Paying homage to the Portland Film Exchange Building where it’s located, the Alphabet District’s Commissary Cafe is a bright, art deco-inspired spot serving expertly crafted Water Avenue lattes accompanied by sandwiches named after movie stars. With about 20 seats, outdoor tables, and the WiFi password displayed on the chalkboard behind the counter, visitors will be caffeinated, well-fed, and good to go in this typically quiet environment.

Working with its industrial space, Breken serves up Water Avenue Coffee beneath high ceilings and between brick walls. A garage door lets in the breeze on nice days and bespoke wooden tables make it easy to spread out. In addition to breakfast and lunch menus, the daily specials include a seasonal lasagna, and happy hour comes with nachos and tallboys.

While Coava has been roasting and serving some of Portland’s favorite coffee for years, the newest location on SW Jefferson has an upstairs section with plentiful seating, outlets, and natural light. A full menu of cold brews, nitro cold brews, espresso drinks, and pour-overs is complemented by Petunia’s and Little T American Baker pastries.

SE 11th Avenue may be a busy traffic thoroughfare at times, but this 30-seat neighborhood corner cafe and nationally recognized craft roaster is a comfortable spot to enjoy a Bowery Bagel with a smooth cappuccino. The baked-in-house pastries and bright roasts will bring you in, but the inviting coziness, particularly on rainy days, will bring you back.

On the Northwest corner of Ladd’s Addition, this 38-seat cafe with minimalist decor serves house-roasted beans by Chris Alspach as well as Smith teas and open-face sandwiches. Brightly lit large tables allow for rich collaboration, while friendly and knowledgeable baristas keep the coffee flowing all day.

A cafe for the world traveler, Costello's celebrates wanderlust with maps, souvenirs, and the working traveler's best friends: coffee and free Wi-Fi. Expansive seating and large breakfast and lunch menus ensure that the hyper-focused won't need to leave until they’re ready.

With a smart, welcoming, and bright atmosphere, Guilder brings Scandinavian cafe culture to Northeast Portland. Most of the workable seating is upstairs, but both floors have lots of natural light. Owners Mike and Caryn Nelson house-roast the coffees under the Junior’s label, perfectly paired with porridges, toasts, and pastries. The Wifi speeds are fast, the staff is friendly, and the salads are tasty and colorful.

This SE 28th Avenue coffee shop is one of the most popular places to get work done in the city, and with plenty of good reasons. Fresh pastries, Coava and Upper Left coffee, and ample outdoor seating along with relatively fast WiFi and a friendly neighborhood vibe make it an ideal place to pop open a laptop while sipping an Americano. As a bonus, the surrounding area has tons of dining options.

Started as a bicycle-powered roaster cart, Kainos is a 14-seat cafe serving Henry Higgins bagels and VilleVelo Bake Shop pop tarts to pair with coffee blends like its Freakin’ Yum. While seating can be at a premium at times, the colors, plants, and zippy WiFi make it a joy to be productive here. Don’t sleep on the affogatos.