6 Things To Do In A Café Apart From Having Coffee

Things To Do In A Café – A Coffee Shop in Valentia Island, Ireland – Photo Courtesy: David Mark

Coffee can be had anywhere in the world, but sipping an espresso or a cappuccino (whatever you prefer) in a quaint little café in the corner of your street is something else altogether. It is an experience one should go through, either alone or with someone; cafes are the best places to sit and do stuff which are not related to consuming coffee after all.

So here is a list of things which you can do in a coffee shop, other than having your favorite cuppa:

Things To Do In A Café

1. People Watching:

Things To Do In A Café – Cafe Terras in Paris, France – Photo Courtesy: zoetnet

Seriously, cafes are the best places to sit and observe people. From nauseatingly lovey couples to an extremely bitchy group of Regina George clones, to football fanatics who discuss last night’s or an upcoming match in such loving detail, their disinterested partners would be jealous, everyone can be found in a buzzing coffee shop. All you have to do is sit, order something (so that they let you sit!) and eavesdrop. Morally incorrect, but who cares really.

2. Book reading:

Things To Do In A Café – At The Bookstore Café – Photo Courtesy: Erich Ferdinand

Sometimes, a quaint café can be the best place to read a nice book. If you have that with you, there is no need for a companion. There are many book cafes mushrooming in cities because of this amazing combination of books and coffees. You browse and pick a book while delicious coffee and snack is served to you – the best way to spend time all by yourself.

3. Predict orders:

Customers Placing Orders at a Cafe Counter — Guess what they’ll order! – Photo Courtesy: Alpha

If done discreetly with your best friend, you two can have a blast predicting what a certain person will order. You know those men in Tom Ford suits will have black coffee, no sugar with a hint of lemon and you also know that girl with a Burberry scarf will definitely order decaf soy latte, you just know it. Whoever guesses wrong has to visit the horrible café bathrooms.

4. Get that laptop:

Man Working on a Laptop in a Cafe — Working at a cafe – Photo Courtesy: Egan Snow

Early for a meeting? Have too much time in hands? Don’t want to go home? Just park your backside to the nearest café with your laptop in tow and forget the concept of time. Due to free Wi-Fi offered in most coffee shops, you can Facebook, Tweet, and Instagram or Pin the pictures you keep clicking or even play a video game. Don’t shout too much though, people won’t like it. Catch up on your favourite shows on your laptop and cry at the end of every Breaking Bad episode because the finale is coming and your life may have no meaning after the series gets over.

5. Get your pet:

A Pet Dog by a Table in a Cafe — Charles’ pet dog Xena lurks under the table at a café in Den Haag, the Netherlands – Photo Courtesy: Charles Hutchins

Majority of the coffee shops allow you to bring their pets along; treat those adorable fluff-balls with treats every time a person looks at them with love in their eyes or pats them on the back. For men, getting pets is a great chick-magnet, and for the ladies, well, you need nothing, just sit there and be your fabulous self.

6. Board Games:

Friends Playing a Board Game in a Cafe — Brent and David playing a new game called Konexi (It’s Jenga and Scrabble’s lovechild) at a cafe – Photo Courtesy: David Goehring

Tell your stuffy friends to step out of their offices or homes and make them play a game of Scrabble or Monopoly in the café. Taboo and Pictionary are also popular board games to play with mad friends who will surely embarrass themselves when they are losing and you are winning, obviously.

These are a few of the things you can do in a café without just sitting and having some complicated coffee whose name you are unable to pronounce.

Ron Wesley works as a waiter at Half Moon, one of the finest Café in Brighton. An ardent writer, he often shares his views and opinions on various issues via his articles.