Best Working Cafes

With more people than ever working from home, a growing number of bars and cafes are catering to this expanding demographic…

Campus Google
ul. Ząbkowska 33C, website
The Campus Cafe is accessible to all but requires registration – a simple (and free) process that can be done in a flash. As you’d expect, it’s a mega cool space with super snappy internet speeds, gazillions of sockets and lots of ambitious, trend conscious youngsters talking about their start-up. It’s an atmosphere in which you get things done – and feel good about doing so.

Chłodna 25
ul. Chłodna 25, klubchlodna25.pl
Ten years ago this would have been the most popular ‘work café’ in Warsaw – people would travel miles just to be there. Things have quietened down substantially, and that’s to the ultimate benefit of those that want to get things done. The drinks range is decent, and extends to a fridge of craft beer to act as your 5 p.m. treat.

Coffeedesk
ul. Wilcza 42, facebook
Reliable wifi – check. Lots of light – check. Fab coffee – checkity check! If you bag a seat early, then you’re laughing, but Coffeedesk’s popularity means even early birds aren’t always guaranteed a good spot to work. Despite this, it’s such a super cool environment many don’t mind taking the gamble.

Daft Cafe
Pl. Europejski 1 (Warsaw Spire), website
With a location inside the Warsaw Spire, you’re dead right to expect the place to be all slim fit shirts and shiny shoes. Plus points are many and include a futuristic style, well-spaced tables, humongous windows and sockets for every table. To prove they’re really serious, there are even some ‘anti-noise’ chairs enabling you to make that call in peace and quiet.

EmEsEn
ul. Pańska 3, facebook
Owned by the Museum of Modern Art, EmEsEn haven’t just survived the destruction of the gallery once found in the now demolished Emilia building, they’ve seemingly thrived. Heaving with heavyweight art titles and photo albums, the crowd that gathers in this café/bookstore is suitably leftfield and creative. On the work front, strong wifi and plenty of plugs make this one of the better venues in which to put your nose to the grindstone. Aiding your endeavors is a serious choice of coffee sourced from roasters such as The Barn from Berlin and Melbourne’s Atomica.

Etno Cafe
ul. Marszałkowska 87, website
Having already made a big noise in Wrocław, Etno landed in Warsaw with a reputation to uphold. This they’ve done through a combination of factors. Good coffee is definitely up there, but whether intentional or not they’ve also become known for their work-friendly environment: fast wifi, comfortable seats, steady tables and air-con when needed. And there’s space, as well – never do you feel like you’re stacked together as if in some far Eastern sweatshop.

Kafka
ul. Oboźna 3, website
Its proximity to the uni keeps the student headcount high, with the intellectual (“OMG, I need to get that essay finished!”) atmosphere given added oomph by the stacks of books that line the wall (buy ’em for ten zlots a kilo). There’s certainly as much typing as there is reading, with a decent number of outlets and healthy connection speeds encouraging people to flip open their laptops and put their nose to the grindstone.

Kawiarnia Fabryczna
ul. Fabryczna 28/30, website
Fabryczna’s quiet neighborhood air makes it one of the savvier work spots in town, with digital nomads attracted by its laidback spirit, top draw coffee and overall atmosphere – it’s easy to dwell here for long sittings.

Labour Cafe
ul. Tamka 49, website
Set inside one of the concrete towers at the top of Tamka, Labour Café’s clattery door crashes open onto a busy space that sets bare raw materials of steel, wood, concrete and brick against lashings of plant life and bursts of poster art. Crowded with creative types chatting to the sound of whistling coffee machines, it’s the sort of spot that exudes a reassuring buzz of general cafe clamor. But Labour’s appeal is twofold: if the front part is all about catching up with friends and soaking up the vibe over bagels and ‘ethical’ coffee, then outback is where the serious stuff happens – flip the back door open to discover a studiously quiet dual-level working space featuring a printer, flipcharts and plentiful light.

Państwo Miasto
ul. Andersa 29, website
Catering to Muranów-based freelancers, Państwo Miasto features consistently quick wifi, fair-to-good socket access and a daytime atmosphere that feels buzzy enough to enjoy working out-of-office, but also studious enough to actually get your stuff done. If there’s a downer, then that’s the grating sound of chairs screeching on the flagstone floors: you wouldn’t be the first to wear noise reduction headphones.

Resort
ul. Bielańska 1, facebook
Set on the corner of Pl. Teatralny, Resort’s location keeps trade busy, but not to the extent that pandemonium reigns – at least, not during the day (that’s saved for evening when the place morphs into a lively bar). During daylight hours it’s a relaxed, spacious zone with warm color tones and plenty of sunshine sloping through the blinds.