The best cafés in Sydney to work from

With a communal vibe and long, wooden tables, you won't feel guilty about nabbing a solo spot and staying for a little longer than it takes for you to finish your soy latte here – the fresh flowers and stacked fruit and veg are also good for diffusing any pent-up pre-deadline stress. 

If you go outside of the lunchtime rush, Three Williams' cozy, underground setting will make you feel like you're a world away from its bustling Redfern surrounds. Hot tip: the pea and avocado smash is perfect one-handed nourishment when you're tapping away at your keyboard. 

This sun-soaked café on the Surry Hills' sunset strip is known for its strong coffee and super-tasty toasties. Idle here for a while, the café's pace is definitely slow and steady. 

Oxford Street has undergone more changes in recent years than Shane Warne’s face, but Berkelouw has remained a fixture. The second floor is where you'll also find the store's café that looks out over Oxford Street; it's the perfect place to hunker down and watch the world go by. 

If the buttered toast-infused breakfast ramen wasn't enough to get you there, Newtown's Rising Sun Workshop is also a great place to settle down with the books – and you need brain food to work, right? 

With its floor-to-ceiling windows, Orto Trading Co is light-filled,  expansive and tucked into a side street in Surry Hills alongside some very good culinary company – vegan-friendly restaurant Mark and Vinny's and Japanese favourite Izakaya Fujiyama are right outside. The Wi-Fi is strong, the coffee is rich, and the scene is perfect for getting down to business. 

At the back of Annandale, there's a little secret world. Tiny and unassuming from the outside, Black Toast opens up out the back into a big rambling space giving you room to breath and think. Sit in front of the picture window with more natural light than you know what to do with, and get cracking.

With its eclectic interiors and spread out tables, Southside Charmers in Redfern is a good spot to hunker down with a laptop and some brunch – just don't get too distracted, its stream of well-dressed clientele make it also an ideal spot for people-watching.

Take the immersive approach and write your history essay in one of the city’s oldest buildings – the gateway to the University – that was built beside a traditional waterhole of the Gadigal people. A dose of the café's Flying Pig coffee won't go astray, either. 

So your deadline is six hours from now and all you’ve got is a blinking cursor and a sinking feeling: sleep isn't exactly an option. Thankfully, the staff at Maisy’s won’t be sleeping either. They’ll be feeding and watering you through the small hours at this 24-hour café on the north side of the bridge.