Arts District
Vesta Coffee Roasters are the best roasters in Vegas. What they’re doing is absolutely next level. Next level also comes at a premium, so don’t be surprised when your bag of an ultra-limited specialty roast costs close to $30. The coffee shop serves all the standards, as well as pour-overs of its excellent bean selection (get the Burundi Kibingo), but if you absolutely must pollute your coffee with some form of milk and syrup, get an Aztec Mocha Latte. There’s a small kitchen that kicks out great food, including an egg sandwich that gives cult fave Eggslut a run for its money. This place is really popular, and if you want to snag a spot close to an outlet and away from the front window where the sun will blind you for at least a couple of hours in the morning, you have to get there early. Like 7am early.
East Sunset Rd.
Sunrise Coffee on Sunset (across from Sunset Park, naturally) is the OG Las Vegas coffeehouse. Open for 11 years, Sunrise has become a well-known and well-loved local hangout. There are lots of seating both indoors and outside on a lovely patio, but for remote workers the coveted spots are the couches and cushy chairs just to the left of the entrance. This is a place that is equally popular with remote workers and UNLV students studying as it is with folks looking for a social outing, and it’s also a favored neutral ground for first dates, casual job interviews, and business consultations. Point being, there’s usually a lot of noise inside, so bring your headphones. During lunch hours, order tasty sandwiches and burritos, most of which are vegan-friendly. The cafe bakes its own breads and pastries and serves single-origin, organic, Fair Trade coffees sourced from micro co-ops as pour overs, cold brews, and a variety of lattes. The staff is always incredibly friendly and the vibes are always good here.
Chinatown
Gabi Coffee & Bakery isn’t exactly a secret, in that everyone seems to know about it and it’s always packed. Thanks to Yelp and Instagram, the word is out on this achingly charming bakery and café in Chinatown where, even though it will inevitably be crowded, you will still feel like you’ve stumbled across a special secret. There’s single-origin coffees, excellent teas, and a number of different signature coffee- and tea-based drink creations (try the Butterfly Tea Latte), as well as excellent salads, sandwiches on house-baked breads, and a nice selection of gorgeous house-made pastries. This is a great place to meet up with friends, but if you’re flying solo with just yourself and your comp, the staircase seating in the back usually has some spots available and is a great place to kick off your shoes — literally you have to take your shoes off — and sit on a comfy cushion to get some work or reading done. And yes, the kitchen is located inside a “greenhouse” in the center of the café.
Henderson, Downtown
To be honest, the “Harry Potter theme” here is a pretty loose one. The owners definitely had some fun throwing in some Potterverse touches, like a snow-white owl statue in a cage and tables embossed with sayings like “Espresso Patronum” and “My other car flies.” But when people talk about “that Harry Potter café in Las Vegas,” you would think it’s like something straight out of the Universal Studios Theme Park. It’s not. It’s cute, but not overbearingly themey. Sure, there are Belgian waffles served with “ButterBrew Cream,” but the rest of the menu is a pretty standard selection of sandwiches and hearty toasts. Bad Owl also roasts its own single-origin and special blend coffees and has its own signature lattes and coffee creations, including espresso and coffee drink sampler flights. Plus, a menu of beer and wine provides options for when your workday becomes your work night.