Best Coffee Shops in Florence for Digital Nomads and Students (Tested & Approved)
This article may contain affiliate links. This means if you click a link on my blog and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Whether you’re working or studying, Florence has more than a few spots that welcome the laptop-clad crowd. In this post, I share the coffee shops, study nooks, and cafe-restaurants that served as my “office” in Florence.
I write a lot of the content you see on this blog from coffee shops all over the world. These past few weeks, I’ve been based in Florence, Italy and have found the laptop-friendly coffee shop scene to be vast and varied - thankfully! Rather than share with you every possible spot you could go, I’ll leave you with the spots that became my go-to’s. Their wifi worked, they had plenty of space to camp out for a few hours, and no one was giving me evil glares when my laptop landed on the table, which is saying something in a culture where dining out is a social experience, not a working one (which I totally respect might I add!).
Todo Modo
Photo by Todo Modo
If you love bookshop cafes with an award-winning barista behind the bar, then save Todo Modo to your Google Maps. It’s quiet, it’s laptop-friendly, and they have a dedicated space in the “bleachers” for students and digital nomads to get some work done, even through their lunch rush. When you step inside, head all the way to the back of the shop to find the cafe. You can order and pay at the counter and then find a seat, just keep in mind that if you choose a table, they’ll ask you to move to the bleachers in the back starting at 1pm when the lunch rush begins.
Where to find it: Via dei Fossi, 15R
The Social Hub
Photo by The Social Hub
Besides being probably the best place to stay as a digital nomad (or student) in Florence, The Social Hub’s Lavignini location also has a cafe that’s open to the public with plenty of seating and plenty of other laptop wielders to keep you company. It’s another order-at-the-counter sort of spot, and they don’t mind if you hang out all day. There are plugs under most tables to charge up, and the space itself is really inspiring, with lots of natural light, fun decor, and a courtyard area to take a break and a breather in whenever you need it.
Where to find it: V.le Spartaco Lavagnini, 70-72
Ditta Artiginiale
Photo by Ditta Artiginiale
Ditta Artiginiale actually has five cafe locations in Florence, plus a stand inside the Mercato Centrale. Some of these locations are better than others to tote your laptop to. Of them all, I would say their Via dello Sprone location in Oltrarno is probably the best for a guilt-free work session, due to the fact that it’s the most spacious and you don’t have to feel bad about taking up a table for too long. I’ve found the locations at Riva d’Arno and Via dei Neri to be a little too busy and too small for a work session. I can’t speak for the other two locations, so if you go, please report back!
Where to find it:
Via dello Sprone 5R
Riva d’Arno
Via dei Neri 32R
Via dei Carducci 2R
Plaza Ferrucci 1R
La Ménagère
Photo by La Ménagère
La Ménagère is perhaps the most beautiful spot in Florence to work from. Choose your space to set up: the front terrace, the emporium, or the retro-glam bar. Each one has a vibe all its own, which is really why I love this space. You can match your mood and then change your mind without actually switching locations. As a writer, I find it really inspiring. Though I wouldn’t label this spot as one especially designed for those looking to get some work done for hours on end, they’re not opposed to you taking up space for an hour or two.
Where to find it: Via de' Ginori, 8/R
Floret
Photo by Floret
I must follow La Ménagère with another pretty place to park it with your laptop for a few hours: Floret in Oltrarno. I actually stumbled across this spot while making my sunset pilgrimage up to Piazzale Michelangelo one evening. Their menu is refreshing too, with some healthy options that aren’t pizza, pasta, and lasagna, but miso salmon, avocado toast, and beyond burgers. If you’re just there for a drink and a light bite while you work away, their chai latte is perfection and their sweet potatoes with sriracha mayo a palate cleanser after all the Italian food.
Where to find it: Via di S. Niccolò, 81
La Cité
Photo by La Cité
La Cité feels like the coffee shops off my old college campus (We are!…anyone?), and its clientele is mostly students too. The coffee’s cheap, served in the cutest ceramic mugs, and they really don’t mind how long you stay. It’s a tight squeeze with so many tables and bulky chairs packed into one space, but I never fail to find a spot. If you’re especially time- and table-conscious (like me), just grab a seat at the wall-facing long table with bench seating in the room to the left of the coffee bar. That’s where the plugs are, too.
Where to find it: Borgo S. Frediano, 20/R
Giunti Odeon
For a library-like free spot to work, Odeon is hard to beat. It’s actually a bookshop and cinema inside of an old theatre. You can find a table on the second floor in the gallery and log on to their public network (no password or purchase required). The only snag is that if you do need to use the toilet, you’ll actually need to make a purchase (as in buy a book or something from the cafe) for the barcode that opens the bathroom door. Fair enough.
Where to find it: Piazza degli Strozzi
Rivarno Cafe
Photo by Rivarno Cafe
Last but not least, Rivarno Cafe is a solid laptop-friendly cafe in Florence that I discovered towards the end of my stay. There aren’t many tables, so try to time your visit for an hour outside of the morning and mid-day rush. Late afternoon is ideal. Their coffee is great, the wifi works well, and the staff is really easygoing. Also, you’re right on the River Arno, so every glance up from your screen is a reminder that you’re here in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.
Where to find it: Lungarno delle Grazie, 12R
If you found this helpful and want to say thanks, pick up the tab on my next coffee or do your travel booking through the links on my Travel Resources page. All of this sends a bit back my way so I can keep creating content like this - thank you!
