Reid Kellermann | Contributing Illustrator

Protagonist Cafe

1700 S 9th St, St. Louis, MO 63104

If you want to feel like you’re in the Missouri equivalent of Stars Hollow, go no further than the quirky downtown pick on our list, Protagonist Cafe. As St. Louis’ premiere literary cafe, pretentiousness is encouraged but not required. This cafe is perfect for churning out an essay, writing the next great American novel, or accomplishing anything on your academic to-do list. The coffee is stupendous, and the service is equally incredible. It also randomly serves ice cream if you’re into that, and it has bookshelves on every single wall if you’re looking to sit down and read for an extended period of time.

Coffee and food: 4.5/5

Studyability: 5/5

Living Room Coffee & Kitchen

2810 Sutton Blvd, Maplewood, MO 63143

What Living Room lacks in coffee, it makes up for in vibes. Imagine a Pinterest-like cafe, laden with potted plants, pastel decor, pride flags, and kind, tattooed baristas with little wire-rimmed glasses. A paradise for anyone suffering from an Olin overdose, Living Room has immaculate study potential featuring fabulous breakfast burritos and peanut butter and bacon toast (trust — it’s fabulous). Plenty of seating and bright lighting from the establishment’s many windows make productivity inevitable and enjoyable. Weekends can get a little crowded, so if you intend to lock in, we advise you go earlier rather than later. There is also plenty of outdoor seating which is wonderful in late spring/early fall.

Coffee and food: 4/5

Studyability: 5/5

Northwest Coffee Roasting Company

Central West End location

4251 Laclede Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108

Webster Groves location

8650 Big Bend Webster Groves, MO 63119

Open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, the Central West End Northwest Coffee Roasting is the ideal place to study. The cafe boasts expansive seating, perfect for finding a seat for all your friends, and great drinks. The ambiance alone is worth the trip. There’s one seating area with a perfect balance of indoor and outdoor. “It’s easy to get lost in an essay for 10 hours straight under their climate-controlled room”

The bagel and lox sandwich is the perfect snack, and all of their drinks are superb.

Coffee and food: 4.5/5

Studyability: 4.5/5

Blueprint Coffee

6225 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63130

Blueprint Coffee on the Delmar Loop is simplistic and almost mundane-looking. Its menu is short but sweet, and it does everything on it incredibly well. The plain interior is also ideal for staying focused for long periods of time (at least from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), with nothing flashy to distract from writing an essay or studying for an exam. There isn’t too much seating, but if you manage to snag one of the bigger tables in the back, it is the perfect size for two people to sprawl out their laptop, papers, food, and drinks as much as they please. Blueprint’s egg biscuit sandwich is to die for, with a unique spicy tomato jam. 

Coffee and food: 4.5/5

Studyability: 4/5 

The Annex Coffee & Foods

8122 Big Bend Blvd, Webster Groves, MO 63119

Appropriately named, The Annex is a place that sells every fun ingredient you can think of. In addition to having a full coffee and hot food menu, the cafe has some delicious pastries. Its shelves are stuffed with everything from baking mixes to niche pasta shapes to tinned fish. Checkout is bustling and chaotic, but luckily, a separate dining room allows studying to actually get done. If it’s crowded, fear not; there is an outdoor seating area as well (accessible from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.), equipped with heat lamps to make it an enjoyable place to catch up with friends or to get some work done.

Coffee and food: 4.5/5

Studyability: 4/5 

Comet Coffee

4474 Shaw Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63110

5708 Oakland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110 (new location!)

If you have been thinking to yourself recently, “Wow, I can’t find a flaky, buttery croissant in St. Louis,” you are not alone. But now you can see the light! Comet Coffee is a great study spot with a variety of phenomenal croissants, including chocolate, pistachio, and ham and cheese, that stand out among the pastries in St. Louis. It also serves delicious coffee, using beans from Sump Coffee. The original Comet location on Shaw has fairly minimal seating compared to other coffee shops, but if you can snag a table, it is well-suited for a laptop and other class materials. The new location by the Botanical Gardens has more but smaller tables. This location is also open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays (compared to the original location’s 2 p.m. closure), making it an ideal study spot for finals week or a late afternoon coffee study date.

Coffee and food: 5/5

Studyability: 3.5/5

Coma Coffee Roasters

Coma serves a mostly corporate clientele. Men in collared shirts take conference calls from the communal tables, and elderly couples grab quick bites before their dental procedures next door. Here, you’ll also likely run into a classmate on a Brentwood Target run, waiting 30 minutes for a $13 toast. While the food is tasty, Coma’s packed atmosphere makes finding a seat difficult. The loft above the coffee bar is cute if you can get a table.

Coffee and food 2.5/5

Studyability: 3.5/5

Fiddlehead Fern Café

4066 Russell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63110

If you want a delectable stew or toast slathered with goodness, Fiddlehead Fern Café is the place to be. Located in the beautiful and historic Shaw neighborhood (seriously — it’s worth walking around the neighborhood when you’re over there!), both Fiddlehead Fern’s drinks and food options are outstanding. The cafe also has an indoor and outdoor seating area, though neither is particularly expansive. After a couple of hours, you will be asked to leave to make space for other customers, so it’s not ideal for a lock-in session. It’s open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays (closed on Tuesday, though) and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends, making it ideal for an early-morning study session, but not particularly effective for an all-day grind. For drinks, their specialty drinks, such as the Caramel Fleur de Sel Latté, a delicious blend of coffee and caramel. 

Coffee and food: 5/5 

Studyability: 3/5 

The Mud House

2101 Cherokee St, St. Louis, MO 63118

The Mud House is a great place for an early-morning study session. Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. all days of the week, while the Mudhouse lacks lock-in potential, it is still an excellent choice for a hang-and-study. Additionally, it boasts a good amount of seating and sits in an ideal location, as Cherokee Street is the perfect place to go thrifting or shopping once you’re done studying. Food-wise, it’s amazing. I recommend the Mud Slinger for lunch, an utterly delicious dish of sunny-side up eggs, breakfast potatoes, black bean chili, and toast. It’s particularly filling and will leave you ready to do whatever work you face.

Coffee and food: 5/5 

Studyability: 3/5