The Freelance Blueprint

  • Digital Nomad friendly Coffeeshops to work from in Osaka, Japan

    Digital Nomad friendly Coffeeshops to work from in Osaka, Japan

    Most Digital Nomads will go to Tokyo or Kyoto for coffee shops. And our plan wasn’t to spend a day in Osaka to work remotely. But we ended up on the wrong train, chatted too long and before we realised, we were half way through to Osaka instead of Kyoto.

    We had the option to spent another half hour to get back to Kyoto or just continue on the train and work from Osaka instead. We opted for the latter and were browsing for places to work from while on the train. These are the places we came across and also checked out while there:

    Seattle coffee

    This coffee shop is situated in the ground floor of a huge office building. If you go there during Sakura season, you also get a very nice view of cherry blossoms. Sorry, on this picture the zoom is on the coffee, not the blossoms, but you’ll get the idea:

    There are plugs on the larger tables and plenty of people also working on their laptop. And you don’t feel forced to keep ordering a new drink. However, the wifi logs you out after every hour. You won’t have to consume more items, but you’ll still need to log back in, which is annoying when you’re half way through a task. And you get a maximum of 4 hours per day.

    I ordered an oat cappuccino, my friend ordered the roasted tea latte (which he wasn’t a fan of) and a chicken sandwich which wasn’t impressive. But food aside, for getting stuff done, it was a nice and quiet work environment.

    Wifi Speed at Seattle Coffee in Osaka — 140 Kbps

    Once we reached the 4 hours, we grabbed some lunch and went to find the next place to work from.

    Heys cafe and CUE cafe

    After lunch, we walked to Heys/Cue cafe. There are 2 pins on google maps with different reviews, but they’re both technically the same place. One of them is an actual co-working space, the other one a coffee shop that’s part of the co-working space.

    It looked very nice and quiet, the co-working itself was nicely designed. However, there was a 1,000 Yen fee per 2 hours of work. Which wasn’t worth it for us, we would’ve rather had coffee for that price and after working from Seattle coffee, we knew that it was possible to get wifi and a decent place for less than that. Also, we’re in one of the biggest cities in Japan, we knew there were alternatives.

    But if I would’ve stayed in Osaka, it’s definitely a place I would’ve considered if they offer a weekly or monthly pass for their co-working. So if you’re in the area, go check it out.

    CUE Workspace & heys

    Side note

    If you find this article helpful, I’d really appreciate if you signed up to my newsletter where you’ll receive links to articles like this one, tips for freelancers and digital nomads. Or if you feel generous and this article saved you some time to find a good place that you enjoyed working from, you can also buy me a coffee. This will help me support my side hustle of exploring more work-friendly coffeeshops.

    Streamer Cafe

    This place showed up on google maps and it looked very promising. But when we arrived, it was extremely busy and there were no spare seats. And even if there was, I don’t think we would’ve stayed for long because of the noise.

    There were plenty of people working, the background music was mixed with the sound of people that came for a coffee chat, not just a work session.

    Personally, I prefer places where there is a higher ratio of guests with laptops than guests without laptops. I know, that’s not the purpose of coffeeshops, but I feel guilty if I stay for hours, occupying a seat, when it’s busy and people are waiting to grab a seat to chat with their friends.

    If you’re in the area, I think it’d be a great place to work from on quiet days. If you don’t mind background noise and got good noise cancelling headphones, you might like working from here. The coffee looked great and the fact that it was busy probably means the wifi is good too.

    Streamer Coffee Company Shinsaibashi

    We got there around 2pm, so maybe it was just the time of day. So if you come early (or late) you might be able to have a good work session from here.

    Rocks Cafe

    This place had a very quiet atmosphere, friendly staff and great coffee. To our surprise, it wasn’t very busy. The wifi wasn’t the fastest but fast enough for what we had to do.

    We ordered some Iced Americano which was decent but the cookie cake we ordered with it was absolutely delicious! Make sure you order that when you get there.

    This cake was much better than it looked!

    Rocks Cafe Osaka — Wifi speed 64Kbps

    Rocks cafe was quiet, both in the footfall but also in background noise. There were plug sockets too.

    It was raining heavily when we left and when asking the staff, they gave us an umbrella which we took all the way back to our accommodation in Kyoto. We felt a bit bad for not returning it but later found out supposedly it’s a thing in Japan: People are very helpful. Someone even told me that you can take any of those clear umbrellas and return them elsewhere. Not sure how common and accepted that behaviour is though.

    Only one day

    We’ve only spent a day in Osaka. There are most likely a ton of more coffeeshops to work from. But if I’d go back, I’d work again from Seattle coffeeshop and Rocks Cafe. And return the umbrella.

    If you found this blog article useful, you can sign up to my newsletter where I post more about the places I work from as a digital nomad. Or if you feel generous, you can also buy me a coffee to sponsor my caffeine addiction and help me create more blog posts like this in the future.

    If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr.

  • Lisbon Coffee shops to work from

    Lisbon Coffee shops to work from

    Lisbon is one of the top cities for digital nomads. And I can see why. The weather is amazing, there’s tons of places you can just chill on your laptop (as much as working is considered to be ‘chill’) and you’re not far from the beach. Oh and you can surf here 🏄🏻‍♀️

    people at city
    Photo by Lisa from Pexels on Pexels.com

    Digital Nomads in Lisbon

    Be aware that the locals aren’t the biggest fans of digital nomads in Lisbon. There have been a couple of protests because of the influx of people booking up AirBnbs and longer term rentals which led to a massive increase in rent.

    One of the locals I met told me that us nomads shouldn’t feel guilty because it’s not our fault - it’s the landlords that rank up the prices and that the government doesn’t put a cap on it. But either way, just be vary of that. Overall, any locals I had a conversation about this topic felt more grateful for the increase of tourism. But maybe they were also just trying to be polite.

    Anyway, let’s get to the topic you’re here for:

    Coffeeshops in Lisbon that won’t kick you out

    Once I arrived in Lisbon and started to check out all the coffee shops that were recommended on other blog posts, I realised that most of them were no longer very work friendly. A lot of them don’t mind you to work there in the mornings or from 3pm, but they want you to avoid the lunch hours to get clients who order more than a coffee and occupy a table.

    As soon as I’d arrive at one of the coffee shops that was recommended on basically every single blog post (Hello Kristof), ready to work with my laptop in hand, there were signs on each table saying ‘No Laptop’. So I went for a stroll and here’s a few places that I worked from:

    Best place to work from if you like plants

    Flora and Fauna

    ★★★★☆

    Coffee: Good

    Sockets: Not many

    Wifi: Great

    Noise: Music and people’s chatter

    Air condition: No

    Location: Anjos, Find on Google Maps

    I always feel very comfortable at places filled with plants, which is also why I booked a coworking desk at SecondHome at my second visit to Lisbon.

    Collage of flora & fauna in Anjos, Lisbon

    Flora & Fauna in Anjos, Lisbon

    So Flora and Fauna was one of my favourites. There were not many people on their laptop, only saw two and everyone else was there for brunch. They do allow people to stay with their laptops but not between 12–3pm, which I think is fair enough because it’s a restaurant in the first place, so just be aware of that if you come here for work. This is a chain restaurant, the one I’ve been to is linked here.

    Best place to work from if you want coworking vibes

    Moxy

    ★★★★★

    Coffee: Good

    Sockets: Plenty

    Wifi: Great

    Noise: Rather quiet

    Air condition: Yes

    Location: Picoas Station, Find on Google Maps

    One thing I noticed when it comes to places to work from is that the best places are often hotel lobbies. So Moxy isn’t a coffee shop as such, but it has a ton of tables with people working, so you don’t feel unwelcomed as a digital nomad. There’s also coffee and food you can order.

    Generally, I liked the vibe there a lot, it felt like a Coworking space rather than a coffeeshop.

    Best place to work from in Lisbon if you like friendly staff

    Selina

    ★★★☆☆

    Coffee: Good

    Sockets: Yes

    Wifi: Good

    Noise: Background music

    Air condition: Unsure

    Location: Near Bairro Alto & Time Out Market, Find on Google Maps

    If you haven’t heard of Selina: It’s a hotel/hostel chain with several locations all over the world. So if you’re looking for a place to work, it’s good to see if there’s a Selina nearby.

    Overall, the staff is super nice, there’s plenty of plugs and I’d say it’s a good place to work from if you manage to grab a comfortable seat as some of the wooden chairs aren’t ideal.

    But if you order food, order early. While I was there, we ordered the salad which took 2 hours to arrive. Then it was also the wrong order (my friend is veggie and got one with jamon on it) But the staff was quite apologetic and sorted it quickly. I assume they were understaffed that day but just go with the expectation that you might have to wait a little.

    Coffee was alright. Music got a little loud so it’s not ideal for when you have to take calls.

    Best place to work from in Lisbon if you don’t mind that it’s busy

    Comoba

    ★★★★☆

    Coffee: Good

    Sockets: Few

    Wifi: Spotty outside

    Noise: Chatter and music

    Air condition: No

    Location: Near Time Out Market, Find on Google Maps

    Plants and veggie platter with juice at Comoba

    Plants and veggie platter with juice at Comoba

    It get’s busy, so get there early! There’s often a few people with their laptops and you can join them on the long table.

    Best place to work from Lisbon if you like food

    Nicolau

    ★★★★★

    Coffee: Great

    Sockets: Yes

    Wifi: Good

    Noise: Mainly people’s chatter

    Air condition: No

    Location: Between Cloud 9 & General Luna, Find on Google Maps

    Absolutely loved this place! There’s a bit of music, so not the best for calls, and it’s a massive queue during brunch times. But if you go in the early afternoon you might be fine to grab a table.

    Collage of the food at Nicolau

    Food at Nicolau

    If you’d rather not spent half your morning in the queue, there was a small, less fancy looking, but still pretty decent lunch place one street parallel to it called Mil Sabores which didn’t have a queue. Not sure if you can work from there but if you go to Nicolau for the food but just see a massive queue, I suggest this place as a nearby alternative. Definitely try the brownie!

    Lucky find

    Cotidiano

    ★★★★☆

    Coffee: Good

    Sockets: No

    Wifi: Great

    Noise: Just people’s chatter

    Air condition:No

    Location: Near Praça do Comércio, Find on Google Maps

    The coffee, nice bowls, and juices at Cotidiano

    Decent coffee, nice bowls, friendly staff at Cotidiano

    This place was a lucky find. I forgot about a meeting I had as a reminder popped up while I was walking around to find a place for lunch. As I walked past Cotidiano, I didn’t see anyone on a laptop. But when I asked if I could work from there, they gave me a small round table, so no issues, even though there was a queue outside. The coffee was alright, the service was good. Taking a call from there was just fine too.

    Best place to work from if you like to sit outside

    Zambeze

    ★★★★☆

    Coffee: Good

    Sockets: Not outside, didn’t check inside

    Wifi: Good

    Noise: Tourists noises

    Air condition: No

    Location: At the top of the Pingo Doce elevator near Rossio station, Find on Google Maps

    Views over Lisbon from Zambeze

    Views over Lisbon from Zambeze

    I came across this restaurant by accident after I had to find a new place since the wifi at Café da Garagem was bad. You get amazing views, great service and good wifi. It might be a bit tricky to find. You can get there through the elevator inside Pingo Doce. Despite it being outdoors, due to the little roof you don’t get a glare and can actually see what’s on your laptop screen.

    Great place to work from Lisbon if you like to sit outside

    Caffè di Marzano Vermuteria

    ★★★★☆

    Coffee: Good

    Sockets: No

    Wifi: Great

    Noise: Just people’s chatter

    Air condition: No

    Location: Near Praça do Comércio, Find on Google Maps

    This place isn’t far from the famous library Livraria Bertrand. I didn’t have food there but I joined some of my colleagues there another time and they loved the food! So if you don’t need to work, come here anyway. Coffee was nice and the wifi is stable.

    More coffee shops to work from

    There are a few more places that have been recommended to me by other nomads but I didn’t manage to check them out yet. I’ve added them below in case you want to look for yourself. If you do, let me know in the comments if they were good places to work from.

    • Mila

    • WISH Concept Store

    • Curva

    • Heim Cafe

    • Ler Devagar

    Conclusion

    Lisbon has a lot of coffeeshops and even restaurants you can work from. Always check with the staff if they’re okay for you to stay if you don’t see other fellow remote workers on their laptops.

    For more things about digital nomading and travelling, feel free to sign up to my newsletter.

    If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.

  • Las Palmas Coffee shops to work from

    Working remotely in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria

    One of the most important things for digital nomads is to find the right coffeeshop to work from. Here’s a list of coffee shops that I worked from while staying in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria from November 2021-February 2022.

    Luwak

    ★★★☆☆

    Coffee: Alright

    Sockets: Some

    Wifi: Good

    Noise: Semi noisy background music

    Location: Near Plazoleta de Farray, Find on Google Maps

    Luwak is not just a great place to have brunch but also very nice to work from. I definitely recommend going there on a day when you don’t have many calls.

    Their coffee is decent and there are several people sitting on their laptops, so you won’t feel unwelcomed.

    Cappuccino at Luwak

    Cappuccino at Luwak

    The staff is nice but not very attentive, so if you want a refill or get your bill it can be quicker to go directly to the bar. Overall, I really enjoyed coming here.

    Un Lugar

    ★★★★☆

    Coffee: Shite

    Sockets: Every table

    Wifi: Good

    Noise: Barely any background noise

    Location: Near Plazoleta de Farray, Find on Google Maps

    If you’re looking for a nomad hotspot, Un Lugar is the place to be. Probably one of the most popular coffee shops for remote workers in Las Palmas. They offer great wifi and plug sockets at every table. Their coffee, however.. let’s say it was more like luke warm milk.

    Inside the coffeeshop Un Lugar

    Un Lugar

    Cappuccino at Un Lugar

    Cappuccino at Un Lugar

    Get there early if you want to secure yourself a table. If you can’t find a spot, it might be worth popping over to Luwak as it’s only a 2 minute walk away.

    With everyone on their laptops it feels almost like a coworking space. I highly recommend Un Lugar if you can ignore the taste of their coffee.

    Iced Latte and Matcha Latte at Un Lugar

    Talleres Palermo

    ★★★★☆

    Coffee: Decent

    Sockets: Staff provides extention cables

    Wifi: Good

    Noise: Some background music

    Location: Near Las Canteras Beach, Find on Google Maps

    If you’re after a nice atmosphere and interesting interior design, check out Talleres Palermo. They also offer a coworking space upstairs where you can access a roof terrace where they grow tomatoes and other fruit and vegetables.

    Cappucino at Talleres Palermo

    Cappucino at Talleres Palermo

    When you go to the bar, they open a tap for you and will hand you a chip with the tap number. Anything you consume while you’re there will be loaded against that tap. If you spend more than €5 you won’t have to pay for working from there. For anything less you pay the difference.

    Since it’s a mix and match of furniture, not all seats are comfortable. If you want a nice chair, get there early. Another thing to note is that they’re only open until around 3pm. After that, you either have to leave or use their coworking space upstairs which costs extra.

    If you find yourself in need of a socket, ask one of the staff members, they’re quite good at finding a way to connect you with some sort of extention cable without you having to leave your seat.

    Cool Beans

    ★★★★★

    Coffee: Amazing

    Sockets: Bottom side of the table

    Wifi: Strong

    Noise: Quiet background music

    Location: Las Palmas Old town, Find on Google Maps

    This was my favourite place to work from. Unfortunately, I lived a bit far away, so I didn’t go there as often as I would’ve liked.

    Coffee at Cool Beans

    Coffee at Cool Beans

    Their coffee is very delicious and served in cute handmade cups, a little card that gives you more information about where the coffee beans are from and a sweet little brownie.

    Inside the coffee shop they sell cups and art from local artists. It’s a quiet atmosphere and since it’s a small coffee shop, there aren’t many tables, but every time I went there, there was a space at the big round table. Sockets are placed at the bottom side of the big round table and on the walls.

    If you’re located in the old town, I highly recommend Cool Beans to work from. If you’re not based nearby, go there anyway.

    Caracolillo Coffee

    ★★★★☆

    Coffee: Amazing

    Sockets: No

    Wifi: Good

    Noise: Barely any

    Location: Halfway towards Las Palmas Old town, Find on Google Maps

    One of the best coffees I had. They also do a great dirty chai!

    When I got there in the morning, I was the only person on a laptop. Another person arrived in the afternoon who was also working remotely. They don’t seem to promote themselves as a place to work from but they’ve also treated me like any other guest and I didn’t feel unwelcome being the only person with a laptop.

    Caracolillo Coffee shop

    Caracolillo Coffee shop

    You can see in the photo of the interior that it’s very clean but that it’s not the best seating arrangment for working from a laptop.

    Cappuccino at Caracolillo

    Cappuccino at Caracolillo

    There was only one socket next to one of the lower tables, so if your laptop doesn’t have the best battery life, maybe this isn’t the best place for you. However, their coffees are a must try as it’s quite difficult to come across a good cup of Joe on the island.

    Summary

    There are plenty of coffee shops to work from in Las Palmas. If you made it this far but become a bit lazy to read, feel free to check out the video below.

    If you found this useful, follow for more content on instagram @elisabethmayr or buy me a coffee.