An email to send before a meeting, a video call between two trains: the reflex is Starbucks. You know you can sit down with your laptop there, which is exactly why everyone else does too.
In Bordeaux, there is almost always a café or a coworking space just as good for work a few minutes' walk away. We went through the city's Starbucks one by one, from rue Sainte-Catherine to Saint-Jean station, and looked at what our selection has nearby. Every address below is checked every week (opening hours, closures), and for each one we tell you what it has to offer.
Starbucks rue Sainte-Catherine (Saint-Pierre): where to work nearby
At the southern end of rue Sainte-Catherine, the main shopping street, between the old Saint-Pierre quarter and rue des Ayres, you are in one of the best areas in Bordeaux to work.
- Peter Coffee Shop, rue de Guienne, 2 minutes away: wifi, terrace, laptops welcome, open every day from 8:30am to 7:30pm.
- Books & Coffee, rue Saint-James, 3 minutes away: a quiet coffee shop at the foot of the Grosse Cloche (the old city bell tower), with book-lined walls, open every day.
- Café Piha, rue des Ayres, 3 minutes away: a quiet New Zealand café with wifi and power outlets (closed on Sundays).
- Anticafé Bordeaux, rue Duffour-Dubergier, 4 minutes away: a café-coworking where you pay for the time you spend, drinks and snacks included, with large tables, wifi and power outlets. Open every day.
Starbucks rue Margaux and Puy Paulin: where to work nearby
Further north, the Starbucks on rue Margaux is a short walk from place Puy Paulin and rue des Trois-Conils.
- Suzzi Café, rue des Trois-Conils, 3 minutes away: a quiet, Scandinavian-style coffee shop with wifi, open every day from 8:30am to 6pm.
- French House, place Puy Paulin, 3 minutes away: large tables, wifi, terrace, and open every day from 10am to midnight. Your best bet when everything else is closed.
- Horace, rue Poquelin-Molière, 4 minutes away: a café-canteen with exposed stone walls, large tables and wifi, open every day, no booking needed.
Starbucks Mériadeck: where to work nearby
The Starbucks in the Mériadeck shopping centre and the one on rue du Château-d'Eau are a minute apart. Around them, there is somewhere to work at any time of day.
- BOPE Bordeaux Mériadeck, rue du Château-d'Eau, 1 minute from the shopping centre: a coworking space with day desks, wifi and power outlets, on weekdays.
- French Coffee Shop, rue Georges-Bonnac, 2 minutes from the rue du Château-d'Eau Starbucks: wifi, laptops welcome, open every day.
- Hôtel Burdigala, rue Georges-Bonnac, 4 minutes away: the hotel opens the shared spaces of its atrium to everyone, no booking needed and free for two hours. Quiet, with large tables, wifi and power outlets.
- Bibliothèque Mériadeck, cours du Maréchal-Juin, 6 minutes away: the big municipal library, spread over several floors, with plenty of work spaces, wifi and power outlets. Monday to Saturday.
Starbucks Saint-Jean station: where to work nearby
To get some work done between two trains, two coworking spaces with day access are a few minutes from the station.
- Wojo Mercure Gare Atlantic, rue Eugène-Le-Roy, 2 minutes away: a coworking space in the lobby of the Mercure hotel, opposite the station, with a day pass, wifi and power outlets. Open every day from 8:30am to 6:30pm.
- Le Hangar, rue Lasserre, 4 minutes away: a small, quiet, air-conditioned coworking space with phone booths and a day pass, on weekdays.
Starbucks Talence: where to work nearby
- Near the Starbucks on cours de la Libération in Talence: the Médiathèque de Talence Thouars, avenue du Maréchal-Leclerc, 6 minutes away. A public library with free wifi and quiet spaces, Tuesday to Saturday.
The right spot for what you need
- Working late: French House, place Puy Paulin (until midnight every day)
- Working on a Sunday: Peter Coffee Shop, Books & Coffee, Anticafé Bordeaux, Suzzi Café, Horace, and the Wojo at Saint-Jean station
- A full day of work: a coworking space with day access (Wojo Mercure Gare Atlantic, Le Hangar, BOPE Mériadeck), no membership needed
- Free: the Hôtel Burdigala atrium (two hours), the Médiathèque de Talence Thouars
Starbucks is still a fine fallback. But in Bordeaux, there is almost always something better around the corner. To go further, read our guide to working in Bordeaux, our picks for working on a Sunday and working late. And to see everything around you, open the map.
Frequently asked questions
Why not just go to Starbucks?
Nothing stops you. But the independent cafés and coworking spaces right next door are often quieter, and some have large tables, power outlets or day access.
Where can I work near Saint-Jean station?
Wojo Mercure Gare Atlantic, opposite the station, offers a day pass and is open every day from 8:30am to 6:30pm. Le Hangar, rue Lasserre, is a quiet coworking space with a day pass, on weekdays.
Where can I work for free near a Starbucks in Bordeaux?
Hôtel Burdigala, near Mériadeck, opens its atrium spaces to everyone, free for two hours. In Talence, the Médiathèque de Talence Thouars offers free wifi.
Where can I work on a Sunday near rue Sainte-Catherine?
Peter Coffee Shop (rue de Guienne), Books & Coffee (rue Saint-James) and Anticafé Bordeaux (rue Duffour-Dubergier) are all open on Sundays.
