Standing on the corner of Bristol’s Park Row and Woodland Road, an old Edwardian lav has been transformed into a cute coffee shop perfect for a catch up. Built in 1904, the restroom existed at a time when the surrounding area was an elegant, thriving Victorian destination.
Gone are the bogs and replaced with barista equipment and an impressive display of baked goods, however The Cloakroom Cafe has added features like radiators, lamps and furnishings that give a nod to the Edwardian era.
The coffee shop has also a maintained elements that pay homage to its former life as a public toilet such as original oak panels, marble sinks, tiled walls, monochrome floor and old glass signage that reads ‘cloakroom’ and ‘ladies. Plus, The Cloakroom Cafe has even repurposed an old sink into a nifty little table to sip your coffee at.
Located near the University of Bristol campus, the building is now considered a rare sight as most public conveniences of the Edwardian times in Britain have been recently demolished, being deemed as commercially unviable spaces for the modern age. Another rarity to The Cloakroom Cafe is what you’ll find above.
The coffee shop off Park Row has quite the ceiling with a sunroof that brings plenty of sunlight going against the dingy public toilet stereotype. Plus, hung from the ceiling is a bicycle- casual. We’re guessing it’s from years ago and found during the cafe’s renovation because surely it’s not one of the staff member’s bike…
The Cloakroom Cafe not early serves nostalgia but also really good coffee. They use locally roasted Bristol based Triple Co. coffee beans and make all of their sandwiches fresh in house daily. Plus, there is an array of sweets varying from pumpkin chocolate chip cookies to almond and plum cake.
The coffee shop is perfect for all seasons as it boasts some outdoor seating for you to enjoy an iced coffee or freshly-made smoothie whilst catching some rays, as well as being able to cosy up indoors with one of their hot chocolates infused with beetroot. Either way, this cafe is on a roll!
The Cloakroom Cafe, Woodland Road, BS8 1US