The best Durham coffee shops for (pretending to) study

As a third-year psychology student severely lacking in contact hours, it’s safe to say I have mastered the art of coffee shop studying. From cosy independent cafes to your high street chains, here is a comprehensive guide to the best locations for coffee (with a side of studying) in Durham.

Chapters

A quaint café just off Elvet Bridge, Chapters provides a cosy atmosphere for curating your Notion page for note-taking that you’ll never commit to using, or cramming before your 11am seminar. Take note of the stools by the window, presenting a perfectly placed distraction in the form of people-watching with your second flat white of the day.

Starbucks

What would this guide be without an old faithful? Starbucks’ free WiFi and dare I say expensive coffee easily entice students (me) to choose it as their workspace for the day. If you’re careful not to be blown out of their door by their air-con, prepare to face the battle for a seat with a charger, or admit defeat and commit to the stools around the centre table. It’s wonderful for charging your devices and powering through your summative assignments, but sacrifices your spine; prepare to leave with your to-do list ticked off and the posture of a prawn.

Costa

Yes, another chain – sue me! Usually quieter than Starbucks, it has the same offering of free WiFi but not the promise of an accessible plug socket. As it’s hidden away in Prince Bishop’s Shopping Centre, sit happily in Costa with your flashcards open and your iced latte, safe in the knowledge that no one you know is going to walk in and disrupt your passive revision techniques.

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Vennels

If Vennels can’t tempt you with their coffee alone, please accept their cheese scones or carrot cake as a form of bribery. Vennels is the ideal spot for some focused studying paired with the promise of a delicious homemade lunch, and with the comforting accompanying hubbub of regular customers drifting in and out. Make sure to make the most of their student discount, too, and take advantage of their outdoor seating area on Durham’s sunnier afternoons.

Small Island Coffee

Located on Level 2 of the Billy B, Small Island Coffee is the ideal place for a chatty work session if the silence of Level 4 or simply the search for a seat has you at your wits’ end. Whether it’s finishing up some lecture notes or sitting with a blank Word document open for an hour, Small Island Coffee has plenty of seating available for your coffee or studying needs. Remember to ask for a stamp card when ordering your daily iced vanilla latte, so that you’ll eventually earn a free coffee and your crippling caffeine addiction will have been completely worth it.

Zing Café

Yet another coffee spot on campus worth checking out! The café in the Teaching and Learning Centre has the perfect mix of focused students and leisurely lunchers to create a lively working atmosphere. Be careful though, as being seated around others with the hot food and Zing salads may lead you to making irresponsible financial decisions in a state of food envy. I’m not one to judge.

A word to the wise: There are many more lovely coffee spot recommendations; they’re just not quite perfect for the demanding academic nature of our Durham degrees. Cafes like Riverview Kitchen, Cafédral, and Flat White Kitchen have aesthetic interiors and picturesque views but with tables in such high demand, it’s unlikely you’ll keep your spot long enough to really get into a work flow. Perhaps save a trip to these for some quick Instagram DM admin, and not much more.