Loo bars: 5 alternatives to London pubs
Discover the city's former Victorian toilets that have been refurbished into trendy drinking spots
The public loo next to Clapham Common station (left) now converted to bar seating (right) at WC Clapham
Image via Facebook @WCClapham
Public loos may not be the first place you look for to get a drink on a night out. After a night out drinking, maybe. But it’s London and it may not be long before you loo-se yourself in one of them toilets. Public loos around the city – from the really old Victorian ones to relatively recent disused toilets – have been converted into hip, swanky bars where downing a drink may just come easier than it sounds. Here’s looking at London’s loo bars (and a coffee shop for non-alcohol people).
1. WC Clapham
It stands for Wine and Charcuterie now, but when the original sign was put up, it meant a toilet really. Now featuring the former toilet’s original mosaic floors and tiles, the chic bar also has tables made from cubicle doors that might be as old as 100. That’s right, it’s a century old Victorian toilet, that has now largely been sanitised.
Housed right next to Clapham Common’s station, the public loo was a part of the station but remained unused for several years. Urban legend says owners Andy Bell and Jayke Mangion outbid 450 applicants to redevelop the subterranean space into one serving an ever-changing selection of wine, beer, cheese and charcuterie.
There’s also a picket-fenced area outside the station if you’re not one for the subterranean.
Address: WC Clapham, Clapham Common South Side, London SW
Tube: Clapham Common
2. Cellar Door
Image via Facebook @cellardoorbar
Another Victorian loo converted. The small but spacious Cellar Door has room for about 60, but feels like it can accommodate more. Just to be clear, it used to be a men’s loo. Now, it’s an elegant bar hosting regular cabaret nights with drag queens thrown in for good measure.
Lots of drama and entertainment to be had. Notable mention: the actual loo inside the bar is walled by sheer glass, which only fogs up once you lock it. What’s more, it’s rumoured to be one of the bars that Oscar Wilde frequented back in the day.
Address: CellarDoor, Aldwych, Covent Garden, London WC2
Tube: Covent Garden
3. Bermondsey Arts Club
Image via Instagram @bermondseyartsclub
From a public lavatory on Tower Bridge Road to a swanky art deco cocktail bar/ music venue – what’s not to like? It’s now a speakeasy with an incredible cocktail menu. Done up by George Garnier, the bar is furnished with bespoke furniture, brass lighting and marble-topped tables made of the stone walls from the original lavatory.
The place is now known for its smooth jazz just as much as its negroni. You might miss it for the Victorian toilet that it actually looks like, set in the middle of the road on Bermondsey. So keep an eye out, just in case.
Address: 102A Tower Bridge Rd SE1 4TP
Tube: Elephant & Castle.
4. Ladies and Gentlemen
Image via Facebook @ladiesandgentlemenbar
This Kentish Town bar has been the talk of town ever since it opened in early 2015. The disused Victorian loo has now moved on from a neighbourhood bar to one of the city’s favourite spots. The bar has an interesting design in the two rooms angled on a V-shape with mood lighting.
Started by craft spirit producer William Borrell, the space has been renovated to serve cocktails with a detail to homemade liqueurs and syrups. There’s also that keen note to using locally source and produced ingredients, including fruits from Hampstead Heath and Kentish Town honey.
Address: 2 Highgate Road, NW5
Tube: Kentish Town
5. The Attendant
Image via Facebook @The Attendant Restaurant
Now for the coffee. This Victorian loo was in disuse for more than 50 years before being converted into the hip espresso bar that it is today. The seating area in the coffee shop was apparently once the toilet attendant’s office.
The urinals are now where you’ll be seated to enjoy breakfast or lunch. The place still retains the toilet’s chequered tiles, only much cleaner of course. This place has now been heralded as one of the finest coffee shops in the city.
Address: 27A Foley Street, Fitzrovia, W1
Tube: Oxford Circus
