Ah, how I adore coffee. Not only does it taste like liquid sunshine, but it's helped me stay alert and crank through some pretty terrifying papers (yes, at a certain point, in a 'still-exhausted-but-with-a-faster-heartbeat' kind of way-- drink responsibly, folks). Coffee shop atmospheres also lend themselves to greater productivity, and often turn a painful study session into a more palatable experience. Whether you're a freelancer looking for a workspace, a student seeking a place to crank out those long cram sessions, or you just want to grab a cuppa in a nice environment, check out this list for wifi-equipped locations to caffeinate, and get some sh*t done.
Note: A friend and I researched and then personally visited each spot listed below in order to thoroughly and accurately assess each place, and determine the truly best coffee shops to get work done in London. The locations are ranked, taking into consideration the quality of the coffee (the less acidic, the better), ambiance, hours of operation, speed of wifi, accessibility of charging, and friendliness toward long-haul customers. Snacks/food were of course, a plus!
TOP 10
1. Ace Hotel, Shoreditch
Technically the lobby of Ace Hotel in Shoreditch, this location was our favorite by far; featuring a long communal table and multiple clusters of couches, seating was plentiful and the environment conducive to productivity. Bulldog Edition, the in-house cafe, serves up coffee only until 6:00PM, but the lobby itself is open until late-- a big plus for long study sessions! The atmosphere easily makes Bulldog Edition/Ace Hotel one of the best coffee shops to get work done in London.
Hours: M-Sun 6:30 AM- 6:00PM (workspace open later)
Coffee: 4.5/5
Quality of Wifi: 5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 5/5
2. Paper & Cup, Shoreditch
Paper & Cup is a much smaller environment, featuring only about 5-6 small tables and bar seating up front. The coffee shop doubles as a for-profit book shop; the book-case lined walls make the place super cozy. Paper & Cup closes at 6:00 PM, but the barista was kind of enough to transfer the remainder of our drinks into a takeaway cup! The wifi is a little difficult to log on to at first, and might require a couple of tries.
Hours: M-F 8:00 AM- 6:00 PM
Sat 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sun 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Coffee: 4/5
Quality of Wifi: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 5/5
3. Bluebell's of Portobello, Notting Hill (Best Coffee)
Bluebell's is much more of a cafe-style place than some of the other places on this list, serving up a full menu. Self-described as a place for "posh brunch," the location gives off more family-friendly vibes than 'crunch-time-workspace,' but the wifi was fast, outlets readily available, and freelance workers plentiful. The biggest cons were that compared to other locations it was a decently long tube ride from Central London and that it closes at 4:30 PM, but if you're looking to have a full meal while working Bluebell's is the perfect choice. (A big plus- we bumped into puppies while there!)
Hours: M-F 8:30 AM- 4:30 PM
Sat/Sun 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Coffee: 5/5
Quality of Wifi: 5/5
Ambiance: 4.5/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 4.5/5
4. Hubbard and Bell, Holborn
Part restaurant, part bar, Hubbard and Bell in The Hoxton hotel had one of the best environments during the day, featuring comfy couches aplenty and some of the best charging set-ups. The staff may ask you to start a tab, but they're relatively unconcerned by long-haul freelancers. Note: the place makes an organic transition into a bar environment in the evening, and will be noisy/dark.
Hours: M-F 7:00 AM- 2:00 AM
Sat 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Sun 8:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Coffee: 4/5
Quality of Wifi: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 5/5 (day), 3/5 after 4 PM
Overall Work-friendliness: 4/5
5. Timberyard, Seven Dials
Timberyard is an old cult-classic, showing up on almost all of the lists as one of the best coffee shops to get work done in London. Indeed, the environment is super work-friendly (probably the most!), with two stories of space and long extension cords at every table for charging. The communal tables and shoulder-to-shoulder seating with other customers there to get sh*t done creates quite a feeling of productivity. The staff is also fantastic. The coffee was fairly acidic, which wasn't to our taste, but it was inarguably strong. Open seats can be hard to find.
Hours: M-F 8:00 AM- 6:00 PM
Sat 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Coffee: 3.5/5
Quality of Wifi: 5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 5/5
6. Dillons (in Waterstones), Bloomsbury
An unusually large open space, the cafe is attached to Waterstones (if you need wifi, you'll have to log onto Waterstones', which will periodically time out). Seating is plentiful but not cramped (bar seating at the windows, communal tables and sofa clusters, and individual 2-4 person tables), and easy to find. Dillons is also particularly great for late night hauls during the weekday, but the place can get fairly chilly during the winter months. The DIY pancakes were however, excellent.
Hours: M-F 8:30 AM- 9:00 PM
Sat 8:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Sun 12:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Coffee: 4/5
Quality of Wifi: 4/5
Ambiance: 4.5/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 5/5
7. The Cafe @ Waterstones, Tottenham Court Rd
A lesser- known choice, the cafe in the basement of Waterstones (Tottenham Court Road) is located in the middle of a bunch of bookshelves, and is a perfect hidden gem so close to Oxford Street. The literary vibe of the workspace was fitting, and we particularly appreciate the availability of resources and the late hours. There are a couple of outlets near the bigger posts, and the wifi is again, Waterstones'. The small bar is decently comprehensive and open late, but the coffee itself was pretty average.
Hours: M-Sat 9:00 AM- 9:00 PM
Sun 12:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Coffee: 3.5/5
Quality of Wifi: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 4/5
8. Cafe at Foyle's, Charing Cross
Located on the top floor of Foyle's in Charing Cross, the Café (like Waterstone's at Tottenham) was the perfect combination of bookstore and workspace. The atmosphere is relaxed, despite being full of freelancers/students, and the coffee was pretty good. Additionally, the cafe serves up a selection of sandwiches, snacks, and full meals if you're feeling peckish. Finding a spot on a busy weekday was decently easy, but considering the amount of seating, there was a significant lack of outlets (we had to continually trade off with other patrons).
Hours: M-Sat 9:30 AM- 8:30 PM
Sun 11:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Coffee: 4/5
Quality of Wifi: 4/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 4/5
9. Prufrock, Farringdon
Considered by many lists to also be one of the best coffee shops to get work done in London, Prufrock lives up to the coffee hype (the barista's were super accommodating with customizations). The wifi was fast and the snacks delicious, although the seating was surprisingly limited for such a popular place. Outlets were also a little difficult to locate.
Hours: M-F 7:30 AM- 6:00 PM
Sat/Sun 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Coffee: 4.5/5
Quality of Wifi: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 4.5/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 4/5
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
10. TAP Coffee No. 114, Tottenham Court Rd
A popular London 'chain,' TAP Coffee is a small, naturally lit space with 6-7 tables inside. The small size and relatively quiet atmosphere make it a good place to focus, and the baristas were very friendly. Although TAP is open late, this location may not be the best option for long-haul work sessions, as most patrons do not linger. The coffee is highly commended and very strong, but we found it to be a bit sour for our taste. We couldn't find any outlets near where we were sitting, and the wifi connection dropped out fairly regularly.
Hours: M-F 7:30 AM- 7:00 PM
Sat 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Coffee: 3.5/5
Quality of Wifi: 3.5/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 4/5
11. Ozone, Shoreditch
Famed for roasting some of the most popular specialty coffee in London, Ozone serves up a strong cuppa in an exposed brick/industrial setting. The location is beautiful and dog-friendly, but can be fairly dim for any non-digital work. Note: Ozone also makes an organic transition into a bar in the later hours, so you might find your study session interrupted by noise and other general merriment.
Hours: M-F 7:00 AM- 10:00 PM
Sat/Sun 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Coffee: 4.5/5
Quality of Wifi: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 4/5
12. Riding House Cafe, Fitzrovia
Riding House Cafe functions primarily as a cafe, serving up three meals a day on the weekdays. The baristas were super friendly and the coffee was fairly good. There are reportedly 20 power points located in the cafe, but workers were heavily encouraged to work at the bar, at which we could not find an outlet. Additionally, laptops are encouraged in the morning and afternoon (read: customers there to work are advised to not linger through busy lunch hours).
Hours: M-F 7:30 AM- 12:00 AM
Sat 9:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Sun 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Coffee: 4.5/5
Quality of Wifi: 5/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 3.5/5
13. Forge & Co, Shoreditch
A self-described "social space," Forge & Co seems to function more as a restaurant/cafe. If you're there to work, it's likely you'll be seated in the couch area near the back, where seats are limited. There are outlets, although limited in number, and the wifi is fast. The coffee is fairly standard. Although there are a decent number of patrons there with laptops plugged in, most seem to leave after 2 hours.
Hours: M-F 8:00 AM- 11:00 PM
Sat/Sun 9:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Coffee: 3/5
Quality of Wifi: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 3.5/5
14. FIX Coffee, Shoreditch
FIX Coffee has plenty of seats and easily reachable outlets. The baristas are friendly, and serve up a standard cup of coffee. While still a good option, the amount of effort that goes into sustaining a wifi connection requires some patience (you have to ask for the wifi password, which they give you on a slip of paper-- the connection times out after an hour, during which you have to retrieve a new password).
Hours: M-F 7:00 AM- 7:00 PM
Sat/Sun 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Coffee: 3.5/5
Quality of Wifi: 3/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 3/5
15. Look mum no hands, Shoreditch
Often listed as one of the best coffee shops to get work done in London, Look mum no hands makes the list because of its persisting popularity, and also because the coffee shop serves up an excellent cup of coffee. A combination bike shop/cafe, the atmosphere is eclectic, and full of a mix of customers. People there to do work are asked to sit at the bar/side booths. The place is arguably inconvenient if you're looking to do work that requires wifi in the middle of the day, as the shop turns off its wifi during the lunch hours.
Hours: M-F 7:30 AM- 10:00 PM
Sat 8:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Sun 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Coffee: 4.5/5
Quality of Wifi: 2.5/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Overall Work-friendliness: 2.5/5
If you're looking for even more recommendations for the best coffee shops to get work done in London, check out this article.