Where are the best Seattle Coffee Shops to Work?

If you’re a student, a freelancer, or someone who works from home in Seattle, then you may have considered visiting a neighborhood coffee shop to get your work done. I believe it’s a great opportunity to enjoy good coffee, great coffee shop vibes and have some work done at the same time. Most of these articles are actually written in coffee shops in Seattle!

Certainly your neighborhood café can be a great place to meet with a client, work between appointments, study with friends, or simply take a break from your home office.

But which Seattle coffee shops are great for working in?

Bring Your Laptops & “To-Do” List to These Seattle Coffee Shops:

University District

Café on the Ave

4201 University Way NE  Seattle, WA 98105

This café is perfect for those who want comfort food and coffee as you work. The place is busy, sometimes loud, and filled with undergraduate energy, but if you can snag a table against the wall with an outlet you’ll be set. (Read more here)

Café Solstice

4116 University Way NE  Seattle, WA 98105

Another high energy café, Solstice offers you great baked goods, food, excellent coffee from (Lighthouse Roasters), and a cool vibe. You may also want to switch gears, grab a beer and sit out back and knock off a good hour of working on your laptop or simply soak up the sun (when it’s out). (Read more here)

Capitol Hill

Caffe Vita

1005 E Pike St, Seattle

With a full loft upstairs reserved for campers, Caffe Vita is perfect for those looking to work for a couple of hours prior to getting their next tattoo session done next door. (Read more here)

Joe Coffee Bar

810 E Roy St  Seattle, WA 98102

While this place is tiny-tiny-tiny, you will find that this is a great place to pull up your laptop and edit your great American novel. However, like I said, space is tight so beware that you just might have to walk over to Roy Street Coffee and Tea (owned by Starbucks). (Read more here)

Fuel Coffee

610 19th Ave E  Seattle, WA 98112

Sometimes you need a quiet place to work and get things done quickly. Pull up a chair, order yourself an espresso and an Americano and you’ll be set to tackle your taxes in this mellow café. Of course, if you are doing your taxes, you’ll need some good comfort baked goods from High 5 pie.  Lucky for you, they’re owned by the same person. (Read more here)

Bauhaus Coffee & Books

301 E Pine St  Seattle, WA 98122

Yup, they’re still on the hill (construction has not yet commenced as of this writing). This means, you’ll find a great space to review the Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance instead of making your deadline. (Read more here)

Kaladi Brothers Coffee

517 E Pike St  Seattle, WA 98122

This place was made for people who love to work in cafes. It’s also a great place to meet up with friends. (Read more here)

Victrola Coffee

411 15th Ave E, Seattle

One of my go-to spots for working on emails, letters, or my Facebook profile, Victrola on 15^th is a cool place to get inspired or people watch. The problem is that everyone else in North Capitol Hill realizes it too, so tables fill up quickly. (Read more here)

Black Coffee

501 E Pine St  Seattle, WA 98122

Another great coffee shop that provides the space to work or simply grab a cup of coffee, Black Coffee offers a welcoming space and warm, friendly owners. (Read more here)

Green Lake

Forza Coffee

6900 East Green Lake Way N  Seattle, WA 98115

While this place might pass for a bar, it’s actually a café and it offers several tables that are perfect for small groups or individuals working on their thesis or shopping online. (Read more here)

Zoka Coffee

2200 N 56th St, Seattle

Quite possibly the most perfect café to camp out in, you will love this space to work.  The coffee is great, the service is friendly, and the natural light won’t leaves your eyes bloodshot after staring at a computer screen for hours. (Read more here)

Queen Anne

Caffé Fiore

224 W Galer St  Seattle, WA 98119

Ah Caffé Fiore! This place is great for neighbors and students to meet and greet and work on a few projects. The coffee is always served by super-friendly baristas.  (Read more here)

Magnolia

Café Appassionato

4001 21st Ave W, Seattle

This is a beautiful café that provides you all the distractions you can ask for – a roasting operation in view, baristas making incredible coffee art, and a great patio to soak up the sun. (Read more here)

Ballard

Aster Coffee Lounge

5615 24th Ave NW  Seattle, WA 98107

If you’re in Ballard and need a great place to get some work done, be served great coffee with friendly service, check out Aster Coffee Lounge.  (Read more here)

This is a growing list (Which will be updated frequently). Let us know where you like to get your work done in the “comment”  section!

Quick disclaimer: While I do like working in cafes and do so regularly, not all cafes are meant to be offices or quiet libraries for an army of freelancers and students. Sometimes, a café is perfect for just meeting with your friends and family and enjoying a great conversation and coffee. Before setting up shop, consider the café’s ambiance and its culture. (See Camping Etiquette Below)

Say What? Do We Need “Coffee Camping” Etiquette?

I’ll let you answer that.

I do know that when we all stop and think about etiquette in cafés, we pretty much know what we should do. But after talking with some café owners, problems still abound. So, here’s my quick list.

Buy Something – Yeah, it would seem a bit obvious, right? Here’s my rule of thumb – I try to purchase something every hour that I’m in a café. Whether I start off with a Dopio espresso, then a sandwich, and then a beer…. And then another….

Don’t Bring Your Own Food – Unless, you’re feeding your baby, leave the Triscuits at home.

Tip Your Baristas – Tipping has a way of endearing those that keep your coffee flowing in your direction.

Make conversation – When you take a break, stretch, and say hello to the barista or your neighbor. Coffee shops are great places to talk to people – even strangers.

Don’t Hog the Outlet – You have a full battery and you see someone searching desperately for a way to charge their computer, be kind and share the electric hole in the wall!