Best Coffee Shops to Work From in Philadelphia

As an international travel hub, Philadelphia sees more than its fair share of workers coming through. There is also a thriving creative scene in America’s original capital city. Remote work has become one of the most important forces in modern business. All of these factors have made Philadelphia coffee shops into de facto offices for many business professionals, students, and creatives. Fortunately, there are plenty of delightful cafés, coffee roasters, restaurants, and even bars that are geared towards grabbing a latté, popping open a laptop at a comfortable table, and getting some work done in an enjoyable environment. 

Whether you’re in Philly for vacation and need a place to answer work emails before browsing the best shopping in town or sightseeing, or need a quiet corner for some deep productivity, there will be a coffee shop that's right for you. Just remember to drop your luggage off at a Bounce luggage storage location, so you’re not overcrowding the café. 

Here are the best Philadelphia coffee shop locations for getting work done: 

Bower Cafe

While the baristas at Bower Café certainly pour a mean cup of coffee, this delightful corner spot in Washington Square West doubles as a deli. The spacious dining room has plenty of tables where you can spread out work materials. Even better, their lunch menu features incredibly delicious cured meats for sandwiches (especially their open-faced sandwich) and salads. Their staff is also notoriously friendly, so you won’t have any trouble logging on for a few hours to get your inbox back to zero. It's the ideal place to grab a table and set up shop for a few hours.

Location:

263 S 10th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Càphê Roasters 

This laidback café is unlike most coffee shops because it specializes in the Vietnamese roasting tradition. The dining room has long tables wide enough to accommodate most remote work setups. The coffee is delicious with a spicy and sweet flavor with condensed milk. It’s a fascinating style to try out, but if you’re more focused on work than flavors, they offer standard coffee with especially delicious cold brews. Their food menu is also enticing, with breakfast tacos, chacha fries, and an epic crispy chicken bánh mì sandwich. There is plenty of natural light, and the tall plants lining the café make this a delightful place to spend a few hours. 

Location:

3400 J St G1, Philadelphia, PA 19134

Dock Street South 

While this is technically a craft beer bar and not a coffee shop, Dock Street South has a café layout that encourages setting up shop. They serve delicious beer brewed on-site, as well as their famous wood-fired pizzas. During the afternoon, the mostly empty taproom is a perfect place to sit for a couple of hours and plug away. Their happy hour (4 - 6 PM) draws a crowd on Fridays, but otherwise, this pleasant space will provide a nice ambiance for productivity. It’s a friendly atmosphere that never gets too lively that you’ll need to throw your headphones in to focus. 

Location:

2118 Washington Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19146

Elixr Coffee Roasters 

With multiple Philly coffee shops, this coffee company is one of the most reliable options for getting a decent cup of joe and finding a place to spread out and get some work done. Founded in 2010, Elixr is one of the OG third-wave coffee roasters in town. While each of their charming Philadelphia storefronts provides a comfortable space to work in, their focus is on serving great coffee. With lighter roasts and a mission to source fair-trade coffee beans, attention to detail translates to delicious coffee in every cup. There are several cafés across town that are big enough for setting up a remote workspace, and each of them has plenty of natural light and WiFi to comfortably log a few hours of work. 

Center City Location:

207 S Sydenham St, Philadelphia, PA 19102

3675 Market Location:

3675 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Center City West / French Quarter Location:

1600 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Rittenhouse Location:

207 S Sydenham St, Philadelphia, PA 19102

Franny Lou’s Porch 

This charming spot is the perfect coffee shop for relaxing or working. With an impressive array of plants, this café can feel more like a garden than a coffee shop, but the greenery can act as a partition and limit distractions so you can focus on your work. Your lush “cubicle” will be a comfortable space to spread out your work materials and plugin for a while. The baristas at Franny Lou’s Porch specialize in espresso drinks, teas, and juices, and their homemade coffee concoctions are as delicious as they are creative. The nearby Fishtown neighborhood is also well worth exploring for shopping, nightlife, and cultural offerings. 

Location:

2400 Coral St, Philadelphia, PA 19125

Green Line Cafe

This caffeine-powered institution has multiple Philly coffee shops to choose from, most of which are clustered in University City. The Green Line Cafe brand is so ubiquitous in the area that it’s jokingly referred to as “West Philly's living room.” Each of these cafés is spacious and bright. Wifi is always available, and most tables along the wall have charging stations to keep the productivity going. There's really no excuse not to get your work done here.

Ryan Veterinary Hospital Location:

3900 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Spruce Hill Location:

4426 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Powelton Village Location: 

3649 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Herman’s Coffee 

This trendy café has a lot going for it. For one, it’s a comfortable space with loads of natural light, outlets to keep your computer going, delicious coffee, free wifi (obviously), and plenty of space to spread out. These are the basics for finding a spot to post up and get some work done. But where Herman’s really excels is the more fun details. There are almost always a few food trucks parked outside or near Herman’s. They also make delicious espresso cocktails (with or without booze, depending on how much work you have) and serve some of Philly’s best donuts. There’s really nothing better than their cold brew or iced coffee, a pistachio donut, and finally having zero unread emails!

Location:

1313 S 3rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

Milkcrate Cafe 

This trendy café is a hit-or-miss option for setting up the laptop and logging some hours with a cold brew. It’s a comfortable, brightly-lit coffee shop with WiFi and delicious lattés and espresso. But the vibe can be a little high-energy. This espresso bar is a hipster hangout for a reason. Iconic album covers line the walls, and the baristas double as DJs as they spin vinyl records from an eclectic collection of genres. That may be a dealbreaker for some. But if you appreciate a bespoke aesthetic or are a serious music nerd, Milkcrate Café is the place for you. This explains why this Fishtown mainstay has an avid group of regulars who show up every week to plug away and socialize with the friendly staff. The café rarely gets overrun on weekends, but their brunch offerings are delicious, especially their epic bagel breakfast sandwiches. 

Location:

400 E Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125

The Monkey & The Elephant

One of the most compelling companies in Philadelphia, this coffee shop AND nonprofit are famous for employing former foster youth. Located in Brewerytown, this cozy café creates the perfect environment for completing work projects while sipping on a delicious latté or cold brew. Their strong WiFi allows you to set up shop in their garden-like outdoor seating area. They also serve solid sandwiches and baked goods, with their paninis being the fuel of choice for locals. 

Location:

2831 W Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130

One Shot Cafe 

The storied and charming Northern Liberties neighborhood has no shortage of excellent cafés and restaurants. But if you’re looking to hunker down and complete those tasks so you can enjoy your time in the neighborhood, this place is perfect. Walking into One Shot with your laptop, you may initially be dismayed to find a half-packed dining room with diners cheerily munching on their delicious brunch classics. Don’t fret, there’s a second-floor library where you can post up and clean up your inbox. 

Location:

217 W George St, Philadelphia, PA 19123

Uncle Bobbie’s Books & Cafe 

This espresso bar and café has been fueling Germantown Ave hipsters and yuppies for years and is a go-to hotspot in the area on weekends. During the week, there’s a more relaxed atmosphere. Plenty of couches and sofas dot the café, but there are also tables with outlets and bright lighting that will keep you on task. Their cold brews are some of Philly’s best, but they also serve juices, teas, and smoothies for anyone on a health kick.

Location:

5445 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19144

Rally Coffee

Tucked away in the trendy Bella Vista neighborhood, Rally Coffee is so much more than a place to grab an iced coffee. Not only does the café have multiple rooms that function as an event space, but the Rally team has their own in-house creative agency that does branding work throughout Philadelphia. There are numerous networking events and other programming, so Rally’s calendar is worth checking out. 

The café itself has plenty of space, with a few tables scattered throughout that can accommodate a full setup for work. The natural light and sleek design make this a bright place to hunker down and concentrate. 

Located in Little Saigon, this up-and-coming neighborhood has a trendy vibe and plenty of fun restaurants, bars, and stores to explore during your visit to Philadelphia. 

Location:

701 S 7th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

Rival Bros Coffee Bar 

Each location under the Rival Bros brand is a beloved fixture in Philadelphia’s coffee and vegan food scenes. With baked goods from Crust Vegan Bakery, Rival Bros offer some of the best sweet treats (especially their sweet potato pie) and bread for anyone living a plant-based lifestyle. Equally important, they source quality fair-trade beans, roast them, and serve delicious cold brews, drip hot coffee, and espresso at each location. 

In terms of digging in to get some work done, their various locations are all spacious, include WiFi, and are brightly lit to limit your distractions.

Southwest Center City Location:

2400 Lombard St, Philadelphia, PA 19146

South Philly Location:

1100 Tasker St, Philadelphia, PA 19148

Ultimo Coffee

This company was one of Philadelphia’s pioneers in specialty coffee, and it continues to be one of the most popular destinations for caffeine in the city. With a few coffee shops spread throughout town, Ultimo has managed to keep its trendy vibe going through its numerous expansions. With consistently delicious coffee and espresso creations, they are known for dessert-like iced beverages. The sleek, minimal design and bright spaces make for a pleasant experience without too many distractions, and each location has enough space to grab a table and get work done. Their Rittenhouse outpost, understandably, gets packed during the weekends, but generally, there is a relaxed atmosphere at Ultimo Coffee locations. 

Rittenhouse Location:

238 S 20th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Southwest Center City Location:

2149 Catharine St, Philadelphia, PA 19146

South Philadelphia Location:

1900 S 15th St, Philadelphia, PA 19145

Conclusion

Not everyone’s ideal vacation involves plugging away for a few hours on their laptop. Fortunately, Philly’s coffee scene has provided a number of charming cafés that serve delicious coffee where you can comfortably log on for a while. So drop your bags with Bounce, head to one of these delightful coffee shops, and get back to enjoying your trip to historic Philadelphia as soon as possible!