San Francisco, with its rolling hills, startup scene, and tech hubs, is a city that many creatives, nomads, and remote workers will visit for traveling or for work. I have a list of places I like to go for coffee, meetings, and co-working with friends. Each place is conducive for different styles of remote work, so definitely do your due diligence before heading out. I run a travel community for Asian Women and don’t really have an office at home, so I’m out and about. For example, you wouldn’t take meetings in a library since it usually needs to be quiet.
Here are my favorite spots to remote work in the city in 2025. If you have any recommendations or places to add to, please share them with me in the comments below! Note: you should never leave your belongings by itself. Unfortunately, theft is still a big issue in San Francisco so just be aware when traveling alone.
Capital One Cafe in Union Square
101 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94108
If you need a full day of remote working, Capital One Cafe is the place to go! They open as early as 7 AM on the weekdays and is centrally located in the financial district. They have a nice cafe inside, serving Verve coffee. There’s a total of three accessible floors for patreons, with the basement floor having the bathroom. I repeat, bathroom. There are Capital One ATMs, friendly employees helping members out, as well as security roaming the premise which is nice because there’s been some “interesting characters” in the city sometimes.
Patreons are able to have in-person meetings, hop on calls, etc. without feeling weird about it. Additionally, if you’re a Capital One card holder, you get access to the private rooms / pods. Their website also states, “While everyone can take advantage of all the things that Cafés have to offer whether you bank with us or not, Capital One customers do get 50% off handcrafted beverages every day when using a Capital One debit or credit card.”
They don’t require you to buy food or drinks to sit in the cafe, though I normally end up getting one anyways. I have brought food inside for lunch before too, and they don’t really care. Tin on Kearny for Vietnamese food is great; just order online and go over to pick up during lunchtime since it’s only a couple of blocks. Trust me, this works out so well.
Also, the Capital One Café offers free WiFi and community spaces that are reservable for student groups and non-profit organizations. I have a Capital One Venture X Card and really like it. Feel free to check out this card here.
If you have a Capital One card (debit or credit), you can get 50% off handcrafted beverages at the cafe.
CAPITAL ONE CAFE
Pro tip: go earlier to find comfortable seating, like “when it opens” early. The best spots (in my opinion) are all on the second floor, usually in the corner knooks where there are outlets and comfy seats. The first floor has the most uncomfortable seats, which are the barstool ones. You’ll be slouched over like a sloth or curled shrimp, so just don’t even sit there in the first place.
Pro tip 2: For water, they will open a fancy bottle of water to give you a small cup of water. If you’re a fish and you drink a lot of water, go to the Chipotle one block away, fill up your canteen and head back to the cafe. Chipotle employees don’t really mind and honestly, water is a human right.
Sohn San Francisco
2535 3rd Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
Sohn is a beautiful cafe and gathering space that is Korean-inspired. I’ve personally have not been, but have heard good things. They also have a delicious menu, with galbi cheese melt, spicy cold noodle salad, mushroom jook, gochuchang caramel cookies, and more. The space itself is cozy and warm, with lots of people camped out on laptops and having conversations amongst each other. They also host workshop events if you’re interested in attending.
I also love using the below laptop stand while working remotely in cafes to help with posture and tech neck!!
It’s detachable and portable to bring with you in three pieces. It’s lightweight and great for all laptops from 10 to 16-inch, such as MacBook 12 inch/ 13 inch, MacBook Air 13 inch, MacBook Pro 13 inch / 16 inch (2020/ 2019/ 2018/ 2017/ 2016), Microsoft Surface, Lenovo ThinkPad, Dell, HP, Chromebook, and other notebooks. You can see where I bought it on Amazon.
Compton’s Coffee House
543 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133
After playing tennis in Joe Dimaggio Park, I stumbled upon this gem of a cafe. There’s ample seating, and every person was seating there on a laptop, reading, or working on something while vibing to the music. I got the feeling that this cafe doesn’t rush people out, nor care too much how long you’ve stayed. You can bring headphones to rid yourself of distraction if you are working on something.
The staff is pretty friendly, and the space itself is cozy and comfortable. Along the walls are outlets for charging your laptops and phones. There’s also a clean restroom inside, which is important. Sometimes, I go to Starbucks in the city and they’re not well kept. Compton’s feels safe and clean.
Yes SF
Yes SF Headquarters
220 Montgomery Street San Francisco, CA
Email: info@yessf.org
Launched in 2023, Yes SF began as a place-based innovation challenge calling for sustainable solutions to revitalize downtown San Francisco. 14 Top Innovators were selected from over 150 applicants for their world-leading innovations in urban sustainability. Now, they’re deploying their innovations and growing in San Francisco.
Since the first challenge, a second UpLink challenge launched, the SF Chamber of Commerce’s Yes SF Sustainable innovators Network expanded support for innovators, and a physical community and coworking space in the heart of downtown San Francisco opened.
There you can find regular programming for startups, small business, and San Franciscans curious about the future of their city. It’s connected to the Red Bay Coffee shop, where is ample seating and places to work out of. It’s a cute spot! You can also host a community event at Yes SF since they have an in-take form.
Hej! Workshop
945 Market Street, San Francisco, CA
Did you know IKEA San Francisco had a coworking space?
On the 5th floor, there is a coworking space. It’s called Hej!Workshop that is in partnership with Industrious. It reminds me like WeWork, with homey nooks and spaces, bright lighting and views, as well as meeting rooms and phone booths. This is pretty typical for coworking spaces like WeWork, Industrious, and more. However, the selling point for most remote workers is that it’s right within the IKEA building, so you also have access to the cafeteria, which houses over 10+ restaurants, bars, and the famous IKEA we love shopping for furniture at.
Perks of working out of this location is that it’s close to Bart and Muni downtown, so you’re also close to the mall and other companies or office buildings. You’re also near Powell Station, so you’re close to the shopping malls at Westfield Center. There are also a lot of options to get to this area.
Costs start at $299/month for hybrid workers, and then go up for office and suites for teams.
If you go to cafes or are on the go a lot, feel free to check out my essentials for remote work. These things are the majority of items I keep with me as I’m leaving home or heading elsewhere.
I also stopped wearing a one shoulder bag. It started hurting my shoulder whenever I go to work or remote work. I also noticed one of my shoulder dropping and now I’m a bit uneven. My friend Jane works at Meta in New York, and she recently came to visit me. She had a functional black bag from Osprey that I really liked. Not too techy, not too heavy, the shoulder straps were thick enough, and the back support was great. I ended up buying the same one as her, which is the Osprey Axis Laptop Backpack.
Cafe Reville on Polk Street
1998 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
This area is always pretty packed when I walk by during the day. It’s a long cafe with large windows, and has indoor and outdoor seating. This cafe seems to be a great spot for remote workers to work a couple hours since most of the people there are parked on laptops. They seem to want their patreons to stay longer, to perhaps enjoy not only a coffee but also a meal going in to lunch. It also seems they’re very welcoming of remote workers; I didn’t see outlets and just be warned that the chairs opposite of the booth are stool chairs and probably not as comfortable.
Teaspoon Boba on Polk Street
2125 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
I come here when I’m craving boba because they make really great liquid oolong teas. Since coming here, I see a couple of spots to sit with outlets, especially the one by the window. I have also seen students and people meeting up to cowork and hangout, so it seems like it’s pretty relaxed when it comes to staying here. Most people do pick up their drinks and head out anyways. The space is a bit smaller, but I believe if you go during the weekday, it should be fine.
Chinatown Him Mark Lai Library
1135 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94108
I’m a pretty big fan of libraries in general, seeing as they’re free to stay at however you want and they’re in good shape. This library in Chinatown doesn’t have outlets, which is unfortunate but there’s ample seating for you to sit, study, and read. I saw a couple of folks with their laptops out, but they had an external charger or were borrowing the laptops at the library. They do provide WiFi here. It’s really cute because I’ll see a lot of elderly sit here and read alongside other students.
If you’re looking for another library to remote work, I would also recommend the Mission Bay library, which is close to the water and has great views, with outlets. I’m a bit wary of the main one in Civic Center because there’s a lot of crime that happens around that area. My friend is a librarian and he says that place has a lot of problems with the unhoused population that are around, so be a bit more aware and on guard when going there. I usually like Chinatown Library or Mission Bay library. There are some good ones in the sunset as well.
WeWork Salesforce Tower
415 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94131
Work remotely in one of San Francisco’s tallest buildings in the heart of the city! It has breathtaking Bay Views, high ceilings, and bright light in all corners of the space. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve worked out of, though I got into the space using my sister’s membership. The space is gorgeous, with window to floor wide windows that overlook the city in a near 360 degree view. Her work covers her membership, but since I am a remote worker and solopreneur, I wouldn’t pay for the fees until I had more income.
It’s $29/day for a hotdesk, meaning you have access to the public seating area with a desk and you can use the amenities. I noticed a lot of people leaving their belongings to “reserve” their spot, but would highly recommend not doing that. If it’s something you wouldn’t miss if lost, that’s fine, but do not leave your laptops or valuables out in the open. WeWork or not, this is still a common space where people can steal things. If uncertain, leave them at the front desk.
If you’re in the Salesforce area and looking for a good cafe with seating, you can also consider going to:
Andytown Coffee Roasters in Salesforce Park
Rooftop, Park Level, 181 Fremont St, San Francisco, CA 94105, United States
The snowy plover is iconic and has a mixture of espresso, sparkling water, and ice, topped with a heavy hand of homemade whipped cream. Andytown created this magical drink, so if you’re looking for a great place to work out of, there’s ample seating and great coffee options there. There is ample seating with outlets, so do check it out. The coffee shop also has seating area in the lobby and lounge area, which is not featured in the photo above.
During lunch or when you need a break, you can go outside on the deck where Salesforce Park is and go for a nice walk or stretch. It’s a gorgeous place to sit, take in nature, and see the fountains spring up.
Privately Owned Public Spaces in the City
I recently stumbled upon this website that shares public spaces in the city. The website shares, “POPOS are publicly accessible spaces in forms of plazas, terraces, atriums, small parks, and even snippets which are provided and maintained by private developers. In San Francisco, POPOS mostly appear in the Downtown office district area.”
While some places are just to relax, eat some lunch, there are other areas where you can sit and work with a laptop. You can comb through the website and see what suits your working situation.
222nd Street San Francisco
222 2nd Street, San Francisco CA 94105
Located in the atrium of LinkedIn building, there’s a public space with long tables and seats for people to cowork. The windows are large from ceiling to floor, and the walls are covered in modern art. Seats aren’t as comfortable, but it’s free!
If you’re strategic and want to get free passes…
A lot of my friends who are visiting do this: you can sign up for weekly trials at certain co-working spots to “test” them out. This is a great idea without breaking the bank. Hope you found this article helpful and will try out a couple new spots.
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