The 10 best cafes to work from in Nairobi
Wi-Fi, sockets, quiet corners and coffee worth staying for. These are the Nairobi cafes where you can open the laptop and actually get work done, from Cafe AMKA in town to HIKURI in Lavington.
Some of us don't really start working until there's a flat white on the table and some quiet chatter around us. You walk in, find the table near a socket, open the laptop and the day finally gets going. If that sounds like you, you're in good company: on any weekday, Nairobi's best cafes are full of freelancers, founders, students and remote teams doing exactly that.
But not every good cafe is a good place to work. Great coffee won't help if the Wi-Fi drops, there's nowhere to plug in, or the music is too loud to take a call. So we went looking for the cafes that get both right.
How we picked
We started with the 43 cafes Nairobi Feast tracks and checked each one's current Google rating, review count and opening hours. Then we read what reviewers say about the things that matter when you're working: Wi-Fi, power sockets, noise, seating and whether staff are happy for you to stay a while. Our team's own visits count too. We only kept cafes where reviewers have actually worked from the space, and we spread the list across neighbourhoods so there's a good option near you. Ratings and hours are as of September 2026.
The short answer
For a full working day in town, go to Cafe AMKA in the CBD. For a real co-working corner with great coffee, HIKURI Espresso Bar in Lavington. If you need sockets at every seat, Connect Coffee Roasters on Riverside Drive. Working late? Artisan Blend Kilimani stays open until midnight, and until 4:30 AM at weekends. And if you'd rather have greenery than city noise, head to Cafe Cassia in Karen.
The 10 best cafes to work from in Nairobi
1. Cafe AMKA, CBD
4.7 stars from 507 Google reviews. Lonrho House, Standard Street. Open 6:00 AM to midnight Monday to Saturday, and 9:00 AM to midnight on Sunday. About KES 1,100 a head. Cafe AMKA is the one we keep coming back to ourselves, and it's our top pick. It's a calm escape from the CBD rush, and it's built for both moods: reviewers point to the indoor space for getting work done and the outside seating for a coffee break or a catch-up. Those hours are the real advantage. You can be here before the first meeting of the day and still have a table at 11 PM. Best for: a full working day in town. Heads-up: a few reviewers found the music a little loud, so bring headphones if you're sensitive to noise.
View restaurant2. HIKURI Espresso Bar, Lavington
4.9 stars from 108 Google reviews, the highest rating on this list. James Gichuru Road, Lavington. Open 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on weekdays and 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM at weekends. About KES 500 a head. HIKURI is a small espresso bar with a big idea: a mini co-working space attached to the cafe, which one reviewer called "Ikigai level". Another wrote their review from there after working for a few hours. The regulars we know come back for the setting as much as the coffee. Best for: focused work with excellent, affordable coffee. Heads-up: the front sits on James Gichuru Road and can get loud, so ask for the co-working side.
View restaurant3. Connect Coffee Roasters, Riverside Drive
4.6 stars from 1,668 Google reviews. Riverfront, Riverside Drive. Open 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM on weekdays and 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM at weekends. About KES 1,500 a head. If sockets are your first question, this is your answer. Reviewers describe "sockets everywhere and decent wifi", a quiet, minimalist room built for working, and meeting pods for calls. The coffee is roasted in-house, and regulars say the baristas remember their order before the laptop is even out. Best for: long laptop sessions and client meetings. Heads-up: it closes at 6:30 PM, so it's a daytime office.
View restaurant4. Cafe Cassia, Karen
4.8 stars from 754 Google reviews. Third floor, Binaa Complex, Karen. Open 7:30 AM to 9:30 PM Monday to Thursday, and until 10:30 PM Friday to Sunday. About KES 1,300 a head. Cafe Cassia is the calmest office on this list. It's a rooftop cafe surrounded by greenery, and one reviewer spent "the entire day working remotely" there, describing it as peaceful and serene. The brunch menu is among the best-rated in Karen, so lunch is sorted too. Best for: deep-focus days away from city noise. Heads-up: a few guests mention slow service when they first sit down, so order as soon as you arrive.
View restaurant5. Cafe NBO, Kilimani
4.8 stars from 42 Google reviews. Argwings Arcade, Argwings Kodhek Road, Kilimani. Open 7:00 AM to 11:30 PM every day. About KES 1,500 a head. Cafe NBO is one of the newer names on this list, but its early reviews read like a remote worker's wish list: people come "to do some laptop work", enjoy the quiet jazz in the background, and have a choice of seating areas. Reviewers also rate it for work meetings. Best for: a quiet Kilimani base with long hours. Heads-up: it has fewer reviews than the others so far, so its rating may still move.
View restaurant6. Artisan Blend Kilimani
4.5 stars from 190 Google reviews. Nyangumi Road, off Kilimani Road. Open 6:00 AM to midnight Monday to Thursday, and until 4:30 AM Friday to Sunday. About KES 1,200 a head. No cafe on this list opens earlier or closes later. One reviewer who worked here for the day called it "highly recommend for work, tea, and hearty meals", and the long tea menu and Somali-inspired dishes mean you won't get bored of lunch. We've celebrated a birthday here too, and the room is just as good by day. Best for: night owls and early starters. Heads-up: it gets busier and noisier in the evening, so book meetings earlier in the day.
View restaurant7. Le Grenier à Pain, Riverside Drive
4.5 stars from 2,414 Google reviews. Ground floor, 9 Riverside, Riverside Drive. Open 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM every day. About KES 1,500 a head. A French bakery that happens to make a very good office. Reviewers describe the room as chill, cozy and "not too noisy", and say plainly: "You can work from here." The croissants and pastries are the draw, which makes it an easy spot for a working breakfast or an informal meeting. Best for: morning sessions and breakfast meetings. Heads-up: it closes at 7:00 PM.
View restaurant8. Kahvalti Café, Kilimani
4.7 stars from 759 Google reviews. Lenana Place, Lenana Road, Kilimani. Open 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM every day. About KES 1,650 a head. Kahvalti is a Turkish breakfast cafe, and reviewers describe it as a lovely, quiet place for business meetings, reading or "alone time to work". A Turkish breakfast spread is a very good way to start a long working day. Best for: quiet meetings and a proper breakfast. Heads-up: it's one of the pricier picks, so it's better for a meeting than for every day.
View restaurant9. Java House, Sarit Centre
4.3 stars from 4,629 Google reviews. Sarit Centre, Westlands. Open 6:30 AM to 9:00 PM Monday to Saturday, and from 7:00 AM on Sunday. About KES 1,400 a head. Sometimes you just want the reliable option. Java House Sarit is a Westlands institution for working breakfasts, and reviewers call it an excellent place to "work on your laptop or tablet", with dependable Wi-Fi. Being inside the mall means parking, errands and lunch are all close by. Best for: a dependable Westlands base. Heads-up: it gets crowded at peak times, so arrive early for a good table.
View restaurant10. Pickled Café & Bar, Lavington
4.7 stars from 226 Google reviews. Olenguruone Avenue, Lavington. Open 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Tuesday to Saturday, and 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday. About KES 1,300 a head. Pickled is a garden cafe by day, with spacious seating and a peaceful setting that reviewers describe as a retreat from the city's noise. Its comfortable corners suit a few hours of work or a catch-up, and in the evening it turns into a relaxed bar. Best for: working outdoors in a garden. Heads-up: it's closed on Mondays, and service slows down when it's busy.
View restaurantCafe etiquette for laptop workers
Order early and top up. Buy something when you sit down and order again every two hours or so. It keeps you welcome, and it keeps these cafes in business.
Pick the right table. Take a two-seater if you're alone, and leave the big tables free for groups at lunch.
Take calls outside. Most cafes are fine with a quick call, but step out for long meetings, or book a meeting pod where there is one.
Bring your charger, but don't count on a socket. Sockets fill up fast in the morning, so arrive with a full battery.
Ask for the Wi-Fi password when you order. It saves you a second trip to the counter.
Honourable mentions
Tin Roof Café in Karen and Pointzero Coffee at the Karen Blixen Museum are lovely garden spots for a few hours of work, though both close by 6:00 PM. ÔKia Cafe on Riverside Drive is a reviewer favourite for a quiet solo session, and The Coffee Club in Lavington is open from 6:30 AM for an early start.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best cafe to work from in Nairobi?
Cafe AMKA in the CBD tops our list: it opens from 6:00 AM to midnight six days a week, has a quiet indoor space for working and costs about KES 1,100 a head. HIKURI Espresso Bar in Lavington is the pick if you want a small co-working space attached to the cafe.
Which Nairobi cafes have good Wi-Fi and power sockets?
Connect Coffee Roasters on Riverside Drive is the one reviewers single out for sockets everywhere and decent Wi-Fi. Java House Sarit Centre and HIKURI Espresso Bar are also regularly described as laptop-friendly with Wi-Fi.
Which Nairobi cafes are open late for working?
Cafe AMKA and Artisan Blend Kilimani both stay open until midnight, and Artisan Blend Kilimani runs until 4:30 AM from Friday to Sunday. Cafe NBO in Kilimani is open until 11:30 PM every day.
What is the cheapest cafe to work from in Nairobi?
HIKURI Espresso Bar, at roughly KES 500 a head, is the most affordable pick on this list. Cafe AMKA is next at about KES 1,100.
Where can I work from a cafe in Karen?
Cafe Cassia, on the third floor of the Binaa Complex, is quiet enough that reviewers spend whole days working there, and it's open until 9:30 PM on weekdays.
Is it okay to work from a cafe in Nairobi for a few hours?
At the cafes on this list, yes. Staff are used to laptops. Order something when you arrive, top up every couple of hours, and give up a big table at lunchtime if you're working alone.
Looking for somewhere to go after work? Browse all cafes on Nairobi Feast or read our guide to the best restaurants in Nairobi.
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