15 motivating places to work or study in The Hague

From humble cafés to impressive libraries and coworking spaces, here are the 15 best places to work or study in The Hague.

With a mix of international big-city vibes, and cosy old-town Dutchness — the atmosphere in The Hague is motivating in itself.

The City of Peace and Justice attracts ambitious busy-bees from across the world, giving The Hague a reputation for being a great working city. 

Meanwhile, while Storktown might not be the first place to pop up in your mind when thinking of Dutch student towns, rest assured, the city has tons to offer for students, too — if you know where to look for it. 

1. Bookstor Café: the cosiest of them all

You haven’t really lived in The Hague if you haven’t had a work/study sesh at the Bookstor Café — your dark-academia-bookstore-core-Pinterest-board come to life. Needless to say, it’s a great place to study and work.

Centrally located at Noordeinde, this bookstore/café combo is perfect to escape the busy streets for some peace and quiet. The unwritten rule is that focused work is best done in the back, while the front is more of a chatty zone.

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The slightly uncomfortable chairs and relative lack of table space and sockets are outweighed by the extremely cosy and productive atmosphere. Bookstor is bound to make you stay for hours, feeling like an intellectual super-hero. 

2. The Social Hub Collab: young, vibrant, and connected

Connected to what was formerly known as The Student Hotel, The Social Hub Collab is a coworking space with a young, international community. It’s a great place to work in The Hague if you want to feel connected to the rest of the world. 

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The membership options are as flexible as the people working there, and access to the on-site gym is even included in the price — sweet! 

The fun, playful, and modern design matches the vibe of TSH perfectly, regardless of whether you’re after a silent area, a private office, or a busy communal space. 

In addition to this, the networking events, inspirational talks, and discounts on food and drinks mean TSH will give you a lot of bang for your buck. 

3. Stadthuis public library: a view to die for

With a location as iconic as “The Ice Palace” (that is, The Hague City Hall — a massive and impressive glass building), the main public library in The Hague is quite the place to work and study. 

With spacious desks, stable wifi, great caffeine accessibility, and a lovely city view, it’s no wonder this library is a fan-favourite among The Hague’s students. 

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Popularity comes at a price, however, so if you want to secure a spot in the magically silent building, you should get there early in the morning (especially in finals season!). Oh, but the actual price? It’s free!

4. House of Tribes Café: in the centre of everything

Smack-bang in the middle of Turfmarkt is House of Tribes, a café bustling with big-city energy. It might not be the biggest café, but it makes excellent use of its space, with plenty of spots for work and study purposes. 

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Sockets are easily accessible, and you’ll be surrounded by a lovely mix of busy government employees and chatty students. 

Despite a sometimes slightly unstable WiFi situation, House of Tribes’ convenient location and good energy make it a lovely place to work or study in The Hague. 

5. The Hague Tech: the big brain HQ of Storktown

Located in the dynamic working area around Laan van NOI you’ll find The Hague’s most tech-y coworking space. 

The Hague Tech covers the basics (you know, meeting rooms, flexi-desks, offices), as well as the extras (good coffee, sleek design, and cheap croissants). 

People come for the wide range of membership options — from day passes and virtual spaces to private offices — but stay for the amazing community feel and the extra dashes of sparkle (we’re talking massage chairs, ping pong, and pool tables) that give this place pizzazz. 

6. Coffee Fellows Café: central and essential

Coffee Fellows is another conveniently located café, more or less inside the City Hall. Needless to say, it’s a favourite pitstop for busy folks running around the administrative capital of the Netherlands, but it’s also a top place to get some work done. 

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Although the café is on the smaller side, the WiFi- and socket accessibility and general vibe of Coffee Fellows make for a nice place to study or work in The Hague — and the coffee is top-notch. 

7. Spaces Works: grand and sleek

Ok, the exterior is more castle than sleek, but that’s just an added bonus to the interior. Spaces Works is a coworking space located in an impressive Art-Deco-meets-Hogwarts-type building, that somehow manages to be super fresh and modern at the same time. 

Spaces offers private parking, an on-site café, and a game room, with a community that runs on passion and productivity. 

The coworking membership gives access to all Spaces locations in the world (yep, all 3000 of them), so if you’re a restless digital nomad, this should be your top pick for a place to work in The Hague! 

8. Local libraries: fuss-free and close by

Feel like getting out of your crusty room, but don’t quite feel like going to the busy city centre? We hear you. 

If you’re looking for a quiet space to work or study in The Hague, you’ll be happy to hear that the city has tons of local libraries scattered around, with desks waiting to be used. 

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Laakkwartier, Haagse Hout, Scheveningen — there’s a local library ijust about everywhere you look.

The space and facilities available differ between libraries, though, so be sure to double-check in advance if you have any particular needs (like extra strong coffee, for example). 

9. Coffee Company: an ode to good caffeine

A stone’s throw away from the Royal Palace (we know, another iconic The Hague location), you’ll find the Coffee Company. 

With big windows, tall ceilings, and a productive atmosphere that beats most offices, this chain café is another great place to work or study in The Hague.

The Coffee Company’s love language is centred around good coffee, so this gem will hit all the caffeine spots needed for an efficient work sesh. 

Also, the big community-style table in the middle of the room gives the venue a social edge — without being too distracting. 

10. The Sweet Spot: come as you are

The Sweet Spot is a coworking space that really lives up to its name: it’s relaxed, diverse, and designed to make you feel at home while getting your job done. 

Creatives, scientists, tech geniuses  — everyone’s welcome at this homey melting pot that can only be described as the most livingroom-esque place to work in the Hague. 

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Both members and non-members can make use of the space’s services, which include event venues, photo studios, and the option to register your business at The Sweet Spot’s address, for posting purposes. 

This is, of course, in addition to everything else that comes with a coworking space (work desks, coffee, stable wifi, and a cosy community).

11. Lola’s Bikes and Coffee: sporty study sessions

Whether you’re a biker yourself (and let’s face it, who isn’t in this country), or you just like to hang around fit people, Lola’s is for you. The perfect mix of chill and sporty vibes makes Lola’s Bikes and Coffee a great place to work and study in The Hague. 

Walk upstairs for a quiet space, and although the sockets aren’t terribly easy to find, there are usually just enough to go around.

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Sit down by the big table in the centre, which gives the room a nice communal feel, and enjoy the view of the cute backyard.

If you want maximum privacy, secure a seat in the winter garden-like room in the very back — it’s like having your own home office, at a café!

12. New Babylon Gardens: pay for what you use

Situated at what’s arguably the most central location in The Hague (Central Station), New Babylon Gardens is the perfect choice for those in need of a flexible place to work in The Hague. 

Furnish your own office space, or make use of the ready-made options, and pay only for what you actually use. It’s simple: you get a bill at the end of the month, reflecting how much you’ve used your membership, and pay less if you use it less (although you’ll probably want to hang out here all the time, so don’t get too optimistic about the pricing). 

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With a modern, professional design and hotel feel, New Babylon will give anything from regular workdays to important meetings quite the facelift. Users love the speedy WiFi and delicious coffee, and the welcoming reception and nice views are an added bonus.  

13. Pistache Café: wholesome and healthy 

Right next to the beautiful Palace Garden, you’ll find Pistache — a cute little café with a canal view. Although this spot is on the smaller side, there’s usually space among the focused workers and chatty lunchers. 

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Although it’s not a dedicated work café, you’ll always find workers tapping away on laptops and students immersed in books at Pistache. That being said, it might not be ideal if you need absolute silence to get work done. 

People come for the gezellige atmosphere, and stay (for hours) for the wide selection of delicious coffee, food, and healthy juices.

14. Urban Café: a hotspot for busy city folks 

If you like the idea of working in the “Ice Palace” (i.e.: the fancy-schmancy city hall), but prefer the café vibe to the silence of the public library, Urban Café is the perfect choice. 

It’s spacious, filled with natural light, with plenty of sockets and table space available for the many students and professionals who come here to work. 

You’ll sit practically in the middle of one of the city’s busiest crossings, an inspiring, if only a little distracting position, in the very heart of The Hague. 

Urban Café prides itself on being “every coffee lover’s dream”, so it’s no wonder people tend to rate this one of the best places to work and study in The Hague. 

15. Kaafi: popular for a reason

Often described as one of the best cafés for studying and working in The Hague, Kaafi definitely lives up to its reputation. 

The whole back of the café is dedicated to working folks, and the homey vibe, spacious desks, and socket accessibility make up for its relatively small size. 

The big, communal work table is covered in natural light from the ceiling — a surprising twist to a place that, from the outside, looks like it might be rather dark. 

Located on one of The Hague’s cosiest streets, Kaafi is a hidden gem boasting speciality coffee and absolutely marvellous food. 

There you have it! Our 15 favourite places to study or work in The Hague, for busy and productive hustlers. The administrative capital of the Netherlands knows how to take care of its students and workers, and there are tons of great cafés and coworking spaces to pick from. 

What’s your favourite place to study or work in The Hague? Did we miss any spots on this list? Tell us in the comments below!