The best cafés for freelance workers

Industry Beans’ Fitzroy coffee roastery may be hidden in an industrial-looking building in the back streets of Brunswick Street, but it’s worth seeking out if you’re searching for a place to settle in for the day. With comfortable booths to sit in (fit with powerpoints for chargers nearby, too) and an endless menu of coffees – be it espresso, filter, cold brew or even the bubble kind – it’s got ideal working conditions for freelance workers written all over it. 

The best part about Liminal? You can book a table or a private boardroom. Designed for workers and open only on weekdays, it’s an expansive CBD cafe that provides for just about any of your freelance working requests. There are communal tables, velvet booths and even plush armchairs with a side table you can work from, all while enjoying the serious coffee game and elaborate menu. It’s modern, shmick and utterly convenient. Tick, tick, tick.

If you’ve ever visited New Zealand, Barker’s may ring a bell: it’s the well-known producer of preserves, with jars of their chutneys, dessert sauces and fruit compotes found all over the country. They’ve officially moved Down Under, opening a light-filled, modern café on South Melbourne’s Park Street that serves up coffee and a small but well-thought-out menu. With its plush booths, communal table or window seats, it’s a quiet, comfortable and inspiring spot to work from if you want to zone in on concentration mode.

Walking into Mr Tulk, you’ll realise everyone’s got the same idea: laptops out, sipping on coffee and making the most of remote working. Conveniently located in the State Library of Victoria, the charming spot – with its high ceilings and comfortable communal table (fit with lamps for easy reading) – is a great place to park yourself for the day if you need to get some work done. 

Once an abandoned warehouse, Allpress’ Collingwood roastery is now a calming inner-city retreat. Walk through the ultra tranquil green-as-anything courtyard and snap up a large table outside under cover, or inside the roastery itself. No matter where you pull up, you’ve got the view of an urban garden in front of your makeshift office desk for the day. The coffee supply is endless, and the small, canteen-style menu makes for easy nibbling while you work, so if you need a place to park for the day and zen out, look no further.

Once you step inside this Brunswick warehouse-style coffee roastery, with its dark walls and moody atmosphere, consider your work mode activated. The ideal spot for freelance workers, the space is large enough to be able to perch on a stool away from others, or sit under the patio outside and catch some fresh air. And nobody here will judge you for sipping coffee after coffee for hours – in fact, they’ll love you for it.

If you prefer to work in an inspiring atmosphere among greenery, florals and trees, then head straight to AU79 in Abbotsford. You’ll have no trouble finding a spot in the 200-seat space, which is, in effect, a massive greenhouse cross café. The team here churn out coffees, baked treats and a crowd-pleasing menu if you work up an appetite. It’s lush, comfortable and you don’t have to panic about having to leave to make room for someone else – there’s plenty of space for you and all your freelance needs here.