A little known fact about me, I’m always on the quest to find the perfect wifi/ coffee setup for me and my co-working crew. For me, that includes fast wifi, rad music and a good view of the beach. Here’s my list of the top Southern California coffee-shops best suited for co-working.
** Note, i’m not being paid to feature any of these coffee shops. I’m just sharing my personal recommendations from one digital remote nomad to another.
Here’s my list broken down by area:
COSTA MESA
Address: 512 W 19th St, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
- Con: Had Bad Wifi
- Pro:Uh-mazing Coffee next door at ThunderKing. Also, they recently converted to a co-working space
**Update, they did recently convert the space into a co-working space, with Day Passes. I haven’t had a chance to check the wifi yet**
Address: 882 Production Pl, Newport Beach, CA 92663
- Pro: AUSTRALIAN barista’s – need I say more? 😍
- Con: They close at like 3pm and the tables/chairs aren’t comfortable. Overall, the space isn’t built for long standing work sessions.
IRVINE:
Address: 200 Spectrum Center Drive suite 300 Irvine, CA 92618
- Pro: WeWork offer’s you allthethings amenities wise. Fast wifi. Beer on tap. Social gathering’s. You name it
- Con: Expensive AF, and they don’t offer day passes
NEWPORT BEACH
Address: 400 Via Lido, Newport Beach, CA 92663
- Pro: Wifi and it’s a prime lunch spot in downtown Lido
- Con: There’s a lack of outlets and parking is tricky
Address: 3400 Via Lido, Newport Beach, CA 92663
- Pro: Right by the beach, Wifi’s okay and tons of tables, not sure about outlets. Staff was so friendly, they’ll make you a wicked Matcha
- Con: I think Parking is time-restricted & metered, just as a heads up!
Starbucks in Crystal Cove Newport Beach
Address: Crystal Cove shopping center 7958 CA-1, Newport Beach, CA 92657
- Pro: Across the street from Beach, the staff is amazing. And there’s this outdoor courtyard that’s super comfortable to work from.
- Con: Tight on tables and outlets. Terrible cell signal
Address: 7962 East Coast Hwy, Newport Coast, CA 92657
- Pro: The place is cute AF and has Happy Hour, has an outlet too
- Con: Closes at like 4?
SAN CLEMENTE/DANA POINT
The owners are rad AF and have several locations around south OC. The vibe at Bear Coast is unlike any other. You can always expect a good cup of coffee, solid wifi, and laid-back beach vibe. It’s dog friendly and right across the street from the beach, so bring sunscreen.
Address: 618 1/2 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente, CA 92672
- Pro: Across the street from the beach. Good vibes and great staff. Good music
- Con: Parking/getting a table is a B*tch, Plus outlets are hard to come by. Bring your backup battery
Address: 34052 La Plaza, Dana Point, CA 92629 (right by Hennessey’s)
- Pro: Parking and Outlets are easily accessible. Staff’s absolutely incredible & good music
- Con: I think they close at 4, so best to pack up and leave early.
San Diego Area:
Note, I’m pretty sure this is the most Instagrammable coffee shop I’ve ever stumbled across.
Address: 2335 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104
- Pro: Wifi is Solid. Coffee is prime and has plenty of seats and tables to go around. Plus they’re dog friendly and have a succulent nursery next door.
- Con: The bathroom is a bit far, but nothing too bad.
Address: 801 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103
- Pro: Wifi’s good, coffee’s good too. The coffee shop is 2 story and has plenty of chairs/tables upstairs and downstairs.
- Con: This place is busy AF. Bring headphones and you’ll be set, it tends to get loud. Also, there’s not a ton of outlets. Bring a backup battery.