This sprawling, multi-use warehouse space on the edge of London Fields in Hackney is one of the better places to work from in the city’s hippest borough. WiFi here is reliable and there’s plenty of space at any time of the day. The cafe which serves coffee from its own Flying Horse roastery on site is dependable. Breakfast sandwiches include bacon, egg sqaure, and American cheese. Plenty of outdoor space but be careful with the pizza; the £5 marinara veers wildly between acceptable and not.

Now an institution on Gray’s Inn Road on a relatively dead stretch for freelance options, Catalyst’s wooden furniture with copper accents and a window counter offer a calming, bright base from which to explore coffee roasted in-house and an adventurous food menu (the newer mural is good for when it feels like it’s time to scream.) The food here has evolved so much that it’s now some of the outright most brilliant cafe eating to be had in the city: mageiritsa; cuttlefish and peas; still, some outstanding sandos.

On a high-street-saturated stretch of Uxbridge Road in Ealing, this independent stands out. Offering adventurous filter coffee and steady espresso from its own roastery, Curious Roo, the interior is distressed, welcoming, and crucially large. Whether at a substantial communal table or a row of smaller spots, it’s ideal for a whole day’s work. Branches in Stamford Brook, Putney and East Sheen offer further reliability for those working out west, and each branch has a decent clutch of outdoor seating.

Tucked away down a pretty mews off Turnham Green Terrace — delis, grocers and butchers galore — Chief Coffee is a former furniture factory, which explains the mismatched but stylish chairs and tables, heavy on Scandinavian influence. Those looking for specialty coffee will be delighted by Workshop and The Barn, complimented by a tempting counter of brownies galore. The bonus lies downstairs: when it’s time for a break, pinball machines are waiting for a heady nostalgia trip, and there’s tons of outdoor seating on all sides.

This cafe, bar, and adored event space has tonnes of natural light, space, and, yes, plugs, as well as one of the best-value cafe menus out there, with bagels, sandwiches, nachos, and, from 11 a.m., that essential working assistant: Cocktails. Coffee is also extremely good value, and there’s a feel of camaraderie about the place which other spots can lack.

E5 Bakehouse is returning to the upper echelons of London’s bakeries, and its Poplar offshoot — built on a relationship with the U.K. Refugee Council that provides training and funding — replicates its success with flat breads, great coffee, and pizza and music on Friday evenings. The perfect end to a week of work.

Whether at the pleasingly gnarled communal table or squidged into a leather sofa, this friendly space near Hampstead station has a calming atmosphere perfect for plugging in. Cakes are baked on the premises with coffee from London stalwarts Square Mile, while a steady all-day breakfast menu dovetails with lunch options focussed on careful sourcing. It might not be reinventing the wheel, but warm hospitality in an inviting space with plenty of outdoor seating doesn’t exactly need an overhaul.