If you work as a freelancer from home or in an office that is not really suitable for visits by clients. From our own experience there are some great free and private membership places in the capital that you might like to check out too:
Free spaces:
Tate Modern Members’ Room was voted on The Design Trust Linked In group as the no 1 place in London! Breathtaking views, but you need to be a member to access the top room.
Royal Festival Hall (top floor) great food and mid Century decor, again due to free wifi and great views over the river.
British Library Especially the top floor outside terrace is brilliant in the summer. Fantastic good cakes and coffee, free wifi and excellent transport links. It gets very popular with students and tourists alike, so you might need to get in early. And it is free!
The Wellcome Trust Collection cafe opposite Euston station has great coffee and cakes, lovely colourful contemporary furniture, a fantastic science and art book shop, and it is a place that is a bit different – great when it is too busy in the British Library.
Private membership venues:
The Hospital Club in Covent Garden
A membership organisation specifically for the creative sector. Well known by a lot of PR and journalists, with great (bit pricey) food and drinks, great food, free wifi, and various restaurants and cafes in one big building. Madly decorated rooms and their own small cinema that is available for product launches (at a price). A great place if you want to impress! Fairly expensive membership with a registration fee.
Shoreditch House/Electric House
Another private membership organisation, mostly for media types. A bit pricey, but great for networking and even a (outdoor) swim with great views! (Don’t know if that’s a great one to impress your clients with …)
This is a membership organisation for social entrepreneurs (fairly low monthly membership costs though), so great if you work around environmental or social challenges. This is a great architectural space, designed for co-working, close to Kings Cross tube, with great atmosphere, and really good meeting spaces. (There is also a Hub in Westminster and Angel)
What are your favourite places to meet clients? What about other cities and towns across the UK, or even abroad? Add your comments below:
Waterstones Piccadilly is in the heart of the West End and you can have a chat on the sofas, a coffee or more substantial lunch. Plenty of loos and unlimited browsing for before and after, what more could you want!