25 cafes worth the trip across United Kingdom, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All United Kingdom guides.
Fortitude Coffee ★ 4.7 · Edinburgh
new-town · 3c York Place, Edinburgh EH1 3EB
Matt and Helen Carroll's York Place coffee bar in Edinburgh New Town, opened 2014, a 10-seat third-wave room pouring filter and espresso from rotating UK roasters.
Tip: The York Place branch takes no laptops; the South Bridge cafe is the work-friendly sister site.
Twelve Triangles Cafe ★ 4.7 · Edinburgh
leith · 90 Brunswick Street, Edinburgh EH7 5HU
Twelve Triangles bakery-cafe on Brunswick Street in Edinburgh, opened 2014, a third-wave coffee counter making the city's most popular doughnuts and croissants.
Tip: Open from 08:00; the day's doughnuts sell out by 11:00 on Saturdays. Order on Square Online for collection.
Artisan Roast Broughton Street ★ 4.6 · Edinburgh
canonmills-inverleith · 57 Broughton Street, Edinburgh EH1 3RJ
Artisan Roast on Broughton Street in Edinburgh, opened 2007, the city's third-wave coffee pioneer roasting on-site in Glasgow and pouring filter and espresso.
Tip: Open from 08:00 weekends and busy by 10:00; the back room takes laptop users for longer sessions and stays open till 18:00.
Williams and Johnson Coffee Co ★ 4.6 · Edinburgh
leith · 1 Customs Wharf, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6AL
Williams and Johnson roastery cafe on Customs Wharf in Leith Edinburgh, opened 2017 by two former Square Mile baristas, an in-house roaster and cafe.
Tip: Tour the roaster on the public Saturday morning slot; check the website calendar two weeks ahead.
Towpath ★ 4.6 · London
hackney · 42 De Beauvoir Crescent, London N1 5SB
Lori De Mori and Laura Jackson's Regent's Canal cafe between De Beauvoir and Haggerston Park in east London, opened 2010, an outdoor-only seasonal cafe (closed Nov-Mar).
Tip: Open March to October only, daytime only, outdoor seats by the towpath. No bookings, cash and card.
Monmouth Coffee Borough ★ 4.6 · London
borough · 2 Park Street, London SE1 9AB
Monmouth's Borough Market cafe in London, opened in this site in 2002 and trading as a coffee roaster since 1978, runs single-origin espresso at a standing counter near the market.
Tip: Counter-and-bench seating only. Closed Sundays. The Covent Garden original on Monmouth Street is more laptop-tolerant.
Brew Lab ★ 4.5 · Edinburgh
old-town · 6-8 South College Street, Edinburgh EH8 9AA
Brew Lab on South College Street in Edinburgh, opened 2012, a third-wave coffee bar pouring filter and espresso into a long basement room near the University.
Tip: Their training arm runs Saturday public cuppings at 11:00; sign up online for a week or two ahead.
Machina Espresso ★ 4.5 · Edinburgh
tollcross-west-end · 5 Brougham Place, Edinburgh EH3 9JU
Machina Espresso on Brougham Place in Tollcross Edinburgh, opened 2015, a tiny espresso-led bar pouring single-origin shots and selling commercial coffee equipment.
Tip: No laptop policy; this is a stand-and-go espresso bar. The South Lauder Road branch has tables.
Lovecrumbs ★ 4.5 · Edinburgh
tollcross-west-end · 155 West Port, Edinburgh EH3 9DP
Lovecrumbs cake shop on West Port in Edinburgh, opened 2010, a tea-and-cake counter in a Grassmarket-adjacent townhouse with a sun-filled bay window for laptop work.
Tip: Their daily-changing cake counter is a one-glass-each affair; the upstairs nook seats four for quiet sessions.
Cairngorm Coffee ★ 4.4 · Edinburgh
new-town · 1 Melville Place, Edinburgh EH3 7PR
Cairngorm Coffee on Melville Place in Edinburgh New Town, opened 2014, a basement third-wave coffee bar pouring rotating UK and European roasters.
Tip: Their Frederick Street branch is brighter and busier; the Melville Place original is the quiet workspace.
The Company Bakery ★ 4.4 · Edinburgh
leith · 12 Easter Road, Edinburgh EH7 5PJ
The Company Bakery on Easter Road in Edinburgh, opened 2018, a coffee bar and sourdough bakery serving filter coffee, fresh pastries and a small lunchtime.
Tip: The cinnamon morning bun sells out before 11:00. Order ahead via their website for collection most days.
Edinburgh Larder Cafe ★ 4.4 · Edinburgh
old-town · 15 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh EH1 1NB
Edinburgh Larder cafe on Blackfriars Street in the Old Town of Edinburgh, opened 2009, a Scottish-provenance all-day cafe serving breakfast, lunch and brunch plates.
Tip: Closes 16:00 most days. The cafe on Blackfriars Street is calmer than the larger bistro round the corner.
Valvona and Crolla Caffe ★ 4.4 · Edinburgh
canonmills-inverleith · 19 Elm Row, Edinburgh EH7 4AA
Valvona and Crolla caffe on Elm Row in Edinburgh, opened in the 1990s at the back of the city's longest-running Italian deli, pouring espresso and serving.
Tip: Stand at the bar for the proper Italian experience. The deli at the front is open till 17:30; shop on your way out.
Leith Walk Police Box ★ 4.4 · Edinburgh
leith · Pilrig Street, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AS
Leith Walk Police Box on Pilrig Street in Edinburgh, opened 2016 inside a 1950s blue police box, a 3-square-metre coffee counter pouring filter and espresso.
Tip: There is no seating; coffee in hand on the Leith Walk central reservation. Cash only on most days.
Kaffeine ★ 4.4 · London
fitzrovia · 66 Great Titchfield Street, London W1W 7QJ
Peter Dore-Smith's Australian-style coffee bar on Great Titchfield Street in Fitzrovia London, opened 2009, runs Square Mile beans and a serious daytime food menu.
Tip: The two-floor Eastcastle Street sibling around the corner is the quieter remote-work bet.
Caravan King's Cross ★ 4.4 · London
kings-cross · 1 Granary Square, London N1C 4AA
Caravan's flagship cafe inside the Granary Building in King's Cross London, opened 2012, runs an in-house coffee roastery and an all-day eclectic Antipodean menu.
Tip: Plug sockets along the canal-side window seats. Brunch runs to 16:00; dinner from 17:30 on weekdays.
Granger and Co Notting Hill ★ 4.4 · London
notting-hill-bayswater · 175 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2SB
Bill Granger's Australian breakfast room on Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill London, opened 2011, runs ricotta hotcakes and an all-day brunch menu with serious flat white.
Tip: No bookings. The 09:00 queue runs 30 minutes on Saturdays; weekday breakfast walks in by 08:00.
Prufrock Coffee ★ 4.4 · London
clerkenwell · 23-25 Leather Lane, London EC1N 7TE
Jeremy Challender and Gwilym Davies's Leather Lane training cafe in Clerkenwell London, opened 2009, runs a focused filter program and weekday-only opening.
Tip: Open Mon-Fri only; closed weekends. Davies took the World Barista Champion title in 2009 with a Prufrock cup.
Urban Angel ★ 4.3 · Edinburgh
new-town · 121 Hanover Street, Edinburgh EH2 1DJ
Urban Angel on Hanover Street in Edinburgh New Town, opened 2003, a basement organic-leaning all-day cafe serving breakfast, brunch and light lunches.
Tip: Brunch is the volume play; their Forth Street branch is smaller and easier to walk into on a Saturday.
TY Seven Dials ★ 4.3 · London
covent-garden · 7 Upper St Martin's Lane, London WC2H 9DL
The TY (Timberyard) Seven Dials cafe in central London, opened 2011 on Upper St Martin's Lane, runs a third-wave coffee menu and an all-day kitchen above Seven Dials.
Tip: Upstairs has plug sockets and quieter tables for laptop work; downstairs is the espresso-bar half.
Tap Coffee ★ 4.3 · London
soho · 26 Rathbone Place, London W1T 1JD
Tap Coffee's Rathbone Place espresso bar in Fitzrovia London, opened 2011, runs a serious filter and espresso menu using Has Bean and other small-batch UK roasters.
Tip: The standing counter at the front is the fastest morning queue. Closes at 17:00 weekdays and 16:00 weekends.
The Attendant Fitzrovia ★ 4.3 · London
fitzrovia · 27a Foley Street, London W1W 6DY
The 1890s Victorian public toilet beneath Foley Street in Fitzrovia London, converted in 2013 into a basement coffee bar serving single-origin espresso and weekday brunch.
Tip: The urinals are the bar counter; the cubicles are dining banquettes. The Clerkenwell branch on Great Eastern Street has more workspace.
Store Street Espresso ★ 4.3 · London
fitzrovia · 40 Store Street, London WC1E 7DB
Store Street Espresso's Bloomsbury cafe on Store Street in central London, opened 2012, runs Workshop and Origin beans in a long-corridor cafe popular with UCL students.
Tip: Communal long tables are laptop-friendly. Doors open 07:30 weekdays; closed Sundays.
Notes Coffee ★ 4.2 · London
covent-garden · 31 St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4ER
Robert Robinson's Notes Coffee on St Martin's Lane in Covent Garden London, opened 2010, runs an in-house roastery, a focused wine list at night and a daytime work cafe.
Tip: The downstairs basement is the laptop-friendly room. After 18:00 it pivots to a small-plates wine bar.
Department of Coffee and Social Affairs ★ 4.1 · London
clerkenwell · 14-16 Leather Lane, London EC1N 7SU
Stephen Rapoport's first Department site on Leather Lane in Clerkenwell London, opened 2010, runs Roundhill Roastery beans and a tiled industrial-Victorian cafe space.
Tip: The Leather Lane original takes laptops; their other 40-plus sites range from work-friendly to grab-and-go.