Looking for the best cafes in Manchester to work from or cafes in Manchester to study in with good tables, sockets and plenty of room?!
The cafe scene in Manchester is brilliant! There are so many cool, independent cafes and coffee shops serving good food and most importantly good coffee, but we all know that you can’t take your laptop and work or study comfortably from all cafes…
In the last few months, I’ve spent my days seeking out the best cafes in Manchester City Centre to work from. Things I’ve factored into account are how big the cafe is, how good the seating is to work at for several hours, their wifi and sockets, the food and drink on offer and whether the environment is noisy or not.
We all know there’s nothing worse than sitting down and ordering a drink only to find that the wifi isn’t working, you can’t find a plug socket, the music is too loud, and after an hour or so, not only does your back hurt from a chair that isn’t designed to be sat on that long, but you get the feeling you’re no longer welcome because you haven’t ordered anything since that first coffee…
Best Cafes in Manchester to Work From
It feels like Manchester thrives off people working remotely, whether for themselves or for a company and I can see that more and more cafes in Manchester are popping up offering spaces for people to work or study on their laptops for a few hours.
And of course with Manchester University, there are always students looking for the best cafes in Manchester to study in!
I’ll keep adding to this list of the best coffee shops in Manchester to work in and study in as I find more. Please leave your suggestions in the comments at the bottom too!
Best Cafes in Manchester
Now let’s get into these cafes in Manchester that are great to work in, co-work in and study from!
1. Foundation Coffee House – Lever Street
- Google Maps Link
- Website Link
- Instagram Link
- Open – Mon to Fri 8:00 am – 6:00 pm Sat & Sun 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Foundation Coffee House is on the edge of the Northern Quarter. I love working from here because of its large size. It’s one big rectangular room with lots of tables.
They mostly have small 2-person tables which are good if you are working or studying solo but you can put 2 tables together if needed and they have a few side booths with bigger tables.
If you like to watch the world go by / people watching when working remotely in Manchester, you can sit at the window tables which have high seats.
They serve really good coffee and some pastries but what I also love is that they sell protein bars and other healthy snack bars plus a full breakfast and lunch menu so you can opt for a healthy and filling option when working from this cafe in Manchester and won’t need to leave to find lunch.
2. Foleys – Spinningfields
- Google Maps Link
- Instagram Link
- Open – Mon to Fri 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Foleys in Spinningfields is one of the amazing places to work from in Manchester because it is fully set up for digital nomads, co-working.
They have a lot of different seating from large booths, large sharing tables and smaller tables. They also have a mezzanine level with 8 x 1-seater desks perfect for getting some studying in whilst overlooking the cafe.
Foley’s offers plenty of food inside with a full tea and coffee selection, pastries, a small breakfast menu of toast and porridge, sandwiches and salad boxes along with healthy snacks too so you can stay here all day and be fed well! Later on, the bar opens.
Plug sockets are all around the tables and chairs and although my phone signal didn’t work inside, they have a good wifi connection.
This is one of my favourite Manchester cafes to work from because it is fully set up for laptops and those working, co-working and studying.
3. Chapter One Books
- Google Maps Link
- Website Link
- Instagram Link
- Open – All Week 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Chapter One is a quirky cafe in Manchester well located within the Northern Quarter but very close to Piccadilly Gardens.
I’ve found Chapter One Books consistently full of people working, especially students on their laptops in singles and groups; it’s a favourite study spot among students, many of whom are also looking into writing services for students.
The cafe takes a bit of getting used to as there are a few different sections and all of them have different types of seating from wooden picnic benches to small 2-person tables and big sofas at the back. It also has a small mezzanine level.
My advice would be so to go in and have a good walk around first before picking where to sit. Be warned, it does get busy, especially in the middle of the day which shows people do really like working from this cafe in Manchester!
If you like people watching, there’s a good bench that runs alongside the front of the cafe which looks out at Lever Street and is popular for people to sit at with laptops.
Talking of laptops, they have plenty of plug sockets around the walls and the staff don’t seem to mind you sitting in there for a while on your laptop. I always find the staff nice and friendly.
It’s not only a cafe to work from but as the name suggests, they have lots of books to read too!
They serve a wide range of drinks which you can order on your phone via the QR code on the table which is super helpful and efficient for getting work done instead of waiting in a queue. They offer a great selection of cakes but only a small selection of sandwiches and breakfast so it’s not great to stay in all day as you might need to get more sufficient food.
GULF MCR also resides in Chapter One Books with their own menu serving Middle Eastern Karak Chai and Chapati which is a nice treat and something different.
If you like to work or study late, Chapter One books is open until 9:00 pm making it one of the top coffee shops in Manchester to work in and study in later in the day!
4. 92 Degrees – John Dalton Street
- Google Maps Link
- Website Link
- Instagram Link
- Open – Mon to Fri 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Sat & Sun 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
This Liverpool coffee shop chain has been in Manchester for a while now with 2 locations.
92 Degrees on John Dalton Street is the one I have visited the most and I enjoy working for a couple of hours from here.
It is only a small coffee shop but it has 2 floors. Downstairs has table and stool seating and a few tables and chairs but if you’re looking for somewhere quiet to work from in Manchester, upstairs is a great option because you feel out of the way and not as distracted by customers walking in.
This is very much one of the coffee shops to work from in Manchester as they serve a wide range of drinks but only pastries and cakes rather than anything substantial.
5. Feel Good Club
Feel Good Club say ‘Our mission is to create online and physical spaces where people feel safe, comfortable and feel good being themselves‘.
This makes Feel Good Club in Manchester one of the really welcoming, quirky and upbeat cafes in Manchester to work from.
They open until 9:00 pm Thursday to Sunday and host a lot of events (see their Instagram for all the updates) so later on it does turn into a bar atmosphere, but during the day, there are plenty of people working here from their laptops in a cool and open environment.
There are plenty of 2-person tables that are perfect for you and your laptop with plug sockets and there is a wide range of drinks on offer, plus pastries and a brunch and lunch menu with good vegan options.
I love how light and airy Feel Good Club is which makes it nice to work in because it’s located on a corner with glass windows on 2 sides.
It’s also well located within the Northern Quarter and if you’re having a cafe-hopping day in Manchester, you should pop in here for a Feel Good working session!
6. Haunt MRC
Haunt MCR is recommended on quite a few posts of best Manchester cafes to work from so I had to check it out. It is a cafe/bar. I know some people love and thrive off that more upbeat bar energy when working whereas others don’t.
One of the unique points about Haunt MCR is that it’s open from 7:30 am which is when it’ll feel most like a cafe of course and is great for those looking for cafes in Manchester to work from early in the morning!
It closes at 10:00 pm Wednesday to Saturday but I imagine the laptops are away by this time.
Outside, it is opposite Manchester Library and therefore really close to St Peter’s Square tram stop.
Inside, there is a range of tables from 2-person booth seating, high stool seating and a mezzanine area at the back which I imagine is good if you want some quietness or are having a meeting, depending on who else is up there too!
Serving a range of brunch and lunch options with lots of big cibatta’s on offer, you’ll get some nice food to go with your laptop session at Haunt.
7. Ezra & Gil – Hilton Street
Ezra & Gil is a well known cafe to work from in Manchester City Centre. They have 2 locations with their other being next to Manchester Library but the Hilton Street location is my preferred co-working cafe as it’s much bigger.
Inside is a large room with lots of different types of seating. Being based in the Northern Quarter it has that cool-Northern Quarter edge to it and Ezra and Gil are known for their amazing food, especially brunch!
Come the weekend, there are queues outside the cafe for an Ezra & Gil brunch but on weekdays generally, people head their with their laptop to enjoy brunch with!
8. Ducie Street Warehouse
If you’re looking for a good cafe to work from near Piccadilly Station in Manchester, head to Ducie Street Warehouse which is very close by.
Ducie Street has a hotel within it’s complex but downstairs they have a large cafe and restaurant.
There’s a lot of different seating from small tables to booths and sitting in here is not like going to a usual cafe, it’s very large, grand and comfy backed with huge wooden panels.
Come evening, things get busy in here with DJ’s, a cinema and a briliant restaurant so it’s a good Friday afternoon place to work too!
9. Ditto Coffee
Ditto Coffee is highly rated on other posts as one of the best laptop-friendly cafes in Manchester!
Although it doesn’t have large co-working tables, it does have plenty of 2 seater tables and it’s location means that it is popular for people to visit to have a sit down without working but it is mainly for people to visit to get a coffee-to-go and work from.
They offer plenty of food on their menu so you won’t go hungry whilst working from here and as it’s well lit with plenty of glass and views of Manchester City Hall.
10. Idle Hands Coffee
Idle Hands Coffee is another one of the cafes to work from close to Manchester Piccadilly Station.
It has a cool and cute vibe with lots of plants and paintings.
They have some window seats so you can have a view whilst you work and a range of tables too.
Mid-week this cafe is full with people working from their laptops.
11. Foleys – Quay Street
Close to it’s sister property in Spinningfields, Foley’s in Quay Street offers the same concept of cafe which is perfect for co-working in Manchester and working from a cafe.
12. Foundation Coffee House – Whitworth Street
Foundation Coffee House have lots of locations around Manchester city centre and they are known for being laptop friendly cafes in Manchester so check out their Whitworth Street option as well as Lever Street if you’re in the area.
13. Ancoats Coffee Co
I know many people go to Ancoats Coffee Co to work on their laptops. It’s one of the good cafes in Ancoats to work from and the plus is that they offer brilliant coffee!
I did find this cafe a bit dark and mid-morning it was hard to find a seat but if you’re in the area, it’s one to visit.
14. Two Brothers Coffee – Altrincham
Further out from Manchester City centre, if you are looking for cafes to work from in Altrincham, I love Two Brothers Coffee.
This place is full of people working in the back but it’s not too big and therefore the noise is low. They do play music which is something to note if you are doing calls but overall they always seem like a cafe happy for people to come into and work from.. and they serve good coffee! They are in my guide to where to find actually good coffee in Altrincham!
15. The Mess Cafe -Northenden
The place you’ll find me working from quite a lot is The Mess Cafe which is in Wythenshawe / Northenden. It’s a nice open space and a community area as well as a cafe. It has a nice mix of people working from on their laptop and people meeting friends for a drink and food I’ve found. The music isn’t too loud and they make a great flat white!
It’s pretty unique because they support those with significant barriers to employment, such as ex-offenders, those experiencing homelessness and refugees, with jobs, training and Christian support, helping people who are looking to turn their lives around.
16. Boxx2Boxx Coffee -Northenden
Another place I’ve been working from quite a bit is Boxx2Boxx coffee in Northern. I feel like most people come here to socialise and get something to eat and drink but a few people work on their laptops and what I love most is that it’s a big space with plenty of tables and chairs.
Their music is quite low and the cafe has a fun and friendly atmosphere so it’s’ definitely one of the good cafes to work from around Manchester. It’s co-ran by Jill Scott who is a English former professional footballer and quite a few famous faces pop in and say hi so you never know who you’ll see!
I hope this list helps you find the best cafes in Manchester to work from and the best Manchester co-working cafes!
- For more of my Manchester posts see:
- BEST 10 Spots for Cherry Blossom in Manchester to Visit in Spring!
- 30+ Things To Do in Manchester In The Rain!
- 20 BEST Restaurants on Curry Mile / Wilmslow Road Manchester From Around the World!
- 14 Cafes for Halal Brunch in Manchester You HAVE to Try!
- BEST Halal Restaurants in Manchester. ULTIMATE Guide to Halal Food Manchester!
- How To Get From Manchester Airport to Manchester Piccadilly EASILY & Vice Versa!