Working from home can get exhausting and monotonous – and with the weather warming up, the need for a change of scenery while working is essential.
Islington Now has put together a list of the five best coffee shops across the borough that you can take your laptops and work in.
Frequency – Angel, N1 8EA
Found on a quaint Camden Passage, tucked away from the buses and bustle of Upper Street, Frequency offers a trio of unique spaces to work in. It is easy to miss if you are not looking for it, and while the lack of tables at their street level entrance suggests it is more of a takeaway coffee place, patrons have the choice between a chic, naturally lit upstairs, and a dimmer, cosier basement area in which to sip and study. There is a bonus back garden too, but you might have to wait until summer to get the most out of that.
La Maison – Highbury, N5 1JB
La Maison is a typical suburban café. This light, spacious space humming with chatter is just a stone’s throw from the quietude of Highbury Fields. The cafe provides a lovely, relaxed environment and a good level of white noise for concentration. There is a wide selection of hearty sandwiches, cakes, and drinks both hot and cold on offer too, but not an abundance of charging points.
Bear + Wolf – Tufnell Park, N7 0EA
If bashing out emails to Cooler Than Me by Mike Posner sounds like a dream working scenario to you, look no further than Bear+Wolf in Tufnell Park. Friendly staff and chatty customers give this place a community feel, but it is accommodating of work with charging points and free Wi-Fi available. An unreasonably good early 2010s playlist is an unexpected draw.
Briki – Clerkenwell, EC1R 4QL
With its name referring to the copper pot used for brewing Greek or Turkish coffee, Briki is a lively and vibrant deli and coffee shop well placed on the corner of Exmouth Market. Selling niche, packaged coffee at the counter as well as flat whites and smoothies, Briki is a place for coffee connoisseurs as well as laptop users. With worn wooden flooring and furniture, and incandescent bulbs glowing around the perimeter, it has got the aesthetics nailed down. The occasional loud whir of coffee machines might be too noisy for some, but a good pair of headphones should set you right.
The Coffee Tree – Old Street, EC1V 9AY
Under the shadow of St Luke’s distinctive obelisk spire, The Coffee Tree on Old Street bridges the gap between the high street coffee chains and independent roasteries. There is plenty of space inside, with a handful of tables quietly tucked around a corner, and a long desk running along the large front windows that look upon the historic church. It is not the place to stay if you are in a rush though – you will need 10 minutes for their piping hot coffee to cool down.
