My top coffee shops for digital nomads in Stockholm
I moved away from Stockholm almost 2 years ago to work for a new job. Here I have my main office, and get most of my work down. However, once every four weeks I come back to Stockholm to visit friends and family. People in similar situation know the problem of working outside of your office, there are usually two solutions; 1) Work from where you’re staying, for instance at your friends/families place, hostels or hotels. 2) At a public area (coffee shop, library). I tend to do the latter one since there are too many distractions at my parent’s place (the familiar family sofa tends to whisper to me every time I start working).
I’ve done this for a year now and there are some upsides and drawbacks working like this. For instance, the work environment will never be as optimal as working from your office, where you have your team and your own desk. However, change of environment can spark and get your creative flow going.
[THE CRITERIA]
When choosing a coffee shop to work at I have a few criteria that needs to be fulfilled in order for me to get as much work done:
- Safety of leaving my stuff:
This is one of the things I need the most since I tend to always need to go to the bathroom. Being able to leave my stuff unattended makes the world for me since I usually have ton of stuff out. I’ve experienced several times where I’ve been forced to pack up just to be able to go to the bathroom. And at some occasions when coming back, someone taken my spot. Not cool. - Charge my devices:
Once in a while I tend to forget to charge my headphones or computer and when that happens I need a reliable place to connect my devices. There have been a situations in which I’ve started working to just have realised that my computer is on 5%. Pack and move to the nearest power outlet. - Good tasting coffee for affordable price:
Just a couple of years ago I didn’t drink coffee at all, but I love coffee now. This came up once I started to do intermitting fasting, It has made the world of difference! If I can get a tasty cup of black coffee for an affordable price (one fill-up included) than that can set me up for a good productive day. - Environment for productivity (BONUS):
If I can be surrounded by people working as hard on a task it makes it far easier for me to do the same. If you go to Espresso house, or Starbucks there is a big risk for you to be sitting around tourists or teenagers playing on there phone. This is not necessarily a requirement but rather a bonus.
[THE COFFE LIST]
Down below are three of my current favourite workplace. They all fill a separate function but have all of the criteria I need.
SUP46 “My office away from office”:
A place where I know I am going to do some effective work and need fast internet.
My favourite place to work at the moment. SUP46 is a one of Stockholms biggest startup incubators. When you enter their floor, you enter the coffee shop that reminds you between a mix of a techy start-up company with a mix of a student union type of vibe. They have comfy seats, hairy carpets and 3D printers, sounds weird but it has a certain charm to it. The environment is great, you’ll always be surrounded by people that bring their computer and need to get things done.
Top three things I like with SUP 46:
- Superfast internet
- Great food for affordable price. The staff know who I am and usually likes to chat during my breaks, which is very welcoming!
- If you need to rent conference rooms for meetings, they have two available here.
Löfbergs Lila “My coffee shop to show my serious side”:
A change of environment with a more traditional coffee shop vibe.
A great place to have lunch meetings with friends or colleagues, where they offer a fresh salad buffet. I enjoy the environment here, compare to SUP 46 it has a more classic look to it, which is a nice change of environment. You won’t find people here with their phone taking pictures on Instagram and snapchat. This place has a bit more of an adult vibe to it, which in my case 30 old self is a good thing. The coffee here is pretty tasty, a bit more of a fruity taste and not as bitter which is very enjoyable. On one occasion the personal working there came out and asked if I wanted more coffee, I accepted and got more coffee on the spot. Never happened before in a coffee shop in Sweden. Great service! Downside working here is that there are not that many power outlet available.
Top three thing I liked with Löfbergs Lila:
- Amazing coffee and great service.
- The high tables are nice to work at, I use it sometimes as a standing desk.
- The interior design is quite pleasing, they have cups flying everywhere (check picture)!
Café Pascal “Your weekly roundup summary & journal writing coffee shop”
Bring your notebook, enjoy the open light spaces and write away!
Just a super relaxing coffee shop, the walls are cover with tile bricks with gives it this rusty look. But I recommended this place for lighter work when your only tool you have with you are your notebook. I love sitting here since it has a lot of windows and brings in a lot of light. If you have the possibility coming here right after the lunch rush, you’ll almost have the place for yourself. This coffee shop might not hit all of my criteria’s but it makes it up for great coffee, super nice staff and reliable internet (even though it’s not the fastest internet out there).
Top three things I noted with Café Pascal:
- I’ve seen a few Swedish celebrities hanging around here, won’t tell you who it is :).
- They serve a pretty funky Kombucha (fermented tea) which is strong but pretty tasty.
- Lighting is not the best during evenings.
[END NOTE]
At the end of the day, as long as I get stuff done, and can sit without getting disturbed, I can usually manage to work anywhere. It just makes it a lot easier to sit in a environment in which you’re surrounded by like-minded people, great coffee and nice staff. Let me know what you guys think! Do you agree or disagree? Any other coffee shop you would recommend? Give a comment if you have any other suggestions I should try out!
Thank you for reading my post!
