As people are slowly moving towards non-traditional jobs, freelancing or inching towards building their own businesses, the demand for places where you can work out from has considerably grown. A restaurant can have free WiFi but is that all it takes to make a good co-working space? You definitely also need comfortable seating, preferably a coffee menu and maybe an environment that doesn’t feel too congested. Here is our list of good cafes to work from in Karachi.
1. Mews
Mews is undoubtedly a popular cafe but it doesn’t suffer from the usual cons of going to on. For one, it is spacious. There is an indoor seating space, an outdoor seating section and an additional “corridor” giving you ample breathing space. The cafe gets a generous amount of sunlight which adds to the spacious vibe of the cafe. That’s a big reason why we have a good time working from there.
And then, of course it has WiFi and coffee. As long as you secure a table to work on, you are good.
Oh and the fact it also opens 8am.
Main Features
- Free WiFi
- Sunny, well-lit and spacious
- Opens 8am
- Food and Coffee Menu
2. FLOC
FLOC kind of stays under the radar as a cafe but that’s what makes it a good place to work from. It is not very crowded but has the essentials: WiFi, power sockets, coffee and even board games.
If you are taking coffee recommendations, we quite enjoy their butterbeer latte with whipped cream.
Main Features
- Free WiFi
- Usually there is enough space
- Opens 8am
- Food and Coffee Menu
3. Evergreen
Evergreen also doesn’t immediately come to mind when you think of a cafe to work out of but it’s actually pretty rad as one. They have this long work bench that you can easily keep your work devices on along with having power sockets etc. And then of course, coffee and yalla bowl is bonus.
Main Features
- Free WiFi
- can be noisy but the long table usually has space
- Opens 8am
- Food and Coffee Menu
4. Time Out, The Forum Mall
Another very less obvious choice is TimeOut Cafe at The Forum. White this was a frequent haunt when the mall was a novelty, it has slowly taken a back seat in conversations – especially after the pandemic when most places shut down dine-in temporarily. The good thing about being less talked about though is that the place is actually quite peaceful and quiet enough to take Zoom call in! The fact that it has decent sandwiches and even biryani on the menu, helps. As a cafe to work from, it seems to have the needful.
Main Features
- Free WiFi (can be spotty though, it's the mall's WiFi and there's a one hour time limit)
- Spacious, well-lit and different seating options
- Opens 12:30PM
- Food and Coffee Menu
5. Espresso
Should Espresso have been a bit higher up on the list of “cafes to work from” owing to its OG status? If you are a millennial, you probably remember coming to Espresso after school or work and just staying there for hours. It was theultimate spot to work from, have meetings or just have coffee while your phone charged. It still pretty much is that spot and if you already have your seating marked, you don’t have to worry about it being too crowded either. Also WiFi: check. Power sockets: check.
Main Features
- Free WiFi (there can be a time limit though)
- The booth seating is comfortable for working
- Opens 8am or 11am (depending on the branch)
- Food and Coffee Menu
6. Khudee Cafe
Khudee Cafe is a cute, vibey cafe that just opened at Phase 4. It is located inside a house and the profits of the eatery goes to Karachi Vocational Training Center (KVTC) – an initiative the supports differently abled students in Pakistan. However, the food and coffee on its own are pretty good too and while the place has generated quite a buzz it is still spacious enough to accommodate you and your laptop for a co-working sesh.
Main Features
- Free WiFi
- Cute ambiance, good coffee
- Opens 9am
- Food and Coffee Menu
7. Esquire's
Esquire’s became known as THE place for co-working, because the minute you walk in you see a bookshelf, you see power sockets abound and you see one-person seating options. However, it has become a place that crowds easily which can be a little distracting.
But hey, maybe it’s the place for you if you like to strike a conversation with people now and then while also reading or doing your thing.
Main Features
- Free WiFi
- Different types of seating - indoor and outdoor - can be noisy
- Opens 8am
- Food and Coffee Menu
8. Marya's Cafe
Marya’s Cafe now has a breakfast menu which means it joins the list of cafes that are now open 8am onwards. A good place to sit, read and work from while ordering breakfast, coffee or coffee buns.
Main Features
- Free WiFi
- Usually not very crowded
- Opens 8am
- Snack and coffee menu (also breakfast)
9. POMO
POMO is a cafe I would personally love to work from. They are now open for breakfast which means they open early. The space is well-lit and of course the food I love. Get the ricotta crepes for breakfast and the pesto ravioli for lunch and sure, get work done in the middle. Ain’t that the good life.
Main Features
- Free WiFi
- Spacious
- Opens 8am
- Food and Coffee Menu
Do you have a favourite cafe to work from in Karachi that’s not on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
