Alternative workspaces in London

A few years ago, you’d only find freelancers or start-ups in London’s co-working spaces. However, as remote working is now part and parcel of the modern workplace, the capital is now filled with spaces designed for working from home when you’re not at home.

Combining the benefits of café culture, members’ clubs and real-life offices, a good co-working space can be anything from a members-only serviced office to a café with speedy WiFi and plenty of plug points. The best are also in easy-to-access locations, have great food and drink, and are in close proximity to after-hours options.

So, after much research and many flat whites, here’s our list of the best alternative workspaces in London.

Nobu Hotel Café, Shoreditch

This just-opened café is a great place to park with your laptop for a few hours. Mirrored tables, comfortable leather chairs, and Japanese design elements almost make you forget that you’re in a hotel lobby (plus, the tables under the windows have plug points). Make sure to stop for lunch: everything, from a health-kicking green juice to a club sandwich topped with tiny fried quail eggs, is served with aplomb and, as expected from the Nobu brand, tastes exceptional.

Pavilion Club, Knightsbridge

Pavilion Club markets itself as a co-working club with luxury twists; at its newest Knightsbridge location, this means a menu by Tom Kerridge and a sun terrace overlooking Hyde Park. It’s a converted bank set over three floors, and includes a members-only bar and restaurant, meeting rooms equipped with the latest conference call technology, and a handful of snugs and phone booths for informal meetings. Our pick of the workspaces, however, is The Library – a subdued, book-lined spot in the old underground vaults.

Claridge’s ArtSpace Café, Mayfair

If you’re in need of a productive pitstop in Mayfair, head to Claridge’s new-ish ArtSpace Café. It’s not the place to go if you need peace and quiet, but it could be for you if you like a bit of buzz – both in terms of caffeine and atmosphere. The perimeter tables have plug points, seating is mostly chairs and not stools, and there’s good coffee and exceptional pastries courtesy of Executive Pastry Chef, Thibault Hauchard.

The Fisheries, Hackney

The Fisheries is an old warehouse that’s been transformed into an extensive ‘eco-working’ space. All furniture is upcycled and creates a different vibe in each area: you could feasibly spend the morning answering emails from a hanging chair, the afternoon doing deep work at a long mahogany desk, and the evening in a plant-filled conservatory. There’s also a podcast suite and a triplet of events spaces, and the whole thing is powered by solar energy as part of its eco-commitments.

Huckletree, Oxford Circus

With existing locations in Shoreditch, White City and Soho, Huckletree’s founding principle is to provide relevant networking opportunities for people in similar industries. If you work in tech, turn your attention to the newest Huckletree on Oxford Circus, which has been designed for “imagineers”. The metaverse-themed office has NFT digital galleries, infinity mirrors, and an immersive meta lounge for running product demos in – plus, a rooftop sun terrace if you need a break from all that screen time.

The Library Lounge at The Standard

You don’t have to be a hotel guest to check into this book-lined study at The Standard. It used to be the Camden Council Library and retains its by-subject bookshelves, which – along with mahogany desks – help you to instantly feel more studious. It’s a laptop-free zone from 6pm, but you can order a cocktail directly to your desk and St Pancras International is just over the road – handy for commuters.

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