Bristol is definitely not missing out when it comes to coffee shops and cafes, from large chains to the small independent businesses that bring life to the city’s high streets. There are plenty of cool and even quirky places to choose from, but none are quite as unique as The Cloakroom Cafe on the corner of Park Row and Woodland Road.
The owners bought the building at auction, which used to be an Edwardian cloakroom, more commonly known as a public restroom, back in 2017 and two years later, the doors of the Cloakroom Cafe opened. Four years on and business still seems to be booming, with many locals heading in for their coffee fix and a bite to eat.
Having never tried the cafe out before, I decided to head over and see what they had to offer during lunchtime, and see how what was once a public toilet looked as a cafe.
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Walking up to the cafe the first thing I thought was, ‘how does a cafe fit in there?’ From the front, the building itself looks quite small but once I had gone inside I realised how much space the place had, almost like the Tardis. With the door right on the corner facing out onto the street, this place would definitely be hard to miss.
I headed inside and was greeted with an amazing open space with what looked like original flooring and features. There is a bench lining two of the walls and another two tables nestled into an alcove by the stairs. The counter is also well placed, packed with a range of cakes, and is the first thing customers see as they walk in.
Having looked at their drinks options I decided to try one of their homemade smoothies, the banana, mixed berries, apple juice and honey flavour, and then grabbed a sandwich, their salami and cheddar cheese one, to go with it. My lunch cost me £9.45, which isn’t too bad for a smoothie and a sandwich that are both fresh.
Taking my food, I decided to sit upstairs, which like the bottom floor, had the same original-looking flooring as well as other original features like the wash basins which had been turned into tables. The place offered a very chilled and relaxed vibe, perfect for a lunch break or even a late weekend morning.
I really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere the cafe provides. The whole idea of turning a public toilet into a cafe works really well and I would definitely recommend it.
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