Whether you are looking for the best coffee shops to study in San Diego or a quiet cafe with wifi to get some work done, check out the list of recommended places below.
I work remotely and over the past few years I have spent a lot of time working from different places in San Diego.
Some cities are more suitable for remote workers and digital nomads than others. And I have to say, San Diego has so many coffee shops to work from plus great coworking options making this a perfect city for working remotely!
From the large number of coffee shops in San Diego, it’s hard to choose just a few top places.
But, I talked to a lot of other remote workers and students and these are the ones we call our favorites. Not only because of the good coffee but also because they offer good Wifi, enough space, and a nice atmosphere to find a comfortable place to set up your office for a few hours.
They tend to be the more quiet coffee shops, making them great places to study in San Diego as well.
The Best Coffee Shops to Work or Study in San Diego
1. Lestat’s Coffee House on Adams Avenue
3343 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116
I love this place! Open from 6:30 am until 11 pm, 7 days a week and almost always packed with many people working away on their laptops.
Although it’s quite a big coffee shop the cozy atmosphere almost makes it feel like you are at home. Plus they offer good coffee, great sandwiches, and good Wifi.
It can get busy though, especially around lunchtime, and if you are unlucky you might have to park a few blocks away.
Lestat’s also has a coffee shop on Park Blvd and one in Hillcrest. And, Lestat’s on Park is open 24 hours a day! So if you need to study or work late at night, that can be a great option.
2. Jennings House Eatery (previously called Living Room)
1018 Rosecrans Street
San Diego, CA 92106
I’ve long lost track of the number of hours I’ve spent working from here. Located in a converted home, this casual coffee shop is loved by people who have some work or studying to do.
Although it can get quite crowded downstairs, you’ll normally be able to find a quiet spot upstairs. Wifi is good and there are plugs everywhere.
Their prices are reasonable, they have a delicious selection of pastries and a good lunch menu.
Note: check their opening hours before you go here. At the time of writing their opening hours are limited (from 7am until 2pm, Friday – Tuesday and 7am until 11am on Thursday) but this might change.
3. Caffe Calabria
3933 30th St
San Diego, CA 92104
If you are craving a good Italian cup of coffee this is the place to go!
Definitely a step more serious than your neighborhood coffee shop. Their Italian paninis are delicious, and so are their pizzas baked in a custom-built wood-fired oven.
This cafe is a great place for an early start with a good cup of coffee, but also for a working lunch or dinner.
They open at 7am every day. Unfortunately they do close at 2:30pm on Monday and Tuesday, but at 10pm on other days.
4. Brick & Bell Café
928 Silverado St. & 2216 Avenida de la Playa
La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92109
If you are looking for an early start to get some work or studying done, Brick & Bell is a perfect option!
They have three locations in La Jolla, offering good breakfast and lunch options.
For the real early birds, the one on Silverado Street opens at 5 am every day! Their other locations still open more than early enough for me, at 6 am and 6:30 am.
Apart from roasting their own coffee, they also bake fresh pastry every morning. Their scones are a favorite of many!
5. The Forum Coffee House
4340 Genesee Ave UNIT 110
San Diego, CA 92117
If you are looking for a spot where “laptop culture” is actually welcomed, The Forum in Clairemont is a dream. It has a very cool, modern-industrial vibe, and you’ll almost always see a crowd of students and remote workers tucked away in the corners or sharing the large communal tables.
The menu is super creative—they use tech-themed names for their drinks like the “BB Code” (a cold brew with banana milk) and the “Binary Code” (a delicious horchata latte). They also bake their own pastries in-house daily, and I love their savory toasts.
Another bonus is that parking is easy as it’s at the Liberty Park Plaza.
Note: The Forum is popular, so it can get a bit buzzy with conversation. If you’re someone who needs total silence, bring your noise-canceling headphones.
6. Communal Coffee
2335 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104
Communal Coffee is a great coffee shop to work or study in.
Their North Park location on University Avenue is my favorite, but they also have a cafe on 30th Street, one in South Park, one in in Bankers Hill and one in Oceanside.
With a bright, modern interior it’s a very good setting to get some work done.
I love coming here for breakfast because apart from good coffee they also have great breakfast options.
The menu at each location is slightly different, and so are the opening hours, so check those before you decide where to go.
Map of the Best Coffee Shops to Study or Work in San Diego
Another Option to Work or Study: San Diego Libraries
The San Diego public library has over 30 locations so there is a good chance there is one near you.
The central library on Park Boulevard is a large, modern library with good Wifi, ample seating, and a great selection of books, magazines, and newspapers.
Most other locations are small and generally quiet making them good options as well to get some work or studying done.
The biggest downside of all public library locations in San Diego: they don’t open until 9.30am or even later.
Find all locations and further information here >>
Coworking Spaces in San Diego
Are you looking for a more permanent place to work from? Or would you like to network with other remote workers? Then San Diego has a great number of coworking spaces to choose from spread around the city.
They can be a bit pricey but most of them do offer a lot of extra services, events, and networking opportunities.
Some offer a free day pass so that you can try it out first!
A couple of popular coworking spaces in San Diego are Downtown Works and Cowork + Connect.
But, simply do a Google search for a coworking space near you and visit them to decide if that could work for you.
If You Are in San Diego or Thinking About Traveling to San Diego, Also Read:
- The Pros & Cons of Living in San Diego
- The Best Things to Do in San Diego
- 10 of the Best Rooftop Bars in San Diego
- 4 Of the Best Day Trips From San Diego
- Free & Cheap Things to Do in San Diego
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Have to agree with Rafael – on both Lestats and Jennings/Living Room
Since many of us are working and studying more from home, sometimes it s nice to go to a cozy coffee shop with great Wifi! These lovely San Diego spots are all great options to get some much-needed work done while enjoying a great cup of joe! Lestat Coffee House is the perfect place for those all-nighters! They serve up coffee 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You ll find that the coffee house is almost always packed with people working away. Their coffee and sandwiches are delicious, and best of all, the Wifi is also excellent! The coffee house is spacious yet still has the ideal cozy atmosphere.
We have a different idea of what a good place to work from is in San Diego. Lestat was a bit grungy and service while friendly was a bit obtuse. Wifi was OK at best and not the best coffee. I look for more comfortable chairs if I’ll be there longer then a few hours. Jennings house was cool but the wifi sucked (only half a dozen other peeps there. And two upstairs were on top of each other grinding away as the other person in the room tried to ignore them).