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The Best London Cafes For Remote Working
Working as a PA doesn’t mean you’ll always be tied to the office, meetings with your boss, event organisation and flexible working can often mean you’re out and about but need to crack on with work from a café or restaurant. In these situations, you need somewhere that has free Wi-Fi, isn’t too noisy and sells extremely good coffee. We’ve put together our top picks of cafés that offer just that - all have good Wifi and plenty of plug sockets.
Central
The Riding House Café, Fitzrovia
Pros – Great communal tables and sofas to work from. Delicious menu (have the eggs in any form for breakfast) and great coffee. There’s also a private meeting room should you need it.
Cons – Can get very busy at peak times and loud at lunchtimes.
Farm Girl Café, Carnaby Street
Pros – A popular place for remote working. Good comfy seating and chilled out staff mean there’s no pressure to keep ordering unwanted coffees. (Let’s face it though, when is coffee ever unwanted?)
Cons – It can get busy and loud at lunchtimes and towards the end of the week.
Hoxton Hotel, Holborn
Pros – A relaxed space that has a cool vibe but isn’t too noisy. This means it’s good for phone calls and conversations as you won’t feel listened into.
Cons – The staff will expect you to buy a few drinks or indulge in the menu, but they genuinely don’t mind you staying all day.
The British Library
Pros – Being a library this is great for getting your head down and cracking on with work. It’s also in an amazing space so packed with inspiration and a great Peyton and Byrne café.
Cons – The comfortably armchairs are snapped up very early.
Timber Yard, Seven Dials
Pros – This café is designed as a place for remote working, so everyone there will be doing the same thing and it feels a bit like a (very cool) work space.
Cons – It’s so popular it can be hard to find a seat.
Waterstones, Piccadilly
Pros – There are three cafes in Waterstone’s flagship store, each one is slightly different. The bottom two are quiet and feel a bit like a library while the top is a restaurant with amazing views. Spend a day there and avoid cabin fever by trying everyone!
Cons – Plugs can be limited, and you will be expected to order food and drink.
East
Ace Hotel, Shoreditch
Pros – Great office style long tables and comfortable sofas. There’s ample space to work in both the lobby and the Hoi Polloi restaurant which has booths all with their own plug sockets. And they’re open 24/7!
Cons – You’ll probably want to stay the night…
The Laundry, London Fields
Pros – Lots of seating, big sofas and chairs and an outside area.
Cons – Gets noisy when it turns into a bar in the evening – a pro or con depending on your mood!
Hoxton Hotel, Shoreditch
Pros – Much like their hotel in Holborn this is a relaxed space that has a col vibe but isn’t too noisy. This means it’s good for phone calls and conversations as you won’t feel listened into.
Cons – The staff will expect you to buy a few drinks or indulge in the menu, but they genuinely don’t mind you staying all day.
The Book Club, Shoreditch
Pros – A chilled out space filled with remote workers. There are lots of table of varying sizes meaning this is a great space if you are with a group. They also host informative talks and life drawing lessons.
Cons – Can be noisy and busy.
West
Grainger & Co, Notting Hill
Pros - The healthy drinks selection here is cracking, with options including smoothies with homemade almond milk and all manner of health-boosting ingredients you probably never even knew you needed.
Cons – This is a proper restaurant, so can feel slightly awkward at lunchtimes if you don’t put away your laptop and order food. But the food is exceptional, so you’ll definitely want to eat it!
Beaufort House, Chelsea
Pros – Good drinks, relatively quiet during the day and if you are spending a lot of time remote working in Chelsea they offer a membership option for approximately £30 a month that allows you access to a dedicated members’ area that’s open until 3am.
Cons – If you’re in the main restaurant, small tables can sometimes make it hard to fit your coffee, laptop and notebook on.
No.11 Pimlico Road, Chelsea
Pros – Beautiful interior design and lots of comfy cushioned benches to work from. Chilled staff that don’t mind how long you stay.
Cons – You’ll want to eat all the food.
North
St Pauls, Islington
Pros – Light, airy space with plenty of tables. Very good muffins.
Cons – Best for a few hours work rather than a whole day. Turns into a wine bar in the evening so can get lively (could be a pro depending on your mood!)
Park Theatre Café Bar, Finsbury Park
Pros – Very fast internet, spacious feel, lots of remote workers so you can comfortably stay a long time.
Cons – The custard tarts are to die for but they’re not available all the time. Devastating if you turn up with your heart set on one.
Vagabond, Highbury
Pros – Good Wifi and plenty of plug sockets. The staff are very happy for people to work from here all day.
Cons – The tables are long and communal with bench seating against the wall – can be awkward if you’re in the middle and need a wee.
South
Coal Rooms, Peckham Rye Station
Pros – Opens at 6:30 and is right by the station so ideal for early morning meetings or working. The coffee and pastries are both very good which make mornings even more appealing. The benches are also cushioned with is always comfier than a wooden chair.
Cons – Can get busy and noisy at commuting times. Although the seating areas is at the back so you shouldn’t be disturbed too much.
Hej, Bermondsey
Pros – A popular place for remote working, meaning you won’t be disturbed or feel awkward. Good menu of soups, sandwiches and snacks. The flowers outside are extremely Instagramable – if that’s your bag.
Cons – Quite small, meaning you’re not always guaranteed a seat. The central table is laptop free – great if you have work to do that isn’t on a computer but in our experience that’s very rarely the case.
Southbank Centre
Pros – This is a big space and there are lots of places to work from and the staff are more interested in the shows than whether you’ve ordered a coffee.
Cons – Depends what kind of working style you like, if you like small and cosy this isn’t for you.