TOP 10 CAFES WITH NATURAL LIGHTING

We spent a month visiting cafes across the city in search of the best naturally-lit spaces — places where you can read, work, or simply watch the light move across the room. Here are our ten favorites, in no particular order.

Most of these spaces share a few features: south-facing windows, minimal interior partitioning, and ceilings tall enough that the light has somewhere to go. Several were converted from print shops or galleries, which had the bones of good daylighting before they ever served a cup of coffee.

Bring a book. Bring a laptop with a matte screen if you can — gloss displays will fight you in every one of these places.