When I first started Naturally Sassy I lived with my parents an hour or so out of London and commuted in everyday to my London ‘office’ – otherwise known as any coffee shop that wouldn’t mind me sipping coffee behind a pile of to-do’s for most of the day! As a freelancer you often never have a consistent workspace, even now with a home office, I spend most days running around London from clients, meetings and events, pitching up at coffee shops in between.
Leaving the house and sitting in a coffee shop for me is one of the best ways to get my work done efficiently, with very few distractions. However, for a freelancer a coffee shop in my opinion needs to be vetted for four things.
The vibe – It must have a work ethic to it. If others are working and focussed it draws you to do the same. It’s also got to be pretty relaxed and true coffee hub, not a restaurant that’s going to kick you out if you don’t order a sandwich every hour.
The Wifi – I’m not sure I need to really explain this one, it’s obvious, no wifi – no work! There truly is nothing more infuriating then buying your cappuccino, finding a good seat, unpacking your mobile office to then find you can’t get started.
The Charge – A good coffee shop for a freelancer is one with lots of plug sockets. You don’t want your battery running out before you’ve sipped your coffee!
The Coffee – Finally, of course, it’s got to have blooming good coffee!
With these four points in mind here is a list of my favourite coffee shops in London for Freelancers.
My Top Picks:
Where: Timberyard
Why: Timberyard is one of my favourite coffee shops in London, and the ultimate creative freelancer hub. Unlike most coffee shops on this list that do have quite a combination of catchups to computers on the scene, Timberyard’s majority is the latter. This ticks all four of my ‘musts’ above, so there is no surprise that by mid-day it’s a nightmare to get a seat! I always pitch up early, and grab a window seat at their Seven Dials location in Covent Garden.
I’ve actually had the pleasure of knowing and working with the TY team for a few years now. You can still order a few of my recipes from their cafes, including my Avocado + Lime Tartine with a Mango and Red Pepper Salsa. Pair this with an Oat Milk cappuccino for an incredible start to your work day.
Why: Grind expresso bar started in Sh
oreditch and now has 11 locations around London. These extremely trendy coffee shops, have a delicious brew, and good wifi; One of my favourite spots to focus and get work done.
Where: Starbucks Reserve
I don’t often work in Starbucks, as I find the seating can often be a little crammed and the locations are (very) generally speaking quite dark. Starbucks Reserve, Starbucks unique almost private members coffee bar – is definitely designed for a slightly different audience. The coffee is better, absolutely and the interiors are far more exciting. The reserve in Covent Garden is one of my favourite places to work, with plugs next to mostly every seat and plenty to choose from.
Where: Le Pain Quotidien
Now, Le Pain Quotidien is hit or miss when it comes to coffee shops as they are also a restaurant, so depending on the location it could be a mad lunch rush, and not the right place to dial into your work. The Le Pain I love is on Shaftesbury Avenue as part of the Aveda Institute, a short walk from Holborn Station and very close to the Holborn Grind from the chain above. This Le Pain is practically empty in the mornings, and as it’s quite hidden never really experiences too much of a crowd.
Where: Farm Girl Cafe
Why: Whilst this isn’t somewhere I’d work from all day, this is one of my go-to’s for a morning breakfast meeting that can fuse into a late morning behind my computer. They’re extremely busy at lunch time, but if you get there early it’s a wonderful environment to eat some yummy food and get some good work done. They have a secluded upstairs communal table you, and an outside terrace when the sun in shining.
Others I Love:
Department Of Coffee & Social Affairs
