Working remotely is great! But whether you have a nice home office, or workstation tucked away in a secure location, there will be times when you need to work somewhere else. Some do it to get out of a rut or avoid that cabin fever of being alone at home all the time, and this actually does help improve your productivity and mood. For anyone who’s ever worked in a traditional office setup, this concept is just like that 5 min coffee break or a trip to the bathroom. It’s a way to hit ‘F5’ and refresh your senses and headspace.

One of the most typical places people go to work at is a cafe because of how perfect and flexible the scenario can be: you can choose to work alone or with a friend; engage socially or not but still have ‘other people’ around you (which has actual positive health benefits); enjoy the refreshing ambiance and decor that you’d never make for yourself at home, and; coffee (also food but it varies). To that end, we’re here with a list of the best cafes to work in: 

For Java and WiFi: Seattle’s Best

Image Source: Seattle's Best

Are you into Java? This is by far the only cafe with an extensive range of java-based coffee blends! They also have a good range of pastries and sandwiches to try out. Although their seats may not be as conducive to working, they’re great for reading or studying.

WiFi: FREE but slow when there’s a lot of people

For something different: Tim Hortons

Image Source: Tim Hortons

A Canadian coffee chain, Tim Horton’s offers a taste of their home country’s best brews and matching sandwiches. Their panini-style sandwiches are especially nice ranging from pork, chicken, and beef. If you ask nicely, they’ll even set aside a cup of the syrup if you want your coffee black so you can just sweeten to taste instead. One thing you’ll have to deal with though is these places are always packed! So the free WiFi might not be the fastest.

WiFi: FREE but not that fast.

For Korean pastry fans: Mr. Park’s

Image Source: Mr Park's Malate

A Korean cafe, Mr. Park’s dazzles with its wide pastry and cake range and nice selection of coffee-based drinks. The setting is usually quieter than your typical cafe, save the usual sound of the staff and small conversations between other customers, and it makes for an ideal study space with its low-seated cushioned chairs and small round tables. Eat sweets and read in peace. There aren’t a lot of branches available though.

WiFi: FREE with moderate speed

For the usual go-to: Starbucks

Image Source: Starbucks

Starbucks comes in two flavors: their regular cafes, and; Reserve, where they serve their Third Wave Coffee offerings. Reserve has a more intimate experience with their baristas, often an front-row seat to the brewing process and a good with the barista on the bean and how the chosen process relates to your choice of coffee. The regular cafes don’t have this option but should still serve you awesomely with their coffee and food selection. The only downside is they don’t offer any WiFi.

WiFi: None.

Our best pick: Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Image Source: Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Of course, saving the best for last, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf has a nice balanced selection of hot and cold coffee and tea drinks. Whether you’re in the mood for a nice ice-blended chocolate drink like their “Ultimate Mocha”, or a nice hot refreshing “African Sunrise” tea, CBTL has it all. Their food and pastry options are also great, usually coming with ‘best pair’ notes if you don’t know what to get with what. We found their blueberry bagels with cream cheese on the side especially nice when paired with their signature ice-blends. They offer a variety of seating styles, if you’re picky with where you sit, and their ingenious choice of coffee-crate coffee tables and light color theme make for a very positive experience.

WiFi: Available for Swirl Card* members but very fast which makes it one of the sulit membership cards to get.

*Did you know: Every ALLCARE member receives an ALLCARE Corporate Swirl Card that gives access to free internet, 5% discount on food and drinks and 5X points earned. To learn more, check out allcare.io.