24-Hour Places to Study in London

London is more connected late at night than we may think; with the night tube, a selection of night buses and bike-hire available 24/7, there is always a way to get around the city. Whether you have an early morning deadline or you just prefer the quiet of the night to study, working in your room is not the only option.

Did you know, there are several hidden 24-hour places to study in London? Here is our list of four places to study in London that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to meet your coffee-fuelled late-night learning needs.

'Costa Coffee' at London St. Pancras

Of the handful of 24-hour places to study in London, the Costa Coffee at St. Pancras International is the ideal choice for inexpensive peace and quiet. During the day, the station is buzzing with tourists and international travellers. But once the last train heads out for the night, it’s a ghost town. In the early hours of the morning, you can rely on encountering an ideal atmosphere for quiet reading and writing at the station’s local coffee shop.

Minus the cost of a coffee, it’s completely free to visit and the Costa bears free public Wi-Fi, charging stations for your laptop or phone and 24/7 access to snacks to help you study through the night. Plus, during the night, you’ll more than likely have the first pick of the best seat. Finding yourself a comfortable table with an easy-to-reach plug socket to charge your laptop should not be a problem here.

How to get here between 1am-5am: Night bus or cycle

Travel time from the UWS London campus: Around 1hr on the night bus or a 45min bike ride

Nearest cycle-hire docking station: Belgrove Street (7min walk from station)

Free Wi-Fi: Yes

Plug socket access: Yes, but not guaranteed

'SecondHome' Co-working Space at Spitalfields

At a price of around £40 for a day pass, SecondHome in Spitalfields is one of the best 24-hour places to study in London that is designed with evening workers in mind. Included in the price is access to high-speed internet, unlimited printing and scanning, rooftop views of the city’s late-night skyline, on-site showers, and free organic tea and coffee at all hours of the day. This Spitalfields venue is a co-working space well-known for its thousands of indoor plants and trees, and fresh air circulation. This venue will keep you feeling calm, creative, awake, and safe in a comfortable late-night working environment.

This is the only SecondHome venue that’s open 24-hours out of all of the SecondHome co-working sites. Studying here means you’ll likely have company in the early hours with a faint background hum of other late-night learners. For those looking to make studying here a regular occurrence, longer-term memberships are also available.

How to get here between 1am-5am:Night bus or cycle

Travel time from the UWS London campus: Around 30mins on the night bus or a 20min cycle

Nearest cycle-hire docking station: Buxton Street (4min walk from the venue)

Free Wi-Fi: Yes

Plug socket access: Yes, in abundance

'VQ' Bloomsbury in Soho

VQ Bloomsbury is one of the only restaurants in London that’s open 24-hours a day, seven days a week. The restaurant serves a vast selection of food and drinks throughout the entire day and night. It is usually a venue full of evening theatre go-ers and late-night diners. 

VQ Bloomsbury might not be the obvious choice for studying late, but it is perfectly fitting if you need access to food while you research. Plus, it’s great if you like working in tune to some background babble. Like most restaurants, access to a plug socket might only be available here on certain tables. You may need to ask the staff for the best seat when you arrive or make sure your electronics are at full charge before you head here for the night.

How to get here between 1am-5am:Night bus or cycle

Travel time from the UWS London campus: Around 45mins on two different night buses or a 40min cycle

Nearest cycle-hire docking station: Great Russell Street (2min walk from the venue)

Free Wi-Fi: Yes

Plug socket access: Not guaranteed

'Polo Bar' at Liverpool Street

Located just a short walk from Liverpool Street train station, the three-floored Polo Bar is known as The Great British Café that has been 24 hours a day since the 1950s. If you are burning the midnight oil, this is a great place to study in the heart of the city at night. You can pick up a home-cooked meal, a milkshake or just a cup of coffee at Polo Bar at any hour and be welcomed with a smile. With free on-site Wi-Fi, you’ll be set for the duration. However, access to a plug socket cannot be guaranteed. Make sure you fully charge your electronics before you head out to Polo Bar at night.

With its three floors, Polo Bar also makes a great venue for booking private meetings of up to 25 people. If you are planning an evening or early-morning study group with your classmates, then booking a quiet space on one of the floors at any time of day is easy.

How to get here between 1am-5am:Night bus or cycle

Travel time from the UWS London campus: Around 30mins on the night bus or a 25min cycle

Nearest cycle-hire docking station: Brushfield Street or Devonshire Square (both a 3min walk from the venue)

Free Wi-Fi: Yes

Plug socket access: Not guaranteed

Check Before You Travel

Before you head out for your late-night study session, make sure you check before you travel whether any special opening hours apply. If you’re hiring a bike, use the TfL app to check whether a cycle hire docking station has bikes available.

As always, please be careful when travelling alone at night. Where possible, travel with friends and in the daylight. 

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