With the pandemic mostly behind us, some changes are here to stay. One notable shift is the increased demand for work-friendly cafes and remote jobs. If you’re in the same boat, you might be wondering about the best working cafes in New York City. That’s where I come in.
Having worked remotely for several years, I spend most of my workdays in coffee shops around town. Whether you prioritize excellent coffee, reliable WiFi, or cozy vibes, this list will help you decide the best spots for maximum productivity.
Note to the reader: If you know of any great working cafes in New York City that aren’t on this list, please share in the comments below and I’ll be sure to check them out!
Best Cafes to Work From in NYC
(Click here for the table of contents)
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Visiting New York City? If you haven’t decided where to stay (yet) check out our helpful guide on Where to Stay in New York City (The best neighborhoods for first timers +3 to avoid). Don’t have time? Here’s my favorite hotel in NYC, hands down.
Devocion
Website: Devocion
Neighborhood: Williamsburg
Address: 69 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY
Devoción is committed to serving the finest coffee in New York City. The beans are meticulously selected from plantations in Colombia before being shipped overnight to Brooklyn for roasting. All told, the coffee goes from bean to cup within 10 days, an impressive feat.
In terms of space, the light-drenched Williamsburg location is the perfect place to get some work done. Spacious and bright, arriving early is key at this popular working cafe in New York City.
Remi43 Flower & Coffee
Website: Remi43 Flower & Coffee
Address: 906 2nd Ave, New York, NY
Part plant shop, part cafe, Remi Flower & Coffee seamlessly blends coziness with comfort, working from this locale feels like a treat. Depending on where you sit, plugins might not be available so make sure your laptop is fully charged before parking yourself for the morning. Try arriving before 9am to score a table. If you don’t see free tables, try your luck in the upstairs loft.
Something to note: Remi43 is one of two cafes part of Remi Flower & Company. Both of the cafes are located on the same street, if you’re looking for the working cafe, route yourself to Remi43.
Stumptown Coffee
Website: Stumptown Coffee
Neighborhood: West Village
Address: 30 W 8th St, New York, NY
Stumptown Coffee has locations is most major cities, but not without reason. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, the roastery churns out some of the best coffee in the country (as a West Coast transplant, I’ll die on this hill).
There’s three cafes in NYC, but the Greenwich Village location is my recommendation when people ask where to work remotely in New York City. The coffee is great, the baristas and friendly and the wifi is fast and reliable. Most tables are graced by headphone-clad students from nearby NYU, so anyone with a laptop is bound to fit in.
Partners Coffee
Website: Partners Coffee
Neighborhood: Williamsburg
Address: 125 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY
Within a decade of opening Partners Coffee has gone from a single cafe in Williamsburg to five across the Big Apple. The beans are roasted in-house which results in consistently smooth and strong coffee, making this a reliable working cafe in NYC for uncompromising coffee aficionados.
Scoring a table shouldn’t prove too difficult at this spacious cafe. The best part? Once seated, you won’t need to do any notorious juggling acts. The tables are large enough to comfortably fit a laptop, notebook, coffee and meal from the tantalizing lunch menu.
Variety Coffee
Website: Variety Coffee
What makes Variety Coffee Roasters one of the best cafes to work remotely in NYC? In addition to free wifi and great coffee, they have a public restroom. Sounds odd, but hear me out.
The number of times I’ve found myself attempting to work from a cafe only to learn there’s no restroom is ridiculous, thankfully Variety Coffee doesn’t play mind games. Also any cold brew fans in the house? I’ve found that Variety Coffee Roasters serves some of the smoothest cold brew in NYC, highly recommend.
Black Cat (Lower East Side)
Website: Black Cat
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Address: 172 Rivington St, New York, NY
When it comes to cafes doubling as work hubs, Black Cat in the Lower East Side is the model child. This seems like the type of place locals rely on to write their next novel. Offering wifi, outlets, cozy seating and printers, Black Cat easily serves as a makeshift office.
A popular New York City working cafe, people are constantly in and out, so if you need a quiet place to focus this might not be a great fit. However, If you’re working on a group project or hosting a business meeting, this place gets my vote.
Even if you’re working solo, just bring a pair of noise-canceling headphones and you’ll be good. If you work up an appetite there’s a decent-sized breakfast menu and a handful of fresh pastries.
Gotan
Website: Gotan
Address: 130 Franklin St, New York
To the untrained eye Gotan looks like nothing more than a charming neighborhood cafe, but locals know better. Serving some of the best coffee in Tribeca, this is one of the best working cafes in New York City!
The food menu is equally impressive. Full of time-tested breakfast staples like the cheddar scrambled egg biscuits (my favorite breakfast sandwich in the neighborhood) and creamy chia pudding topped with seasonal fruits and local honey.
Between the knock-out coffee, great service and unforgettable food, Gotan is an ideal laptop-friendly cafe in New York City.
The Granddaddy
Website: The Granddaddy
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Address: 290 Grand St, New York
Great coffee? Check. Good wifi? Yes. Bathrooms? Covered. Sassy baristas? Every once in a while. The Granddaddy in Chinatown is one of the best laptop-friendly cafes in New York City because it checks all the boxes. The only drawback is limited outlets, so bring a fully charged laptop.
The Bean
Website: The Bean
Neighborhood: East Village
With ample seating and outlets, it’s easy to find a place to hunker down for a few productive hours at the Bean. There’s three locations in the East Village and all three are typically full of laptop-clad locals. In addition to coffee there’s also a full lunch menu to help you stave off hunger.
Good to Know: The Bean is one of the best working cafes in New York City for students because they offer a 10% discount.
787 Coffee
Website: 787 Coffee
Address: Multiple locations
I’m a big fan of 787 Coffee, mostly because the cafe’s purpose-driven mission is easy to get behind. The owners of the cafe are determined to provide an enjoyable farm-to-cup coffee experience while supporting the local community.
The coffee is sustainably grown and processed on a farm in Puerto Rico where locals are paid livable wages. This is the type of business you can feel good supporting, thankfully they also serve some of the best coffee in NYC. There’s several locations across town, but the one in SoHo is one of my favorite working cafes in New York.
Café-Flor (Chelsea)
Website: Café-Flor
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Address: 218 8th Ave, New York, NY
Café-Flor is one of the most beautiful cafes to work from in New York City. The second you step foot into this calming space you’ll be greeted with the pleasant aroma of coffee and plants. The bistro chairs and handsome green leather booths further add to the charm. The plants break up the space nicely, there are several private nooks perfect for deep focus.
Kona Coffee Roasters (East Village)
Website: Kona Coffee Roasters
Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 57 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Stumbling upon Kona Coffee Roasters turned out to be a pleasant surprise, I had no idea it was billed as one of the best laptop-friendly cafes in NYC. Communal tables, natural light, wifi and public restrooms, this is a prime workspace for an afternoon. While coffee prices lean towards the steeper side it’s worth the occasional splurge because the beans are imported directly from Hawaii.
Butler (SoHo)
Website: Butler
Neighborhood: SoHo
Address: 177 Lafayette St, New York, NY
Butler’s well-curated breakfast and lunch menus are a perfect companion to the delicious coffee drinks on offer (made using Intelligentsia coffee). The modern SoHo cafe gets flooded with natural light, you can easily spend the entire day at this popular working cafe in NYC and be content. Just make sure your laptop is fully charged because outlets are not available.
Ground Central Coffee (Garment District)
Website: Ground Central Coffee
Neighborhood: Midtown
Address: 888 8th Ave, New York, NY 10019
With plenty of outlets, strong WiFi and an endless supply of coffee you’ll have no excuse not to be productive at Ground Central Coffee. Whereas most cafes are bright sun-soaked spaces, Ground Central Coffee is more shaded and dimly lit, which might make it easier to focus, depending on preference.
Irving Farm
Website: Irving Farm
Neighborhood: West Village
Address: 78 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012
Serving New Yorkers for more than 20 years, Irving Farm is named after Irving Place, the street in Gramercy Park where they first opened up shop.
But before you start packing your laptop I have to mention that Irving Farm doesn’t offer WiFi. You might be thinking why the heck would I consider it one of the best working cafes in NYC, I’m going to tell you.
I’ve found that when I have to write (like pen + paper), read a report, or study, Irving Farm is one of the best coffee shops to work from in New York City. There’s an abundance of tables offering plenty of work surfaces, as well as a bathroom and friendly baristas.
Tips for Working at Coffee Shops in NYC
- Bring your charger: I can’t be the only one who has ventured out looking for the best cafes to work from in NYC only to whip out my laptop and found it dead. Be sure your charger is in your pack, and if you have a long one bring that it just in case the plug is a ways away.
- Don’t overstay your welcome: If you’re working from a coffee shop in New York City show your appreciation for the space, WiFi etc. by purchasing a coffee or a pastry. The cafe gives you a place to work, do your part by helping keep them in business.
- Consider glare/privacy: If you’re working at a cafe in NYC on sensitive documents or outside consider a privacy screen for your laptop. They help reduce glare and wandering eyes, I’ve found this one to be an essential item in my pack!
Laptop Friendly Coffee Shops in New York City
In sum, here’s a quick round up of the best coffee shops for working in NYC:
- Devoción
- Café-Flor
- Remi Flower & Coffee
- Kona Coffee Roasters
- The Granddaddy
- Gotan
- Ground Central Coffee
- Black Cat
- Irving Farm
- Variety Coffee
- Hungry Ghost
- 787 Coffee
- Butler
- Stumptown Coffee
- Partners Coffee
- The Bean
Map of the Best Coffee Shops for Work NYC
More Coffee Posts
- 20+ Irresistible Coffee Spots in New York City (Guaranteed to Satisfy)
- 10+ Bold Brooklyn Coffee Shops (You’re Guaranteed to Love)
- 20 Cute Cafes in New York City (Instagram Worthy Spots)
And there it is folks! The best cafes to work remotely in NYC.
Cheers!
Update to this list: Laughing Man Tribecca has no public wifi and the vegan options are very limited. I wasted the hour trip coming down here from the Bronx!