​A Café of One’s Own: An introduction to my London café reviews

Café working is by no means a new idea. Ever since Starbucks resigned itself to Mac-toting hipsters nursing a chai latte and sponging free Wi-Fi for five hours, people have been flocking to cafés for an escape from office life.
 
By now everyone from the Huffington Post and Time Out to the Telegraph and the Guardian has waxed poetic about the joys of working in London cafés, restaurants and bars; so what fresh new insights can I bring to the conversation? Well, despite now feeling like I’m about to defend a PhD thesis, I’m glad you asked!

I offer to you, dear readers:

1. My razor-sharp wit and boundless charm. Obvs.
2. My shoestring budget. As someone who’s just starting out as a freelancer and who’s naturally thrifty I’ll be looking for affordable spaces and good value for money.
3. My focus on southeast London. Although I will happily review places elsewhere if I find myself working in other parts of town, at least initially the majority of my posts will feature cafés in East Dulwich, Peckham Rye and Camberwell. Lordship Lane, represent!
4. My perspective as a freelance editor and proofreader. I’ll focus on the specific challenges of doing this type of work outside of the home in settings with food, limited table space and other people.

 
I expect the format of the reviews to change over time and before more nuanced and refined as I find my feet with all this. Feel free to comment or make suggestions on this page if there’s anything specific you’d like to see!
 
Now, time for a tea break…
Maya