Best places to study in London

Are you tired of your uni library? Are you tired of libraries in general? Luckily, London is full of great café shop for students. Here is my top six places to study or work. 

As much as I love SOAS, my university, the library is not the best. Yes, it is great for the books, there is no place like SOAS when it comes to books about Asia, Middle East and Africa. When I studied back home in Brno, my undergraduate at Masaryk University, I was dreaming about SOAS library and all the books and about the endless access to all the journals and articles. However, great resources are not everything. The studying place is not super great. Not many tables to sit with your laptop, not many working computers around. Not talking about the classic students' tricks - leave your books around library computer and go out for two hours lunch. Hell yeah. Lastly, no coffee and food allowed in the library. Mission "find the best place to study + have coffee" started. Again, what seemed impossible in Brno is an easy task in London. Here are my favourite coffee shops: 

1. Good and Proper Tea - 96 Leather Ln, London EC1N 7TX 

I first tried their tea when I worked in the Peanut Vendor as a barista. And man, their tea is high quality stuff. Huge selection of green, black, white or oolong teas from all over the world. In their shop at Leather lane you find all you need - warm environment, stylish wooden interior, high quality tea, delicious food and it is usually very quiet if that is what you are looking for when reading a book. 

Wanna know a secret? You can make two or more infusions, just ask the guys to keep the tea leaves. Plus, this is the first place where I tried the matcha latte with coconut milk - my new drug! They also serve crumpets so if you don't know this very British thing I highly recommend it, especially the one with marmite. 

2. Taylor Street Baristas

M works for Taylor Street Baristas and I did too during my studies. So yes, that is my number one coffee shop in London for their amazing coffee and great people, my very good friends. If you are looking for an excellent cup of coffee in the City the Aussie TSB is the place to go. They have few shops around the city and Canary Wharf, plus one in New York City. But there are only two suitable for studying as the other ones are too small or too busy for you to sit with a book or a laptop. 

I can recommend the one at South Quay and the one at Monument. South Quay is bigger, very specious place with proper tables. Also, the TSB kitchen is located in that shop so there will be the biggest selection of cakes. Monument branch is very small vintage looking shop with very cozy atmosphere. Try their filter coffee, TSB started their own roastery just few months back and the stuff is just delicious. Also, TSB banana bread is one of the best in London, so is the Guinness Cake. 

3. Peanut Vendor - 6 Gunmakers Lane, E3 5GG

I worked in the Peanut Vendor for few months during my studies. Now it kinda seems I am just promoting my cafes, haha. No, no way. Peanut Vendor really is a chilled place to sit down and work hard. Now that I am thinking about it, more than a half of the weekdays customers are regulars spending there hours with their laptops and working. 

Peanut Vendor is originally a very successful design shop. As it grew a bigger place was needed and that also offered space for a coffee project. The guy starting the coffee shop for Peanut Vendor, Pioter, was trained in Prufrock, one of the best coffee shops in Lodnon so the coffee standards are really high in Peanut Vendor. Plus, it is one of the few places where you can get coffee from the Berlin Barn. 
Few amazing things about this place - their avocado on toast, really my number one avocado in London (and I am a massive avocado lover), their super cheap tea from Good and Proper (again, ask for second infusion) and the little super delicious sweet thing called kouign amann. It is a Breton cake made out of a lot of butter and sugar. Super delicious morning kick. So far there are only two other place where I saw them - the Espresso Hut (or 46b cafe) in Homerton and the bakery next to the Netil market. 

4. TAP - 193 Wardour St, W1F 8ZF

Tap is very close to SOAS, all the three branches. So it was my number one escape from library when I needed to study somewhere else. It is not the only place for a good coffee around my uni but it is the one suitable for students. Especially their branch n. 193. The little tables for two in a long room are just perfect. It is the kinda place that will be very busy and noisy during peak hours, so lunch time and afternoon coffee time. But I personally like that. When I have no choice but to study at home I usually use noisli to imitate the sound of coffee shop (btw, noisli is really cool studying tool if you don't know it). 

Great thing about TAP is the selection of three different filter coffees that are always hand brewed, roasted in house and the selection is changed every now and then. Their lunch salads are just yummy and the price is surprisingly nice for central London. Morning porridge with "choose your toppings" is great but there is always the 26 Grains few minutes away. 

6. Department of Coffee and Social affairs - 3 Lowndes Ct, W1F 7HD

Oh yes, Department (as calling it by its whole name is just too long, so let's save some time). Another party house, it has very similar atmosphere to TSB. Loud music, crazy people and yet, business people will still have their meetings here. Lovely concept. They, too, have few branches around London. I really like the one on Carnaby Street, it is a good stop for a coffee and a little rest when shopping on Oxford Street, it is basically behind the Liberty, about halfway through the shopping madness if you really do it all from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch (from Primark to Primark as I call it). 

It is a good place for both kind of students - the "I need a quite place to study" and the complete opposite person looking for a mental loud place full of people. The top floor is full of life, the downstairs is the peaceful oasis. The things to try here - bold brew! Very special drink, cold filter, brewed for super long time. It is just like marmite in a way - you love it or you hate it. Another special thing - their banana bread with peanuts, extraordinary. 

Here is a map of places to study, these six and many others, not only in London. Enjoy. Study hard.

(All pictures from Google until I make my own ones, thx for understanding)