Sometimes when you’re studying, the concrete jungle called “central library” just doesn’t cut it. I don’t know about you, but I can’t study without noise. I’m not talking about people talking obnoxiously loudly (I’m looking at you second years on the third floor of central), but just natural background noise. That’s why studying in a café is so underappreciated. I mean, not only do you get surrounded by coffee, but you can work in a chill open space. What’s not to like? Here are my hot takes on the best cafes for getting your study on around town. Agree? Disagree? Don’t tell me, I don’t care.
Morning Magpie
Good coffee? Yes. An adorable, highly instagrammable concoction of local art, tasteful plants and vintage teaspoons? Heck yes. Staff who are friendly but also you’re kind of intimidated by because they’re so aesthetic? Absolutely. Magpie also boasts decent sized tables for spreading all your gear out. Better yet, they have wifi. Is there anything wrong with this perfect studying utopia? No.
RDC
Let me tell you a secret, RDC is the love of my life. I love it because it’s cute and quaint and now features an excellent poster of Elvis Presley. RDC does hands down the best coffee in dunners (fight me). The coffee is so smooth, so deep, so flavourful. It is the bomb dot com cafe to go sip on a cup of caffeine and do the quiz with your buddies. HOWEVER if you want to do full-blown study, RDC is not the place. The tables are as small as Trump’s hands, and there is no internet. In sum: I love, but not the place to get that bread.
Wolf at the Door
This place is dope. Smack-bam in the heart of op-shop land. I would suggest getting your study done at Wolf, then rewarding yourself with a well-deserved thrifting sesh. They also have a freakin’ arcade machine that you can use for free.
Modaks
Modaks has a special place in my heart. I have been going there ever since I began Uni seven long years ago. Modaks has seen my bright-eyed, bushy-tailed fresher self transform into the jaded old hag that I am today. Quirk levels are high; she’s covered head to toe in bits and bobs and knicks and knacks and nooks and crannies. Also satisfies those two requirements I won’t shut up about: big tables + wifi.
Starbucks
I’m a hipster vegan green-voting girl with hipster green-voting friends. This means that when I am at hipster vegan green-voting cafes I’m bound to see people I know, leading to conversations and less work getting done. So, when I want to knuckle down, where better to go than the most basic cafe on the planet? For people like me with friends like mine, Starbucks is an invisibility cloak. I doubt my friends even see it as they pass by. I’m hidden in plain sight. If you’re the opposite and live-laugh-loving your way through a basic lifestyle, try the reverse. Sneak into RDC and you’ll be invisible to all that know you. On top of the lack of distractions, I’m kind of ashamed to say it but the fishbowl-sized coffee there is kind of delicious. I’m sure my coffee-connoisseur points just plummeted hard, but those Starbucks kids know how to froth soy.
Joe’s Garage
Firstly: free wifi. Secondly: big tables. Both of those render Joe’s another surprising winner for me. Don’t get me wrong, the vibe is weird. The theme seems to be metal and nails and rust. Wait, I see. It’s a garage. I get it now. But then there’s this sexy bathroom with red light that doesn’t fit in with the rest of the vibe at all. But it’s okay, and you know why? Say it with me! Free wifi and big tables.
Coffee Culture
Like Starbucks and Joe’s Garage, the style of this place is definitely not why I go there. Décor aside (it’s a bit shit) this is a bloody good study spot. You only get 30 minutes of wifi. This may sound like a con, but it’s perfect when you have work to do that doesn’t require much internet. You can do all your non-internet work, and then reward yourself with internet time and do your internet-ty things. Coffee Culture also has a killer view of the harbour which is ideal for staring into the distance, wishing you were doing literally anything other than your shitty, expensive degree that will take you a lifetime to pay for and probably won’t get you a job lol.