Wednesday, October 15, 2014

The New London Hot Spots? Cafés That Used to Be Public Toilets


A trip to the toilet is usually not associated with sandwiches, wine, or dates, but that's changing in London. With real estate at a premium and the repurposing of old spaces in full effect, a trend has emerged: former public restrooms are reopening as caf s, restaurants, and boutiques. That's right, forget the advice about not eating where people used to, um ...



London has all kinds of history, and that extends to its loos. Take, for instance, WC - that's the actual name of the former Victorian-era underground-station toilet in South London that opened in July. It now stands for wine and charcuterie.



WC, a wine bar that opened in July, is housed inside an abandoned underground toilet, with original walls intact. Much of the old d cor remains, with the original floor mosaics and wall tiles, and even some of the old toilets in the restrooms (those are for display only). As Time Out London said in its review, "Down the wide stairs it still looks and feels like a Victorian convenience, albeit a sanitised one."



WC co-founder Jayke Mangion, told AFP that "the government has been pushing the councils to use all empty places to generate revenues."



1171 The New London Hot Spots? Caf  s That Used to Be Public Toilets



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