ideal for catching up with friends, having a coffee or a light lunch.
I went for the roasted vegetable soup and it was delicious — so thick and tasty, packed with all sorts of vegetables. Really warming on a freezing cold rainy day in Jan. It came with slices of buckwheat toast which made it more of a filling meal. I decided to take a break from my usual coffee addiction and get a green tea instead, which came in it’s own rather cute teapot.
Friendly staff, a nice atmosphere and the best R&B mix on in the background! Personal preference I guess :) They offer so many tempting homemade cakes and sweet treats, plus a couple of other lunch options like avocado on rye toast, superfood salads and mainly healthy options.
A nice spot to visit in London when you don’t want to go to a chain place…

This place is amazing! Its located underground in a former tube station bathroom (that may sound gross but its not, its totally awesome). It’s small and cozy, but doesn’t feel cramped. The staff is super friendly and the food was delicious.
We ordered the avocado toast with poached eggs, and some kind of banana bread served with berries and some delicious homemade whipped cream. All of the food was to die for (look at my picture and see for yourself).
We also ordered tea, which came loose leaf in really cool glass pots. It was probably the best tea I had in London.
If you are in London you have to come by and see the Attendant, even if you just stop by for a coffee or tea. It will be an awesome experience that you will remember for years.
PROS
–amazing food
–fabulous tea
–reasonable prices
–awesome location/​building
–friendly staff
CONS
–WiFi didn’t work

I was looking around to find it for 5 minutes :) the hypogean Attendant is the most original café I have been to

What a fun treasure to find! Attendant used to be an underground men’s restroom turned into this delicious little coffee treat!
We enjoyed some of the best tea in London here and the smashed avocado on toast was delish! So delicious we went back to have it the next day too.
Not only do I recommend this place, I will make a point Togo back he next time we are in London!

A very cosy coffee shop (converted from public restrooms!) — limited selection of foods, though it includes all your breakfast favourites including smashed avocado on toast, freshly pressed juice, and a line of pastries. Friendly staff, and quirky décor. Drop on in if you’re in the area!

Small & cosy, this is a must for anyone on a hunt for amazingly made coffee & a communal atmosphere. Their brunch menu is small, but extremely well executed. Just get there early, as the little once upon a time Victorian loos fills up with hungry patrons quickly.

White or Black?
— Sorry?
White or Black Coffee.
— What is that?
So today I learned that white coffee is coffee with milk; _​_​_​; oh my narrow minded mind from the US.
This lovely little victorian bathroom was converted into a coffee shop and — can I say that they produce some delicious coffee. When I heard about such a novelty I had to go check it out! I love that they kept some of the design from the porcelain urinals and converted them into seating booths.

I wasn’t familiar with the whole underground toilet thing, but someone I met in Iceland recommended this spot for good coffee and unique setting (and explained the name). I went on a weekday afternoon and was one of very few customers, so service was stellar and I chatted a bit with the barista. Ordered a flat white and took a seat on the stools. Definitely not comfortable enough to stay long, but it was a nice respite and very cool.

I loved this place! It was about 1:00pm on a monday and there were people inside but not too many. Easy to find a place to sit. The staff was helpful and genuinely friendly. They have a £5 minimum if you’re using a card so I got a flat white and gluten free lemon polenta cake (a recent obsession of mine). The presentation was beautiful with coffee art and they actually had to cut the cake! Not pre-​sliced. The coffee was delicious and the cake was hands down THE BEST ever. The edges seemed hard and over cooked at first, but when I took a bite it was densely saturated and almost caramelized lemony deliciousness.
When the barista brought my coffee he also brought me a glass of water. Now that’s service. The stools are not the most comfortable unfortunately, and unless you grab a table you’re stuck staring at a wall. But there is some art to look at. The music was great, the perfect level for conversation but just a little too loud for reading. All in all I will definitely be coming back.

A unique coffee shop set into an old toilet/​urinals. It works really well with nice staff that manage to pump out some amazing Flat Whites.
Pastries also looked very appetising but only stopped by for a flying visit.
Sure it’s small, so make sure you have an alternate plan. This was the second time I visited, as the first we couldn’t get anywhere to sit as it was full. (Visit — 27/​06/​2015 Coffee)

Wasn’t too overly impressed with this café. Sure it has it’s own little uniqueness being underground and in an old toilet. Bar that nothing special (we came across way better toilet type cafes later in our travels) .It does have a nice cosy atmosphere, place is clean, a fair selection of food, service is good but the coffee was nothing to rave about and the wrap I had was likewise. Overall if I lived there I wouldn’t make it my regular café and I would recommend others if they must go, just go (if at all) to see what it’s all about. One more footnote… it is good that they have managed to preserve the actual building though instead of it being blocked up or dug up like others I know of. I mean it is kind of history isn’t it?.

5 stars for the very awesome venue!
1 star for service.
1.5 stars for food and coffee.
Must be honest, this notion of a café joint underground and in the old Foley Street men’s bathroom is so flipping cool, I just had to check it out. The space is amazing, a bit cramped, super hot and humid, but what could be expected from an old restroom? I adore how they have a cast iron entrance at the surface, which leads to the stairwell down to the venue. The old tile as well as urinals along the walls are odd yet very interesting touches, and I really enjoy what they’ve done with the space.
The service was… disappointing. They are not very friendly, perhaps they were distracted or having a bad day, but in such a cool place, I would have expected a little more energy and warmth. I felt an uncomfortable, almost, «drink your cappuccino and eat your cold seed porridge and get out,» sort of vibe.
I had to try the «cold porridge» for interest’s sake, and it was not my thing. The fresh fig garnish was delicious! But everything beneath it felt like mushy and gelatinous crushed seashells in my mouth. I’m honestly not sure what was inside it, I think huge chia seeds along with some other white crunchy seeds that didn’t feel palatable. This was also £6-​odd pounds! Perhaps I chose wrong, and should have stuck with the other pastries, sandwiches, or salads laid out, that did look really delicious and appetizing.

I love drinking coffee in a toilet… Actually no, I normally don’t. But here at Attendant I really do. Located in a former underground communal toilet this place is away from the Oxford Street crowds. The coffee is really great and the baked goods looks amazing too.

I’m a sucker for kitchey and cutesy things.
GPS failed me many times and I almost gave up finding the place, then I turned a corner and there it was. You walk downstairs and the first thing you notice is the 80’s music blasting (Bön Jovi Day when I was there), and of course the urinals. The staff greet you when you come in and the food is delicious. I also tried their salted brownie to go and it was to die for.
Cute, cute cute!

If you’re looking for a quirky place to grab coffee, then this is it. Housed in a former underground, erm, toilet (hence the name), The Attendant has kept much of its original structure (including the urinals! But don’t worry, they’re well scrubbed up :)) and thus, its character.
They’re also one of the few cafes in London that serves almond milk, which is great for those of us who are lactose intolerant and might not always want to opt for soy. I went during lunchtime and had a delicious almond milk latte, and a sandwich. My friend went for a cappuccino and a cake, which also looked super appealing.
I’d try to visit during off-​peak hours, if I were you, so you can stay and enjoy your coffee in the surroundings. The staff there are very friendly as well, which helps.

Prior to visiting, I had already heard many good things about the coffee house, so my expectations were high, and I can gladly report that I was not disappointed.
The entrance is very unique, in that it is effectively a tube entrance, leading underground to the actual café. Once downstairs, you realise how small and cozy it is.
Oh, and also, the theme is «bathroom». There are urinal dividers, hand driers, and bits of toilet on the walls… Very quirky.
The music is calm and soothing, with very kind, international baristas. Upon asking what they would recommend we try, he recommended the iced tea or the ice cream espresso (as it was a hot and sunny day), which would have been a shame (as I wanted to try some of their hot beverages) if the iced tea and ice cream espresso weren’t so good! Unfortunately, we didn’t try any of their food, but I am told it is on par.
Highly recommended. Very cool place to hang out for a few hours. Coffee is great.

Hubby and I have eyed this coffee shop for a while now after reading a lot about it and passing by it on our way home from one of the other many coffee shops in the area. It always looked inviting; I mean, a public toilet turned coffee shop? What’s not to ooh and ahh over? =)
Finally, a little trip into manic Oxford Street gave us an excuse to stop in for a wee break (ahhh hahaha, see what I did there?). As always, it was wonderful to step away from the chaos of Oxford Street onto a side street leading to the entrance of the shop, which, as you can guess from my intro, looks like one of those old public toilets underground.
I had a jasmine tea (loose leaf), hubby and friend had flat whites, and I shared a sea salt caramel brownie. The tea came in a lovely little teapot and accompanying mug, but I thought the water temperature was just a tiny bit too hot and the tea was subsequently a little bitter. Not horrible, though, so I think it was all right. Hubby thought his flat white was just OK, too. The brownie, though, was DELICIOUS. Just gooey and a scrumptious mix of caramel, salt, and, of course, chocolate! Definitely recommend that treat if it’s there.
The atmosphere and space is great. It’s laid back and just cool to see the remnants of the toilets here and there and to see how they incorporated those elements into the interior design. So I’d visit just to have the experience! But the seating is very limited, so I think groups of 2 – 3 are the most ideal…
I really enjoyed visiting, but with other great coffee nearby, I’m not sure if I’ll be hurrying back, so though this is probably more in between 3 and 4 stars, I’ve decided to go with 3.

Yesterday I ate french toast in a toilet. Well, a converted public toilets under Foley Street in Central London called The Attendant. Me and four friends had made plans to meet for lunch somewhere central, and we were struggling to whittle down the thousands of London establishments to just one. This seemed like the best option as it was something different, located centrally and didn’t seem too formal for what was a quick catch-​up.
Seating Options
A friend and I turned up around 12.30pm, and the first thing that struck me was the exceedingly small number of seating options available. After all, this is a converted toilet! Thankfully, round the corner to the right there’s a couple of tables with bench seating, so we managed to get an area for the five of us. It’s not possible to book ahead as far as I know, so I would recommend only going here if there’s just two of you to avoid disappointment.
The Food
French toast was about £8 each, and sandwiches ranged Chorizo & Bacon, Royale Chicken to Mushroom and Halloumi. By 12.30pm they had ran out of the other brunch specials. They also had a selection of pastries and cakes on offer at the counter too.
The Atmosphere
The staff are SO nice! As well as that, their soundtrack was top notch and the lighting was just perfect for an underground venue. I particularly liked the fact that so much light filters through from the main entrance, making it feel that little bit bigger. It was a bit cramped, and the couple next to us kept having to hunch over their table so people could get to the toilet. As such, this is not the place for a two-​hour long natter. It has an in-​n-​out vibe, you wouldn’t expect to be here for more than 45 minutes especially as the food is served pretty quickly.
This is by no means the first converted toilet in London (Cellar Door and Ginglik are just two that spring to mind), but the space is beautiful, light and if I worked that little bit closer to this place, I would definitely pop in here for a pre-​work caffeine fix.

Attendant is one of those places that you joke about with your friends: «You know how coffee makes you have to use the bathroom? Well, what if we put a coffeeshop in a bathroom? Saves so much time!»
And that’s just what someone did.
Granted, it’s no longer a working bathroom. This old, underground bathroom has been converted into a one-​room coffee shop, complete with seats and counters that slide right into standing (but clean) urinals. Awesome.
It’s a good shop too. Fresh, crisp coffee that’s not too overpriced, strong wifi signal for getting work done. The metal stools could be a little more comfortable but you get used to them pretty quick. I spent an hour or so here and had an excellent afternoon.
The one thing to note about Attendant is the sound. This place echos like crazy and it can be a little hard to think when lots of people are talking.
Besides that though, the next time you are in the mood for having a coffee, think of using the bathroom.

George Michael must be disappointed that public loos are being converted into hipster coffee shops these days…
Nice coffee shop in the midst of Fitzrovia. They offer your standard range of the modern coffee shop: coffee in all its variation (from lattes, to flat whites etc), an assortment of fancy teas, sandwiches on English muffins or large slices of bread, brownies and other stuff.
If you’re a woman and always wanted to know about what a male loo looks from the inside — this is your chance to find out!