The Quest to Find the Best Work & Coffee Spots in Pretoria

Working from home has its perks, it really does. I’m truly grateful for the luxury of comfy clothes and the glorious fact that no one touches my monitor but me.

And yes, we keep decent coffee in the house (freshly ground moka pot coffee, obviously), but every now and then, I crave that barista-made magic, crema swirling on top of perfectly frothed milk, like a tiny caffeinated cloud.

Coffee gets me through the day, no doubt. But when I step out to work from a café, it’s not just about the espresso. It’s also about the occasional toasty or omelet, and of course, the atmosphere. That subtle mix of background buzz, soft music, and the golden triangle of plug point, table space, and stable Wi-Fi.

So, Lucas and I (Jaco) are on a mission: to hunt down the best work-and-coffee spots in and around Pretoria. The places where, like the perfect bru, everything just comes together. If you know of a spot that hits the mark, send it our way. We’d love to add it to our list.

After each outing, we’ll report back with our honest (but kind) thoughts. And while I’m no trained chef, Lucas is… so food opinions will be thoroughly scrutinised. Fair warning.

Our Scoring Criteria

We’ll be scoring each spot out of 5 across the following categories:

1. Coffee Quality

• Flavour, freshness, crema, milk texture, consistency.

• The kind of cup that makes you stop mid-email and go, “Yoh.”

2. Food Options

• Toasties, omelets, pastries, salads—ideally made with care, not just heated.

• Bonus points for creativity or an actually good croissant.

3. Workspace Friendliness

• Comfortable seating, decent tables, good lighting, plug points, and a chill vibe.

• Basically, you can work for two hours without losing circulation.

4. Wi-Fi Quality

• Fast, stable, easy to connect—no weird passwords or limited logins.

• Can it handle a Zoom call without sounding like you’re in a fish tank?

5. Value for Money

• Are you paying for the name or for the experience?

• Good doesn’t always have to mean expensive.

6. Parking & Accessibility

• Easy to find, safe to park, not buried in a maze of office blocks.

• If it takes more effort to get there than to work, that’s a problem.

7. The final verdict

• The overall experience and a summary what we enjoyed.

Places on Our List (So Far)

• Upside Down Eatery (Rooihuiskraal, Centurion)

• Die Kweekhuis (Rooihuiskraal, Centurion)

• Irene Café (Dooringkloof, Centurion)

• Clockwork – Restaurant & Coffee Roasters (Dooringkloof, Centurion)

• Seattle Coffee Company – Castle Gate (Erasmus Park, Pretoria)

• Culture Coffee (Moreleta Park, Pretoria)

• Ulu Café (Moreleta Park, Pretoria)

• West Café (Hazelwood, Pretoria)

• Infusion Café (Maroelana, Pretoria)

• Blos Cafe (Faerie Glen, Pretoria)

If there’s a café you absolutely swear by—or a hidden gem you’re gatekeeping—let us know. We’ll grab our laptops (and appetites), and check it out. Because great coffee and great work don’t have to live in separate worlds.