Dining
The 8 Best Cafes to Work From in London
Eight London cafes with reliable wifi, real power sockets and staff who will not mind you staying for three hours.
In short: our top picks are Ozone Coffee Roasters, Timberyard Seven Dials and WatchHouse Marylebone. 8 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
Most London cafes tolerate a laptop for the length of one coffee, then start hovering. These are the ones that actually build their business around people staying, with proper wifi, sockets that work and enough space that a long morning does not feel like an imposition. A few still have rules worth knowing before you set up camp.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ozone Coffee Roasters | Shoreditch | ££ |
| Timberyard Seven Dials | Covent Garden | ££ |
| WatchHouse Marylebone | Marylebone | ££ |
| Kiss the Hippo | Fitzrovia | ££ |
| Store Street Espresso | Bloomsbury | ££ |
| Notes Coffee Roasters and Bar | Covent Garden | ££ |
| Exmouth Market Grind | Clerkenwell | ££ |
| Bloomsbury Coffee House | Bloomsbury | ££ |
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Editor’s choice
Ozone Coffee Roasters
Why we pick itA proper roastery with a big ground floor and downstairs seating built for sitting still, free wifi and enough sockets that arriving early is the only real strategy needed.
Cafe
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Timberyard Seven Dials
Why we pick itA cavernous basement level built almost like a co-working space, with sockets at most tables and staff who are used to people staying for hours rather than minutes.
Cafe
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WatchHouse Marylebone
Why we pick itA quiet basement seating area is set aside for people working, and staff will point you to it if you ask, which makes it one of the more openly laptop friendly branches in the chain.
Cafe
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Kiss the Hippo
Why we pick itA calm, minimalist room where single origin drinkers and laptop workers coexist without friction, though the tables upstairs are small and better suited to a short session than a full day.
Cafe
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Store Street Espresso
Why we pick itExcellent coffee and a loyal following, but it is small and the wifi can be patchy at peak times, so this one works best as an early morning or off peak spot rather than an all day base.
Cafe
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Notes Coffee Roasters and Bar
Why we pick itA large, high ceilinged space near Trafalgar Square with plenty of tables and sockets, and it stays functional as a work spot even when the tourist footfall outside picks up.
Cafe
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Exmouth Market Grind
Why we pick itStable wifi and a steady stream of power sockets make this a dependable daytime base, though it shifts into a cocktail bar in the evening, so the laptop window closes by early evening.
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Bloomsbury Coffee House
Why we pick itA genuine favourite with UCL students and nearby office workers for a reason: unlimited wifi and a relaxed attitude to long stays, though it gets packed with revising students in term time.
Cafe
Before you book
Go before 9am or after 3pm if you want a table with a socket at any of these; the late morning to early afternoon stretch is when they fill up with people doing exactly what you are planning to do.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Ozone Coffee Roasters is our editor's choice: A proper roastery with a big ground floor and downstairs seating built for sitting still, free wifi and enough sockets that arriving early is the only real strategy needed. Ozone Coffee Roasters, Timberyard Seven Dials and WatchHouse Marylebone lead the guide, with 8 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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