Meeting space may be at a premium at the University but Cambridge has a cornucopia of cafes and open spaces that can be a great alternative to departments and colleges. Staff from across the University share some of their favorite spots.
From the design of its buildings to its collegiate make-up, the University has always emphasised environments that bring people together to exchange ideas.
Today, thanks to mobile devices and Wi-Fi, these places to meet and work encompass cafés and commons as well as University offices and college rooms, and the price of a cup of coffee – from the humble filter to a connoisseur's bean – buys you a creative alternative to the office environment.
So whether you're looking for that perfect place for a meeting, need somewhere to sit and catch up on correspondence as you move between meetings in Cambridge, or simply seeking a change of environment, here are some top tips from fellow staff.
Courtyard Café, Fitzwilliam Museum
The Fitzwilliam Museum's bright and busy Courtyard Café is a firm favourite among staff, who like its proximity to several University departments, its range of soups, savouries and cream teas, and the sculpture surrounding the seating area. “There's a certain serenity that hits you whether in the café or the galleries and that serenity and calm is really good for getting a clear head. The whole place offers a delicious change of pace to the Disability Resource Centre,” says Disability Adviser Kirsty Wayland. “As a mentor on occasion I've met with students in the museum, either in the café or in a quiet corner. Both provide a certain distance from the University. The access is good for wheelchair users and I can negotiate most of the ground floor alone.”
www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/visit/cafe
West Café, Hauser Forum
One of West Cambridge's newer social spaces, this café wins praise for its pleasant buzz, its bright and airy atmosphere and its mix of colourful chairs, tables and couches. Dr Sasha Turchyn of the Department of Earth Sciences is a regular. “It's a great place to wait until I need to pick my daughters up from the nursery opposite, so it allows me to get an extra 20 minutes of work done,” she says. “You can sit by the window and look out at the fields or the duck pond. There's a nice mixture of people there, from academics and admin staff to families with kids in the nearby flats, yet due to the high ceilings it never feels too loud. And it's one of the only places that makes filter coffee – which beats an Americano for caffeine and taste.”
Grads Café, University Centre
Tucked away at the top of the University Centre, Grads is worth visiting for the view alone – from the sandy pinnacles of King's College Chapel and the red roof tops of Queens' to the tops of the willows over the Cam. But it's also a perennially popular place for quiet work or meetings. According to Anne-Cécile Larribau of the Office of External Affairs and Communications: “It’s a very versatile space, where you can concentrate and work, relax with a book or free newspaper whilst enjoying the great view over the river, or meet up with friends for a chat. It’s relaxed and unassuming, very accessible, and I love its brightness. It serves good fairtrade teas, coffee and fresh pastries, as well as sandwiches. It’s a place that fits every mood – whether it’s lazy, solitary, active, sociable or studious.”
Hot Numbers, Trumpington Street
The second branch of Hot Numbers in Cambridge, this is the place for coffee connoisseurs: a comfortable, cheerful place with a contemporary décor of bare boards, brick and black and white prints. “Hot Numbers is cool – it looks good, and it’s sole purpose is to accommodate people doing something around a coffee, whether that is chatting, reading or just sitting and thinking,” says Sigrid Fisher, Head of Equality and Diversity in the HR Division. “Being close to the office, it is a great place to meet colleagues from other parts of the University or from outside – it offers a space that because it's not ‘gown’ isn't intimidating to external guests, as well as a neutral backdrop to discuss business matters with other partners.”
The great outdoors
Cambridge's commons and college gardens are great places to work once the weather warms up. Stuart Roberts from the Office of External Affairs and Communications recommends the Mill Pond. “With backdrops of the meadows, Darwin and a flotilla of punts making their way up and down the river, it’s the perfect place to have an al fresco work meeting away from stuffy offices and strip lighting,” he says. Ecologist Professor Bill Sutherland of the Department of Zoology finds Coe Fen is food for thought. “After spending too much time working intensely indoors, visitors love walking amongst these beautiful, cow-grazed wet grasslands,” he says. “And in the spring I enjoy searching for the peculiar purple toothwort – a chlorophyll-free plant that parasitises the roots of many of the willows.”