Bogs and food

I think I’ve worked at around fifteen agencies over the last year or so, so I think it’s about time I rated them on the most important criteria: lavs and lunch.

Rather than go through them all, I thought it would more gentlemanly only to mention the best bits:

The best loos: this is a toss-up between Grey London and JWT. The first round of judging eliminated any where you are able to hear anyone else going through their motions (particularly on Friday morning after a Thursday on the beerz). There were also marks off for those with a dog-eared copy of Metro or Shortlist. I believe that in the era of the smartphone, those who require on-pan entertainment should play Angry Birds or Bejeweled with the sound off.

The winner, by a short turd is JWT for having a good, swanky set of loos at both ends of each floor. I would also add that their shower policy is second to none: big towels and soap provided by the agency and a good roomy, clean shower. Special mention goes to Saatchi and Saatchi, which has two fancy loos with Dyson hand dryers (I won’t mention its location. Popularity means a greater likelihood of a locked door just when you’re getting the turtle’s head).

Lunch: I have simple tastes, which are amply catered for by EAT. Fortunately there is a branch on literally every single street in London, sometimes nine or ten. However, I am a big fan of this new craze for burritos, and excellent examples can be found at Grey (the van behind the agency), Saatchi and Saatchi (Benito’s Hat, which also has Margaritas Happy Hour on Friday at 5), Anomaly (can’t remember the name) and This Is Real Art (Burrito Bros.). Double however, I find nothing can beat the turkey and cranberry sandwich at Verde in Spitalfields, which is nice and close to…Wieden and Kennedy London. Congrats to them. They also have a fridge with free Coke/Diet Coke/Coke Zero, saving me 65p a day which I could then donate to Amnesty International or blow on scratchcards, depending on my mood.

On that subject, 180 Amsterdam has two fridges full of Coke, Dr Pepper, Fanta and others along with limitless lollipops, snack biscuits and crisps, so that’s a big plus, along with the very good but expensive soup shop whose name escapes me.

If you need to go shopping at lunchtime, JWT gets another big tick because it’s two minutes from Harrods. It’s also above a five star restaurant that serves very good cocktails. Then again, it’s difficult to beat M&C Saatchi/DHM who have all the benefits of prime Soho on their doorstep.

Lowe has a fine lunchtime curry house literally across the road. The agency are such regular customers that the manager kindly gives a free Cobra at the end of your meal.

So that’s the important stuff. If you want to know what they’re like to work in, I would never be so indiscreet (rather boringly, I’ve enjoyed them all, including the ones I haven’t mentioned, such as RKCR/Y&R).

Does your place have an unsung loo that needs a song? Or a brilliant lunchery that we could all clog up?

Tell us of the bogs of BBH, the fajitas of Fallon, the water closets of WCRS, the onion bhajis of Ogilvy etc. etc.