The best cafés to work from in Cape Town are Espressolab in De Waterkant, which has an upstairs nook for laptops, and Pauline's in Green Point, whose quiet courtyard suits solo work. Bootlegger is laptop-friendly across the city, and some branches stay open until 21:00. Loading Bay, Ground Art Caffe, Nice Café, Platō on Kloof Street, Shift at the V&A and Sonder in Observatory also welcome remote workers.
Amaya is designed in Sea Point, so plenty of our emails and sketches happen at a café table. This list is for anyone who needs a few hours of work with good coffee. We say what we love; we are not affiliated with any of these places. Check hours before you go.
Before you open the laptop
- Order something every couple of hours if you stay long.
- Avoid weekend mornings and the lunch rush.
- Take calls outside, and keep one chair, not three.
- Bring a charged battery. Not every table is near a plug.
Green Point and De Waterkant
Espressolab, De Waterkant
Espressolab, formerly Espresso Lab Microroasters, is at 8 De Smidt Street, Green Point, in The Quarter building. Upstairs, the "coffee atelier" has a nook for laptops. It is #40 in The World's 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026, so the coffee is worth the trip. It opens Monday to Saturday, 08:00 to 16:00, so plan a morning session.
Pauline's, Green Point
Pauline's Green Point café is at 37A Somerset Road. Its courtyard is quiet and suits solo laptop work. Order a coffee and a cardamom bun, then switch to the caffeine-free Mesquite drink in the afternoon.
Loading Bay
Loading Bay is at 30 Hudson Street, De Waterkant, in an industrial room with tall ceilings and a long communal table. One guide calls it one of the most pleasant spaces to type on a laptop. Order a croissant or the "Red Roots" breakfast. Check before you go.
Ground Art Caffe
Ground Art Caffe is at 160 Strand Street, on the De Waterkant side of town. It has free Wi-Fi and a bright room that suits focused work. Coffee is its own African Arabica blend, the art wall changes, and dogs are welcome. Check before you go.
Shift Espresso Bar, V&A Waterfront
Shift's V&A branch is at Retail 4B, Waterway House South, in the Canal District. It advertises free Wi-Fi and has a semi-industrial feel. It opens at 06:00 Monday to Saturday and at 07:00 on Sundays, so it suits an early start. Check before you go.
City Bowl
Nice Café
Nice Café has branches at 113 Loop Street, 60 Corporation Street and 1A Queen Victoria Street. It is laid-back and good for remote work. It also runs monthly "coffee raves", so check the date if you want a quiet afternoon, and check hours before you go.
Platō Coffee, Kloof Street
Platō's Kloof Street café is at 121 Kloof Street, Gardens. The room is minimal, and it draws creatives and remote workers. Kloof Street is good for people-watching between calls. Check before you go.
Observatory
Sonder Café
Sonder Café is at 79 Lower Main Road, Observatory, with a second café at 27 Hudson Street. It is full of plants and vintage furniture, with a book swap and chess. It suits remote work and breakfast meetings: order a New York-style bagel such as the "Salmon Hayak". Check hours before you go.
Sea Point and across the city
Bootlegger Coffee Company
Bootlegger is laptop-friendly in general, with branches across Cape Town. The Sea Point branch at 39 Regent Street opens at 06:30 on weekdays. For an evening session, Kenilworth (Shop G05, Pam Golding on Main, 323 Main Road) stays open until 21:00 from Thursday to Saturday. Hout Bay, at Oakhurst Farm Stall, stays open until 21:00 on Fridays. Order the "Magic", a three-quarter flat white.
mischu, for one focused hour
mischu at 85 Regent Road, Sea Point, is busy at weekends. It is calmer from about 11:00 to 14:00, which is the time to bring a laptop for an hour. It opens at 06:45 Monday to Saturday. Order the Isabella blend and a canelé.
For a quiet hour without the laptop
Bring a notebook to Heaven Coffee on Greenmarket Square, in a church entrance with stained glass and chess. Details are in our coffee guide.
Which one for what
- Deep focus: the upstairs nook at Espressolab, or Ground Art Caffe.
- Quiet and outdoors: the courtyard at Pauline's in Green Point.
- Room to spread out: the long table at Loading Bay.
- Early start: Shift at the V&A from 06:00, or Bootlegger on Regent Street from 06:30.
- Evening work: Bootlegger Kenilworth, until 21:00 Thursday to Saturday.
- Breakfast meeting: Sonder Café in Observatory.
- With your dog: Ground Art Caffe.
For the coffee itself, read the best coffee in Cape Town, by neighbourhood. For a long lunch after work, see where to brunch in Cape Town. For a matcha break, try the best matcha in Sea Point.
What to wear
A long café day needs something that feels like loungewear but looks like you meant it. The knit Wild Lounge Set (R1 650) is made for exactly that, and it travels well. The linen Shio Pants (R1 800) with the Nusa Top (R1 199) stay cool on a warm afternoon. If the day ends with a client lunch, the Jaipur Dress (R1 850) is a printed maxi in one size.
Amaya delivers across South Africa for R99, free over R1 500. Cape Town takes 1 to 2 working days, Johannesburg and Pretoria 2 to 3, the rest of South Africa 3 to 5. Collect in Sea Point for free. The first exchange is free within 14 days.
WhatsApp Max on +27 83 703 8502.
Updated October 2026. We update this guide every season.
