Restaurant Bathrooms

[NolaCaine]

The bathroom at water & wall was quite lovely.  The sink and toilet are both a very nice grey that is quite soothing.

Do you ever think about a bathroom when you consider reviewing? I do all the time but never put those thoughts in my review.

If you do have thoughts about bathrooms and yet haven't discussed them, why not do it here? For example, I loved the bathroom at PS7s but OMG, I fell all the time when leaving it.

I also hate when a bathroom is cold during winter or hot during summer while the rest of the place is temperature controlled.

[darkstar965]

I like this topic!  I was actually wondering some about your "grey sink..." reference in your post yesterday from W&W.

Couple of thoughts:

1.  Of course there are plenty of exceptions but I'd hypothesize that referencing bathrooms in reports written here might hew more to gender lines with women doing it more often than men.

2.  #1 notwithstanding, I'm male and have referenced loos on occasion here. Two references I do recall were about hand dryers and basins.  On hand dryers, I disike when paper towels aren't also offered though appreciated the green aspect of those however skeptical I may be of an offending restaurant's real motivations when I see that. Also, some dryers are so freakin' loud they dry well but probably bring on tinnitus.  With basins, I get annoyed with the few restaurants that feel the need to install the European basins that have hot and cold dispensed from different faucets.  I know how to work them and have no such reaction when I'm in Europe but c'mon...here?

[The Hersch]

I like this topic!

With basins, I get annoyed with the few restaurants that feel the need to install the European basins that have hot and cold dispensed from different faucets.  I know how to work them and have no such reaction when I'm in Europe but c'mon...here?

I like this topic too. In fact, I've been fascinated by public toilets most of my life, and if you care to read anything psychological into that, you're welcome to.

As to the use of non-mixer taps, how about toilets that are holes in the floor? I've yet to see one in an American restaurant, but as of about ten years ago they were still common in Paris, even in fairly nice and otherwise fairly modern restaurants. Why can't we have those here?

When I first visited Germany as an adult, in the mid 1980s, I was struck by the tremendous variety of the urinals there. In the US, while once upon a time urinals came in different forms, they've been pretty much standardized since the 1970s or so, and have more recently become more standardized in Germany too, but in the 1980s there were still many different types. There was a men's toilet facility under the main railway station in Munich that had simply a wall with a trough at the bottom, and you just pissed against the wall, which I thought was kind of intimidating but also kind of wonderful. There were many urinals of more or less the modern type, but instead of being plumbed, they had a sort of hose underneath that emptied into, again, an open trough. These typically had no flush mechanism in the urinals themselves, but would generally have a periodic stream of water that would flow through the trough. What was possibly most striking in men's public toilet facilities was the presence of female attendants, who would shuffle in and out of the area where men were peeing and who also expected to be tipped.

I will have further comments to make on this subject, you can be almost sure.

[Pool Boy]

Volt has (or had - been a few years since I was there) an interesting separator between Men's & Women's bathrooms.

[The Hersch]

Volt has (or had - been a few years since I was there) an interesting separator between Men's & Women's bathrooms.

Are you going to tell us about it?

[NolaCaine]

Look at that snap up there. I am blanking on the name but there's a downtown (nearish to Chinatown) place that used to have mirror-image bathrooms but while you were washing your hands, you'd realize that you were facing the men's room...not a mirror.  Maybe it's similar. 

[Al Dente]

I thought we already had a thread on this somewhere. I seem to remember bitching about the urinals designed for men over six foot six at Tunnicliff's.

[darkstar965]

Maybe 20 years ago, I was so taken with a mens room in Hong Kong, it has stuck with me to this day, despite never returning to the place since then. It stuck with me because the urinals afforded some of what I still think must be the best views in the world...from a urinal. I'm near certain I've mentioned this before on a thread somewhere on this site but now have no idea where. I've always remembered the name of the place.

But, with Google now making Everything knowable within seconds, I found it. So now all of you too can regale in what so amazed me at the time. The very existence of the website on which this exists is itself kind of amusing, in a new-millenium sort of way.

"The World's Largest Collection of Urinal Photographs Ever Assembled". Wonder if they'll be going public soon?

 

[Ferhat Yalcin]

That would give me the feeling of peeing on people's head. Did you have the same feeling?

[Pool Boy]

Are you going to tell us about it?

The two bathrooms shared a wall. The wall, if I remember correcly, was pretty much just frosted glass. And near the top and near the bottom is was either open or clear glass. There was this interesting sliding door concept instead of a swinging door to get in/our of the bathrooms too.

[Pool Boy]

I thought we already had a thread on this somewhere. I seem to remember bitching about the urinals designed for men over six foot six at Tunnicliff's.

I'm 6'4" and I have problems with really short urinals, and there always seem to be too many of these. Blergh.

[darkstar965]

That would give me the feeling of peeing on people's head. Did you have the same feeling?

No but probably only because I was too young then to be thinking about that. Just thought it was really cool and probably extended my stay in a rest room by 10 or 20% more than the average, very brief, duration.  

[DaveO]

Maybe 20 years ago, I was so taken with a mens room in Hong Kong, it has stuck with me to this day, despite never returning to the place since then. It stuck with me because the urinals afforded some of what I still think must be the best views in the world...from a urinal. I'm near certain I've mentioned this before on a thread somewhere on this site but now have no idea where. I've always remembered the name of the place.

But, with Google now making Everything knowable within seconds, I found it. So now all of you too can regale in what so amazed me at the time. The very existence of the website on which this exists is itself kind of amusing, in a new-millenium sort of way.

"The World's Largest Collection of Urinal Photographs Ever Assembled". Wonder if they'll be going public soon?

I've seen that website.  Its a pisser, isn't it?

Urinals, not a very memorable topic is it?   I do recall the enormous trough urinal at the Yale Bowl.  Way back in time I recall using that urinal at half time at a football game.  An extraordinary yellow river of what was probably mostly beer flowing in a majestic rushing wave to some unknown destination.  All that digested beer barreling and flowing somewhere, gravity pulling it to its final resting place.   Something to behold.

[dcandohio]

No but probably only because I was too young then to be thinking about that. Just thought it was really cool and probably extended my stay in a rest room by 10 or 20% more than the average, very brief, duration.  

Maybe 20 years ago, I was so taken with a mens room in Hong Kong, it has stuck with me to this day, despite never returning to the place since then. It stuck with me because the urinals afforded some of what I still think must be the best views in the world...from a urinal. I'm near certain I've mentioned this before on a thread somewhere on this site but now have no idea where. I've always remembered the name of the place.

But, with Google now making Everything knowable within seconds, I found it. So now all of you too can regale in what so amazed me at the time. The very existence of the website on which this exists is itself kind of amusing, in a new-millenium sort of way."The World's Largest Collection of Urinal Photographs Ever Assembled". Wonder if they'll be going public soon?

I have also used the restroom in that bar at the Peninsula Hotel, and there's some set-up, as I recall, that the women's restroom looks into the men's, but only through the mirror over the sinks. Am I remembering correctly? I had had quite a few cocktails when I was there. I have spent time in China, and some of the nastiest bathrooms ever were at tourist attractions and eating establishments near tourist attractions.

On the other hand, I vote for Portugal as having the cleanest and most well-maintained restrooms I've ever seen. The dinkiest cafes have sparkling restrooms.

In my very early days in DC, Cafe Asia downtown was infamous for the giant unisex bathroom. It seemed very cutting edge many years ago!

[The Hersch]

On the other hand, I vote for Portugal as having the cleanest and most well-maintained restrooms I've ever seen. The dinkiest cafes have sparkling restrooms.

You must not have been to the bus station in Evora, at least not as it existed in about 1990. Ewwww.

[dcs]

Look at that snap up there. I am blanking on the name but there's a downtown (nearish to Chinatown) place that used to have mirror-image bathrooms but while you were washing your hands, you'd realize that you were facing the men's room...not a mirror.  Maybe it's similar. 

The bathroom at Lyon Hall in Arlington is set up this way  It really does create the illusion of a mirror....  until someone walks into the other bathroom.

[Pat]

I thought we already had a thread on this somewhere. I seem to remember bitching about the urinals designed for men over six foot six at Tunnicliff's.

There are no longer urinals, just two single rooms with one toilet each.  Unfortunately, the owner got the notion to panel over the existing tile in there with rough hewn wood paneling, giving the current restrooms a neo-outhouse look. It was supposed to look rustic, I guess, but since there are slight spaces between the panels with the tile showing through, it just looks cheap and unfinished.

On the subject of restrooms in his restaurants, the ones at Station 4 are interesting.  I haven't been there in a while, but the hand-washing sinks/countertop are outside the restrooms, which are around the corner behind that and (IIRC) have somewhat open entrances.  That's kind of sleek and unusual.

ETA:  This is the other thread, I believe.  It's focused on where the restrooms are located and how hard it it to get to them, rather than the actual design of the restrooms.

[darkstar965]

I have also used the restroom in that bar at the Peninsula Hotel, and there's some set-up, as I recall, that the women's restroom looks into the men's, but only through the mirror over the sinks. Am I remembering correctly? I had had quite a few cocktails when I was there. I have spent time in China, and some of the nastiest bathrooms ever were at tourist attractions and eating establishments near tourist attractions.

On the other hand, I vote for Portugal as having the cleanest and most well-maintained restrooms I've ever seen. The dinkiest cafes have sparkling restrooms.

In my very early days in DC, Cafe Asia downtown was infamous for the giant unisex bathroom. It seemed very cutting edge many years ago!

Very cool you've been there too!  I'd remark "small world" but that seems ill-suited to the topic?  Not sure about the two-way (one-way?) mirror over the wash basins but agree on the mainland.  As for cleanest restrooms on earth, that's a topic I'm woefully unqualified to answer but might stay regional.  Singapore?  Everything there is pretty spotless and modern.

[DC Deb]

The bathroom at Soi 38 (21st and L St) is a neat space-saving design.  There are 4 or 5 individual closets on one side of a corridor.  They share a large sink area on the opposite side.  It's very open and clean and no dirty door handles to touch.

[StarStraf]

For me having the bathroom at ground level is important when i take grandma - In old town Alexandraia a lot are on upper floor - but if I call ahead they will clean out the kitchen bathroom and let me use that with her. 

[Genevieve]

I'm always happy when a bathroom has a hook for a purse, and when it doesn't, it's annoying (you have to hang it on the door handle which doesn't always work).  Women almost always bring their purses into the bathroom rather than leave them behind, so this should be accounted for when designing a bathroom.

I mentioned issues with the bathrooms in two of my reviews on this site:

Garrison:  not a fan of the bathrooms - only two of them (it is a small place, though), frosted glass doors through which I could see people outside (not perfectly clearly, at least) and hoped they couldn't see me as well, and no hook to hang a purse.

China Chilcano:  One annoyance to beware of:  the bathrooms contain chalk in the main outer area, and the stall walls are completely covered by many people's chalk writing - including on the stall door.  I hung my new purse on the hook on the back of the door without noticing this, and took it down covered in chalk that had rubbed off.  Luckily it came off with water, but if you have a delicate bag or jacket, do NOT hang it on the door.

[Al Dente]

I wonder where this is:

[dcs]

The Bathroom Attendant Is About to Make a Big Comeback in Restaurants, By Jessica Sidman, May 29, 2020, on washingtonian.com.

[NolaCaine]

How fun! A thread revival. My favorite bathroom attendant story is this one: One night, at House of Blues, Blondie was playing with her jazz band. My friend and I went to the ladies where, as always, there were attendants. While I was washing my hands in the crowded bathroom, a woman entered with this "i'm about to vomit" look on her face. The two attendants rushed to her side, helped her into a stall, one HELD BACK HER hair as she vomited. Every other woman in the place, dug into their pockets, bags, ect and tipped them. 

[Pool Boy]

They need to rip out their bathrooms and in their place make unisex bathrooms (as many as they can manage) because I have to tell you, I have no desire to go to a bathroom that involves other people for the foreseeable future be it at work or out at a restaurant.

[dracisk]

On 4/21/2015 at 9:07 PM, dcandohio said:

I have spent time in China, and some of the nastiest bathrooms ever were at tourist attractions and eating establishments near tourist attractions.

The nastiest "toilet" I've ever experienced in my life was in Chengdu, China, at the Hei Kafei (Black Coffee) Hotel. It was a tiled subterranean expanse that one squatted over (not a "hole in the ground;" much bigger). Based on the stench and the contents, I can't imagine this area was cleaned more than once a week. (This was in a communal bathroom at the hotel.) Rats also ran through the hallways of this place. This was in 1993 when I spent 6 months studying in China (mostly in Beijing and Nanjing). I have no idea why I feel the need to share this with everyone.

[NolaCaine]

Re toilets in China. I went to Japan and China in '99 and met my first hole in the ground. Good ones are great! So much better than many US bathrooms. Now the communal ones, I wasn't a fan. I vividly remember and old lady and her under 10 grand child watching me do my business. At first I was going to leave but then thought, hell, I  might be the only white women they ever see semi-nude...and they watched, unabashedly. So drasisk, you inspired oversharing. 🙂 

[dracisk]

I got used to holes in the ground during my time in China and didn't mind most of them. My knees were much better then, though. 😂

[Ericandblueboy]

Weren’t there holes in the ground at the Louvre?  I’m trying to remember which museum in Europe had holes in the ground. 

[dracisk]

I don't remember that at the Louvre. I don't think I've ever encountered a hole in the ground outside China. I don't even remember them in Thailand, which is the only other place I've been to in Asia besides China (and Hong Kong).

[Pat]

1 hour ago, Ericandblueboy said:

Weren’t there holes in the ground at the Louvre?  I’m trying to remember which museum in Europe had holes in the ground. 

I don't remember them at the Louvre but encountered them at a divey, kinda scary hotel in Paris near Rue St. Denis. That hotel was not a wise decision, cheap though it was on my student budget.

[John William G]

4 hours ago, dracisk said:

 I don't think I've ever encountered a hole in the ground outside China. 
 

Well it has been a number of years sine I lived in Morocco, but back in the late 60s there were holes in. the ground everywhere.

[dracisk]

4 hours ago, John William G said:

Well it has been a number of years sine I lived in Morocco, but back in the late 60s there were holes in. the ground everywhere.

Now that you mention it I've heard of them in India, too, but I've personally never encountered them outside China.

[zgast]

53 minutes ago, dracisk said:

Now that you mention it I've heard of them in India, too, but I've personally never encountered them outside China.

I've encountered them in Malaysia as well.

[deangold]

53 minutes ago, zgast said:

I've encountered them in Malaysia as well.

Italy. One in Venice. One in Tarquinia at the Etruscan tombs. 

[saf]

23 hours ago, deangold said:

Italy. One in Venice. One in Tarquinia at the Etruscan tombs. 

Paris - a number of places. Kenya - also a number of places, including half of the bathrooms in the home I was staying in (a college friend's parents' place.)

Paris was a first place the husband had ever seen what some folks call Turkish toilets, and others call Indian toilets (my friend in Kenya was Indian.) He was astounded by them. 

[Steve R.]

Israel, back in '72.