Laptops and lattes: Ottawa’s top cafes for working

When you’re looking for a cafe to work in, the conditions have to be just right. You need a cosy ambience, good lighting and just enough background noise to help keep you focused. Oh, and great coffee doesn’t hurt. Luckily, Ottawa has several great office-away-from-home cafes for you to choose from.

Laptops and lattes: Ottawa’s top cafes for working
Julia Nisbet By

Ministry of Coffee

279 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1M1

What better name for a coffee shop? The Ministry of Coffee is clean, bright and cozy, perfect for zoning out and getting some work done. Their coffee is some of the best in the city, and whether you prefer a straightforward cup of drip coffee or a fancy Nutella latte, you won’t be disappointed. They also serve pastries, soups and sandwiches, all of which are made in-house. There’s free WiFi for customers. However, there is no WiFi at all on weekends.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Bridgehead Coffeehouse

282 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1M3

With several locations around the city, you’re never far from a great cup of Bridgehead coffee. They sell fair trade, organic coffee that they roast themselves. They make beautiful pastries and baked goods, many of them gluten-free and/or vegan, using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Open from 6:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. daily, this is a great cafe to set up in if you have a looming deadline or lots of studying to do.

Simply Biscotti

5-107 Colonnade Road, Nepean, ON K2E 7M3

Simply Biscotti is a small bakery and cafe in the Westboro Village. Cozy and welcoming, it serves phenomenal pastries, paninis, cookies, cakes and, of course, biscotti. Owner Rosa Pino has been baking for over 20 years, and it shows in the calibre of the treats she sells. In addition to the food, you can also get delicious Lavazza coffee, from simple espresso to fancy mochaccinos – perfect for keeping you energized while you work.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Red Door Provisions

117 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa, ON K1M 1L6

This little neighbourhood cafe in the Beechwood Village is entirely out of the ordinary. It’s cheerful and bright, and the walls are lined with shelves filled with beautiful jars of exotic jams and preserves with names like Gingered Pear and Vanilla Bean Jam and Clementine Anise Marmalade. You can park yourself at a table with your laptop and enjoy a Pilot coffee shot or a steaming cup of tea poured from a red teapot and served with a scone and jam.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:
More from Julia Nisbet Julia Nisbet
Julia Nisbet is a Montreal-based writer with many years of experience writing for both print and web. With a big sense of adventure and a talent for getting lost – a lot! – she has a knack for stumbling across great food, great shopping, and great people wherever she goes. As a YP Smart List contributor, she gets to share her favourite finds.
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