Top Three ‘Work-from-Cafe’ places in Islamabad

When I started my freelance career,  the first choice was to work from home. But with a year-and-a-half-old in the house, I could hardly get to work, and had to manage things during his naps, and after his bedtime. To be honest, that doesn’t work. If you want to make a living from freelancing or consulting, you need to step out of the house, meet new people and expand your business. That’s when I decided to work outside the house.

In the first month, I worked out of various cafes – it was the obvious solution to save on office space expenses. Also, I was testing to see if my model of sending the baby to pre-school would work. You can buy just one coffee and usually stick around the whole day! While this may not be viable for a foodie, if you work 3 to 4 hours in a day, then working out of cafes is the solution you’re looking for.

It was quite the experience working out of cafes as a woman. When I’d have trouble with the Wi-Fi, I would often be asked what I was really doing there, in a very nice and genuinely inquisitive manner for the most part. I could always sense the “What are you doing here lady?” looks around me. But well, that’s how you learn. It got extremely lonely working all day. I worked from 9am to 4pm by myself, without anyone to talk to. I’d see all the lovely women dressed up and sailing on for a morning cup of tea, or groups of colleagues out for a lunch break, or families out for Hi-Tea (sob! sob!).

But I also got to meet some wonderful people. The staff at these cafes are friendly and accommodating. In my experience, these are the top three cafes  and eateries you can work out of in Islamabad.

Number 3 – Mocca Coffee (Sector F-6/3)

If you’re a freelancer, you’ll see many like you sitting at Mocca’s lounge from early morning to late at night. In terms of staff facilitating working people at the cafe, Mocca ranks the highest in my mind. Though its an expensive place to spend your time at.

Photo Credits: Mocca Cafe

Number 2 – Gloria Jeans (Sector F-11 Markaz)

I love the coffee at Gloria Jeans. I always order the Irish Nut Creme with an extra shot and a half of flavor. It has a great internet connection, even if the staff are a bit aloof. It can get crazy busy during lunch, but other than that its a good place to operate out of during the morning or after lunch.

Photo Credits: Gloria Jeans

You can get a coffee and sit here all day if you like. And even if you don’t, the staff and management are nice enough to not bother you too much. I’ll say this again, they have good internet.

Number 1 – Espresso Lounge (Sector F-10)

My search for the best place to work largely ended when I discovered the Espresso Lounge. Its a secluded cafe, and offer a great variety of food and a lot of peace, especially during the morning hours when you can get a lot of work done.

Photo Credits: Espresso Lounge

They have a stable internet connection, and you can often find a small table to work at. It also has a great seating arrangement outside, so if the weather is good you can enjoy fresh air while talking to clients. The ambiance on the inside is just as nice.

As for the food, bills average between Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,000 if you’re eating snacks and spending the whole day there. But you can also spend as low as Rs. 400 if you want.

If you’re taking a career break and moving to freelancing, or if you’re just in the mood to work outside your office (some place where you don’t  have to make your own coffee), then try one of these three. Who knows, you may find it give you the burst of inspiration you’re looking for!