You know what they say: Jack of all trades, master of none. But somehow, Saigon Grace on South Street does it all, and does it well. On the drinks side, the all-day cafe brews coffee with beans from the owner's in-laws' farm in Vietnam. They're slow-dripped right on the counter, ready to admire while you wait for your salt foam-topped iced coffee. The quaint all-day spot serves great Vietnamese and Mexican dishes, too. Best of all, they won’t rush you out, which makes it as useful for a working brunch over iced coffee and bánh mì as it does ube lattes and churro pancakes on a lazy Sunday.

Coffee nerds, we see you. And we suggest you head to Thank You Thank You, pronto. The baristas at this Washington Square cafe are like sommeliers for coffee beans. Whether you’re looking for something floral, fruity, acidic, or nutty, they’ve got it, and if you don’t know what you’re looking for, they’ll help you find it. Be warned—there aren't a lot of tables, so don't plan on hanging out for the day.

Sure, we love the enormous restaurant, bakery, and bar that is La Colombe in Fishtown, but when we want to write our romance novel or pretend to be living in one, we head to the Rittenhouse location. It’s dark, moody, and always full of characters you’ll want to spy on while enjoying your draft oat latte and almond croissant.

If La Colombe is the king of Philly coffee royalty, Elixr is the younger, hipper prince. They only have three locations (for La Colombe, the limit does not exist), but Elixr’s 2,000-square-foot roastery in Callowhill is especially great for buckling down and getting work done. They have a rotating selection of hand-poured coffees from around the world, along with tasty specialty drinks like the caramel black salt latte. 

The next time you’re craving a fancy coffee drink, a memorable Vietnamese meal, or just need to get away from your screaming children, come to this cafe in Kensington. They source their beans from Vietnam and other Southeast and East Asian regions and roast them right on-site. The menu is extensive, but when you want your espresso and dessert at the same time, go for the creamy custard-layered egg coffee. And if you’re avoiding caffeine, have no fear—they have a fantastic assortment of options like a tart guava sparkler.

This Washington Square West shop is a perennial favorite thanks to its friendly service, solid selection of pastries (including vegan and GF options from High Fidelity Bakery), and coffee from D.C.’s Small Planes for your morning pick-me-up. But the real reason to go out of your way for Jiggy is that it takes matcha as seriously as DINKWAD’s take crate training. They make the best matcha latte in the city: it’s creamy and perfectly layered with flavors like rose, lavender, or sesame from house-made syrups.

If you can’t focus without a good playlist, working at a cafe that doubles as a record shop is a no-brainer. Milkcrate in Fishtown serves your standard-issue teas and coffees using La Colombe espresso, along with bagels, breakfast sandwiches (including vegan options), salads, and tacos, all available until 3pm.

Herman’s in Dickinson Narrows stocks fun, fancy specialty snacks and they also host rotating pop-ups. But the best thing about this Dickinson Narrows coffee shop is that they have garage doors that stay open the whole summer. So you can feel like you’re outside on a nice day even when you’ve got an inbox full of corporate garbage. Park at one of the red-and-white lawn chairs lining the sidewalk here after grabbing a pistachio and rose doughnut, and a frozen latte.

Rally is a lot more than a coffee shop serving Blind Tiger espresso—it’s also an event space, a design studio, and a pop-up shop for local vendors. That makes it useful anytime you want to distract yourself from work stuff by looking at all of the pretty pottery and greeting cards sitting on the shelves while eating Okie Dokie Donuts. 

ReAnimator has a few different locations around Philly, but we like their outpost in Kensington on Master Street best for hanging out and getting work done. The plant-filled space is airy and open, and they have a selection of wine, books, and merch with artwork that reminds us of Keith Haring. Add in the wifi, flaky chocolate croissants, and some of the best coffee in the city, and you’re primed for a productive day.

It turns out punk and heavy metal go well with matcha lattes, especially because we could all use a break from Norah Jones and early 2000s Maroon 5. The fun playlist and big industrial space make West Philly’s Grindcore House a good place to grab breakfast or set up shop for the day. And they do an all-vegan menu loaded with pastries and sandwiches like the Grizzli, stacked with baked tofu, “bacon,” cheese, and maple compound butter on a biscuit from Miss Rachel’s Pantry.

Few shops can pull off the coffee-by-day, cocktails-by-night model. Forin isn’t like most shops. The mint green Kensington cafe serves intriguing breakfast and lunch options, like an egg, spam, and cheddar sandwich with scallion jam, or egg salad on toasted milk bread. And if you stick around long enough, order one of the cocktails and dinnertime snacks from a rotating list of chefs-in-residence. They also sell records, nice candles, and Scottish wool vests that we're not nearly cool enough to pull off.

Rival Bros. is a coffee chameleon. If you need a big place to camp out and get work done, head to their location in Brewerytown. Want a neighborhood spot to pop in and out on a walk? Check out the cafe in Passyunk Square. And when you can’t decide between a place to have coffee or a cocktail, go to Enswell in Rittenhouse. We usually get their nitro cold brew—it's our favorite in town.

Sure, this guide is about coffee, but we’d be remiss not to mention a cafe that serves an incredible breakfast sandwich. Both the Fitler Square and Kensington locations specialize in sweet or savory sandwiches made with doughy, salty soft pretzels instead of bread. Our favorite is the classic BEC—crisp slabs of bacon, a whole lot of fluffy scrambled eggs, and Cooper sharp—but the cinnamon and sugar cream cheese pretzel is a close second. Get either with a side of La Colombe coffee.