Best cafés in Lisbon for remote work
In recent years, Lisbon is consistently highlighted as one of the digital nomad capitals of the world. Not only do a lot of remote workers from all nationalities find a temporary base in Portugal’s biggest city, even the pandemic has shifted the paradigm of online work for locals who increasingly enjoy the flexibility of location independent work.
People who work online come in all shapes: some have specific jobs that allow them to perform their tasks independently of where in the world they are; some are freelancers working on a project basis; and others might even have their own companies, whether solo or perhaps even with remote teams scattered a little all over the world. No matter what category you relate to the most, one thing is common to everyone who makes a living online, and that’s that they’re often looking for nice spots to settle for a few hours and get productive.
The best places for remote workers are those which are laptop-friendly, not only because the staff won’t mind you occupying a table for a few hours, but also because there is fast enough free wifi and, also relevant, enough plugs for when you need to recharge your battery. A good atmosphere, perhaps nice views, and even the possibility of mingling with other like minded individuals, sure are nice added bonus for a productive day!
For us, these are some of the best Lisbon cafes to work online from:
Hello, Kristof
A speciality coffee shop with hipster-meets-artsy vibes
If you’re the type of person who needs a good cup of coffee when you sit down to work with your laptop, know that Hello, Kristof serves one of the finest specialty coffees in Lisbon. Their WIFI is as strong as their coffee and the communal table which acts as a centerpiece of the space works as a meeting point of online workers who may want to get to know each other – even though, of course, this is not compulsory. A remarkable variety of independent magazines decorates the walls of Hello, Kristof, and this reading material can be a good source of entertainment for when you need a break from your laptop screen.
📍Rua do Poço dos Negros 103, 1200-337 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/hellokristof
Café da Garagem
To work with a view of historical Lisbon
Most cafes which we consider to be conducive for a productive afternoon at the laptop are not located in Lisbon’s historic center but Café da Garagem, on Mouraria’s top of the hill, is a pleasant exception. If working with tons of natural light and a view of one of Lisbon’s hills sounds like something which could potentially inspire you, try grabbing a seat by this cafe’s window area, where folks tend to sit down with their laptops. As the day transitions into the evening, this is a great spot to also grab a glass of wine which can help you unwind from a day of work. As the cafe is part of the ancient and beautiful Teatro Taborda, a theater opened in 1870 and now home of Teatro da Garagem theater company, there are days when you can watch a play in the evening, without having to go further than upstairs.
📍Costa do Castelo 75, 1100-178 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/cafe.dagaragem
Copenhagen Coffee Lab
Minimalist nordic decor to help you focus on work
Hands down, one of Lisbon’s most popular specialty coffee shops, Copenhagen Coffee Lab has several locations around the city, including those in popular neighborhoods such as Alfama, Baixa, Estrela, Cais do Sodré, and the growingly gentrified Alcântara. Here you’ll find mostly an international clientele, with a mix of expats, tourists and digital nomads, once their prices tend to be rather steep for the average Portuguese person. But it is a great spot to sit down if you’re craving good speciality coffee and Scandinavian pastries. The wifi is good, there are plenty of plugs automatically making the cafe inviting for remote workers,and the minimalistic decor can work wonders if you’re the type of person who can easily get distracted by the surroundings.
📍Lab & Bakery: Rua Nova da Piedade 10, 1200-192 Lisbon
📍Alfama: Escolas Gerais 34, 1100-213 Lisbon
📍Baixa: Rua de Santa Justa 14, 1100-230 Lisbon
📍Estrela: Av. Álvares Cabral 13C, 1250-015 Lisbon
📍Alcântara: Rua Prior do Crato 1a, 1350-352 Lisbon
📍Campo de Santa Clara: Campo de Santa Clara 136, 1100-474 Lisbon
📍Cais do Sodré: Rua de S. Paulo 62, 1200-019 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/cphcoffeelab
Selva
To meet other remote workers
Selva is a gem of a coffee shop in the heart of Alcântara, where most cafes are your typical Portuguese pastelaria (think perhaps too much hustle and bustle to actually sit down and get work done). Selva has two floors and the upper space often welcomes themed days where digital nomads gather to work side by side. This is a great opportunity to network, perhaps make new friends if you’re new in town, but also simpy to get inspired to sit down and get stuff done, just like others around you would simultaneously be doing. Besides specialty coffee, Selva serves light meals and delicious home-made cakes and cookies, which will inspire you to stick around.
📍Rua Luís de Camões 112 A, 1300-361 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/selva.lisboa
Cafetaria do Museu Gulbenkian
A green oasis in the middle of the city
If a lot of nomads flock to Lisbon to enjoy the great weather and sunshine, it would only make sense that we think of places where you could actually work open-air. There is no shortage of terraces and outdoor cafes in Lisbon, but very few are as great as the one inside Gulbenkian. That’s because here you enjoy good WIFI and Gulbenkian’s gardens are such an oasis in the middle of the city, that the sense of calm which you breathe in around here can really be conducive for work. Also, you can always stand up and stretch your legs amidst the greenery, something that you shouldn’t forget to do no every so often, no matter where you are working from!
📍Av. de Berna 45A, 1067-001 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/fcgulbenkian
Rebel Café
Where you can also bring your dog along
Fancy bringing your pet to work? At Rebel Café not only can you sit down to work online, powered by great food and drinks, you can actually bring your dog along too! This spot is right beside the ultra popular São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint, and they have actually designed the space in a way which is ideal for remote workers, that is, with large tables and easy access to plug points. This cafe located on the ground floor of the hotel The Lumiares serves meals all day long, and because your furry friends can join you too, not only do they have water dispensers available they also sell doggy treats so that no one around here stays hungry.
📍Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara 35, 1200-146 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/rebel.cafe.lisboa
Outsite
To go to an actual cowork café
There are plenty of co-working spaces scattered a little all over Lisbon, but Outsite stands out as it is a hybrid between a co-working space and a cafe. Let’s call it a co-working cafe, shall we? You pay for a daily pass and get to spend hours working in a space which puts more thought into what a remote worker needs than your average cafe. Here you won’t find noisy customers or folks chatting aloud on the table right next to yours. You can indeed concentrare and be productive, but with the added bonus that, if at some point you’d like to mingle a little with fellow location independent workers, you can actually do that over a cup of coffee. Outsite would also be ideal if you need to join an online talk or do a Zoom meeting as you could go to a soundproof room and do that with privacy and without bothering other people trying to concentrate.
📍Rua de S. Paulo 109, 1200-275 Lisbon
Café com Calma
A laptop-friendly café in the up and coming neighborhood of Marvila
We love the neighborhoods of Marvila – in fact, we have shared our top picks of things to see, do and taste there in a previous article. This area of Portugal’s capital is sometimes referred to as “the Brooklyn of Lisbon” and it has even been coined as Portugal’s craft brewery capital. There’s no denying that there are tons of artsy and alternative things going on in Marvila. And, amidst it all, there’s one business which has been around for years and we can safely say will probably do so for many more to come. That is Café com Calma, a cafe and restaurant which serves lovely home made meals and cakes baked in-house. The atmosphere is a little kitsch, often reminding us of grandma’s home, yet with a hipster edge. Such a cute little spot to sit down with a cup of coffee, a slice of wonderful cake and start writing away on your laptop.
📍Rua do Açúcar 10, 1950-242 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/cafecomcalma
39 Degraus
A filmy spot at the Cinemateca Portuguesa
Did you ever think you could work from a movie hall? Cinemateca Portuguesa is our national cinema museum, a place which organizes themed movie screenings and that also has a movie themed cafe and restaurant called 39 Degraus. You can choose to sit inside, and be surrounded by movie posters, or if the weather allows, take advantage of their outdoor terrace, where you can enjoy the shade of the many umbrellas which will prevent the strong sunlight from causing a glare on your screen. What a wonderful spot to work for a few hours and then catch a movie at the end of the day to transition into a world of fantasy and imagination!
📍Cinemateca, Rua Barata Salgueiro 39, 1269-059 Lisbon
A Luz Ideal
Bairro lifestyle, in Benfica
If most cafes popular amongst digital nomads and even local people who are able to work remotely are in downtown Lisbon, it’s important to mention that there are other wonderful spots in less obvious parts of town. In the happening and typical neighborhood of Benfica, A Luz Ideal (whose name translates as “the perfect light”) is one of them. This small neighborhood cafe offers a really cozy atmosphere, and we can imagine those with particularly creative online work (such as writers and bloggers) would find it stimulating to spend some time here.
📍Rua Gen. Schiappa Monteiro 2A, 1600-119 Lisbon
Baobá Café
To caffeinate yourself with the best specialty Brazilian coffee
If the quality of your coffee is indeed very important to you, you can come to Baobá Café knowing that at least that one requirement will indeed be taken care of beautifully. The grains come from Fazenda Baobá, in the state of São Paulo in Brazil, and we hope that after getting caffeinated here your creativity travels as far as the coffee did to get to your cup right here in Lisbon! If you require natural lighting to work, this won’t be the best spot in town to come with your laptop to. But if you’re all about the caffeine and lack of distractions from “the outside world” while trying to get stuff done, we can anticipate that you’ll be glad you decided to spend some hours at Baobá Café.
📍Rua de S. Paulo 256 a 258, 1200-430 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/baobacafe.portugal
Moko Veggie Café
To refuel with plant-based food and pastries
If you’d like to work from a vegan cafe, allow us to introduce you to Moko. Moko has two locations, in the neighborhoods of Anjos and Alvalade. While getting a seat in Anjos can be tricky, as the space is quite small, in Alvalade it should be easier to find a comfortable spot and actually get work done. Moko’s plant-based offerings include sweet and savory pastries, as well as main meals such as noodle soups and grilled sandwiches. Coffee is organic and always served with a smile, in an ambience that transpires kindness and positivity – doesn’t that sound like a pleasant thing to inspire you to work?
📍Anjos: Rua do Forno do Tijolo 54A, 1170-134 Lisbon
📍Alvalade: Rua Luís Augusto Palmeirim 7B, 1700-272 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/moko_veggie_cafe
Are you a remote worker planning to spend some time in Lisbon? We’d love to have the chance to help you get acquainted with our city and the local food scene! Keep in touch via Instagram and feel free to ask us for tips. Please tag us: @tasteoflisboa or #tasteoflisboa.
Feed your curiosity on Portuguese food culture:
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