notting-hill-bayswaterWifi
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.
Signature drink: Workshop coffee
Tip: No bookings. The 09:00 queue runs 30 minutes on Saturdays; weekday breakfast walks in by 08:00.
fitzroviaWork-friendlyWifi
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.
Signature drink: Single-origin espresso
Tip: The urinals are the bar counter; the cubicles are dining banquettes. The Clerkenwell branch on Great Eastern Street has more workspace.
clerkenwellWork-friendlyWifi
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.
Signature drink: House espresso blend
Tip: The Leather Lane original takes laptops; their other 40-plus sites range from work-friendly to grab-and-go.
covent-gardenWork-friendlyWifi
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.
Signature drink: House espresso
Tip: The downstairs basement is the laptop-friendly room. After 18:00 it pivots to a small-plates wine bar.
fitzroviaWork-friendlyWifi
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.
Signature drink: Single-origin filter
Tip: Communal long tables are laptop-friendly. Doors open 07:30 weekdays; closed Sundays.
hackney
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).
Signature drink: Filter coffee
Tip: Open March to October only, daytime only, outdoor seats by the towpath. No bookings, cash and card.