A guide to the world's most beautiful desks, drawn for members.
Edited & Printed in New York & London · Published June
“I used to keep a list, on the back of a coaster, of every café and lobby in which I could work for an afternoon. The Bench is that list, refined & multiplied, made portable & introduced to one's own city & eleven others.”
EST. MMXXIV
CITIES Twelve
MEMBERS 6,400 & rising
OPEN HOURS 06:00 – 23:00
II.
Table of Contents
I.The Spaces
A directory of twelve featured locations across the network.
p. 014
II.Today's Availability
Live count of open desks, with wifi, noise, & coffee notes.
p. 042
III.Members' Evenings
The calendar of book clubs, dinners, & salons for the season.
p. 058
IV.The Concierge Desk
Services available to members at every house in the directory.
p. 074
V.Subscriptions & Rates
Day-passes, residencies, and the Global tier.
p. 088
VI.The Partner Network
Houses, hotels & ateliers honoured by the Bench card.
p. 102
VII.Notes & Questions
From the front desk, with replies signed by the concierge.
p. 118
VIII.Member Portraits
Six members, in their words & on their own time.
p. 134
IX.Appendix — Apply
An application, treated as a private club ought.
p. 152
X.Colophon
The publishing imprint, houses, & offices.
p. 160
— Set in Cormorant, Crimson, & DM Sans. Edited under candlelight in Brooklyn & Bloomsbury. —
Chapter I.
The Spaces
A directory of twelve featured houses on the network — each with its own character, its own light, its own bartender, its own bias of espresso. Read slowly; pack your laptop accordingly.
I.Flagship
United States · New York
House at Lafayette
147 Lafayette Street, NoLita, NY 10013
Brass & oakTin ceilingReading roomLibrary bar
Hours06:30 – 23:00 daily, fireplace from 17:00
SignatureThe Reading Room — a hush-quiet salon above the bar, with green-shaded banker's lamps.
EspressoCaffè Reggio house roast, pulled by a man called Mateo.
Member benefitPriority booth past 18:00. Two glasses of natural wine on the house.
Open desks now14 of 38 · most behind the staircase
II.Garden
United States · Los Angeles
House on Sunset
9038 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069
TerracottaBougainvilleaPool deckSun-soft
Hours07:00 – 22:00, longer on Fridays for music
SignatureA sun-warmed terrace facing the Hollywood Hills, with cabanas as private booths.
EspressoVerve Street Level, slightly long, served with a slice of orange.
Member benefitPool access between meetings. Towel & sunscreen on the house.
Open desks now22 of 48 · pool deck booked til 14:00
III.Print Works
United Kingdom · London
The Greek Street Reading Rooms
22 Greek Street, Soho, London W1D 4DZ
GeorgianVelvet curtainsSmoking parlourSnug
Hours07:30 – 23:30, members until 01:00 on Thursdays
SignatureThe Snug — four leather wingbacks around a coal fire, mobile phones discouraged.
EspressoMonmouth Coffee, espresso macchiato by default.
Member benefitDaily papers in three languages. House negroni after 18:00.
Open desks now8 of 32 · Snug taken until 16:00
IV.Embarcadero
United States · San Francisco
House on Sansome
456 Sansome Street, Financial District, CA 94111
Beaux-ArtsMarble lobbyBay windowsBrass elevators
Hours06:00 – 21:00, founder breakfasts at 07:30 Tuesdays
SignatureA rooftop terrace facing the Bay Bridge — heaters lit from October.
EspressoSaint Frank Coffee, single-origin Ethiopia, no sugar offered.
Member benefitPrivate phone booths with wired ethernet. Sourdough & jam at noon.
Open desks now11 of 44 · rooftop heated, fog rolling
V.Townhouse
United States · Brooklyn
The Carroll Gardens Townhouse
368 Court Street, Carroll Gardens, NY 11231
Pre-warGarden seatingWorkshop floorPet-welcome
Hours07:00 – 22:30, kitchen open until 21:00
SignatureThe Workshop — a long communal oak table in the back garden, under fig trees.
EspressoSey Coffee from Bushwick, pulled by a rotation of three baristas.
Member benefitDog beds & water bowls. Children welcome before 17:00.
Open desks now19 of 36 · garden filling from noon
VI.Atelier
Germany · Berlin
Atelier Linienstraße
Linienstraße 144, Mitte, 10115 Berlin
BauhausConcrete & oakGlass courtyardQuiet
Hours08:00 – 22:00, silent hour 14:00–15:00
SignatureA glass courtyard with a single olive tree at its centre, ringed by Eames chairs.
EspressoBonanza Coffee Heroes, slightly dark, served in Frankfurter Kannen.
Member benefitRiso & letterpress workshop access. Currywurst at 22:00.
Open desks now26 of 52 · silent hour observed
VII.Ryokan
Japan · Tokyo
The Daikanyama Annex
7-19 Daikanyamachō, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0034
Shōji & cedarKissaten counterTea ceremonyHushed
Hours07:00 – 23:00, tea ceremony Thursdays at 16:00
SignatureA nine-seat kissaten counter with hand-thrown ceramic cups — phones not permitted.
EspressoGlitch Coffee Roasters Daikanyama, pour-over preferred by the house.
Member benefitLoaner Loake slippers. Hand-cut soba on Wednesdays.
Open desks now6 of 24 · full at the counter
VIII.Hôtel
France · Paris
Hôtel rue de Verneuil
14 rue de Verneuil, 7ème, Paris 75007
HaussmannianParquetSilk wallCinema parlour
Hours08:00 – 23:30, cinema Wednesdays from 20:00
SignatureA silk-papered library on the first floor, with a Bechstein piano that is, in fact, in tune.
EspressoCafé Pierre Hermé, served with a quarter-square of dark chocolate.
Member benefitStationery from Sennelier. Croissants delivered fresh at 09:00.
Open desks now9 of 30 · library & piano free
IX.Azulejo
Portugal · Lisbon
Casa Príncipe Real
Rua da Escola Politécnica 56, Príncipe Real, 1250-102 Lisboa
AzulejosTiled patioJacarandaSlow
Hours07:30 – 22:00, siesta observed 14:00–16:00
SignatureA blue-tiled courtyard with a jacaranda tree that flowers all of May.
EspressoFábrica Coffee Roasters, served as a bica with pastel de nata.
Member benefitTram pass to Belém. Lunch ginja on Fridays.
Open desks now17 of 28 · courtyard sunlit through 15:00
X.Hacienda
México · Ciudad de México
Casa Condesa
Av. Amsterdam 217, Hipódromo Condesa, CDMX 06100
Art DecoTalaveraRoof gardenBougainvillea
Hours07:00 – 22:30, roof open until 23:30 weekends
SignatureA roof garden over Parque México, with a hand-painted Talavera bar.
EspressoCardinal Casa de Café, Veracruz beans, served with cinnamon sugar.
Member benefitMezcal tasting on Wednesdays. Tacos al pastor at 17:00.
Open desks now13 of 34 · roof busy through dusk
XI.Loft
Canada · Toronto
The Ossington Loft
88 Ossington Avenue, Trinity-Bellwoods, Toronto, ON M6J 2Y8
IndustrialReclaimed mapleSound studioPrint room
Hours07:00 – 23:00, studios bookable in 90-min blocks
SignatureTwo acoustically treated podcast booths, with Neumann mics, free to members.
EspressoPilot Coffee Roasters, milk from a farm in Mono.
Member benefitSound studio bookings. Sourdough & smoked salmon at 11:00.
Open desks now20 of 40 · studio A free 14:00
XII.Harbour
Australia · Sydney
House at Walsh Bay
22/23 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay, Sydney NSW 2000
MaritimeWhitewashed woodHarbour deckSalt air
Hours06:00 – 22:00, sunrise swim Tuesdays at 06:30
SignatureA wharf-side deck looking at the Harbour Bridge, with woollen blankets in winter.
EspressoSingle O Surry Hills, served with house-made gingerbread.
Member benefitTowels for the harbour swim. Oysters at the bar from 17:00.
Open desks now15 of 30 · deck warmed through 19:00
Chapter II.
Today's Availability
An arrival board, of sorts. Read it the way you would read the times of trains at a small foreign station — slowly, & with a coffee at hand. Numbers refresh every six seconds.
The Departures Board
Live · refreshed every 6s · UTC offset noted
No.
House
Open desks
Wifi
Noise
Espresso
Open until
I.
New YorkEST · UTC−5
14of 38
920 Mbps
42 dB
Caffè Reggio
23:00
II.
Los AngelesPST · UTC−8
22of 48
1.2 Gbps
38 dB
Verve
22:00
III.
LondonBST · UTC+1
8of 32
760 Mbps
36 dB
Monmouth
23:30
IV.
BerlinCET · UTC+1
26of 52
880 Mbps
34 dB
Bonanza
22:00
V.
TokyoJST · UTC+9
6of 24
1.4 Gbps
30 dB
Glitch
23:00
VI.
ParisCET · UTC+1
9of 30
650 Mbps
40 dB
Hermé
23:30
Total open desks across the network · 95 of 254Next update 06s
Chapter III.
Members' Evenings
A calendar of dinners, books, salons, screenings & the occasional silent dance. Each is small, considered, & only ever open to members & their plus-one — to be read in the spirit of an invitation, rather than a programme.
June · MMXXVI
Dinners · Salons · Screenings · Silent Hours
Monday
14
Book Club
An evening with Annie Ernaux
House at Lafayette · New York · 19:00
The Reading Room hosts a slow discussion of The Years, led by a contributor at The Paris Review. Two glasses of natural Loire are poured before the conversation begins.
A long-table dinner for fourteen, served by candlelight on the pool terrace. The menu is yet a secret, but the wines are from Bibi Graetz. Founders, only.
Every house has a desk by the door & behind it, a person who knows the city. What follows is a partial & slightly biased account of what they will do for a member who asks.
Service I.
Priority booking, all hours
Tables at the city's most-fought-over restaurants — held in our name, released to yours. Members may book up to ninety days in advance, with the concierge phoning ahead.
Estela · 14 days in advance, by default
Mountain · same evening, often, before 18:00
Lyle's · cancellations watched on members' behalf
Service II.
Off-hours & private floors
For book launches, board meetings, & quieter affairs, members may take a private floor & staff after 23:00. We will set the lights low & the wine high.
Reading Room · holds 18, after 22:00
Garden & pergola · holds 36, summer only
Kitchen counter · holds 9, for tasting menus
Service III.
Partner discounts, quietly applied
A select list of houses, hotels, bookshops, gyms, & tailors honour the Bench card for members in good standing — discounts of 12–28% applied without ceremony at the till.
1 Hotel · 20% on rooms, all cities
NeueHouse · reciprocal day access, no extra fee
Daunt Books · 12% & first dibs on signed editions
Service IV.
Couriers, laundry, & minor errands
The concierge will receive packages, ship from any house to any other, hold your dry cleaning, & arrange a courier on a Sunday afternoon. We do not charge for any of this; it is what a desk is for.
Inter-house parcels · 48hr, on the network
Same-day courier · within city limits
Laundry & pressing · turnaround by 18:00
Service V.
Dining & itinerary recommendations
Where to take a Berlin client at half-past ten on a Tuesday. Which Tokyo kissaten serves the better katsu sandwich. The Paris bookshop with the best biography section. We have notes on each.
City itineraries · drawn for the visiting member
Private guides · arranged on three days' notice
The unwritten list · ask at the desk for it
Service VI.
Travel between cities & houses
Should you find yourself in a city for the first time, the concierge in that house will be expecting you. A welcome note. A coffee. A list of three places to go & one to skip. It is what a network is for.
Welcome notes · sent on arrival to every visiting member
Inter-house passport · stamped at the desk
Member arrivals · forecast a week in advance
Chapter V.
Subscriptions & Rates
Subscriptions to the Bench are quoted in the manner of a small literary magazine — annually, fairly, & with a preference for the long term. All rates are in US dollars; sterling equivalents are printed alongside.
Three tiers, each renewed quarterly & cancellable by post. Houses honour all three equally; what differs is reach, frequency, & whether the negroni is on the house.
Tier I.
Pay-as-You-Go
A day-pass, taken when needed — much as one takes a coffee.
All subscriptions are renewed quarterlyCancellable by post, telephone, or in person
Chapter VI.
The Partner Network
A directory of houses, hotels & ateliers that honour the Bench card. Some are old friends, some are sister houses, some simply pour an excellent coffee on a Wednesday.
Each partner extends day-access, priority booking, & in many cases a small discount to members in good standing. The full list is printed here; it grows by a house or two each season.
I.
Soho House
Founding partner · 11 cities
II.
NeueHouse
Reciprocal · 4 cities
III.
The Wing
Day access · 6 cities
IV.
1 Hotel
20% on stays · global
V.
The Battery
San Francisco
VI.
Second Home
London & Lisbon
VII.
Spring Place
NYC & LA
VIII.
The Conduit
London · Covent Garden
IX.
Industrious
U.S. national
X.
Convene
NYC, Boston, Chicago
XI.
Knotel
NYC & London
XII.
Mindspace
Berlin & Tel Aviv
Chapter VII.
Notes & Questions
Frequently asked, of the front desk — & lightly answered. Each reply is signed by the concierge it came from, in their own handwriting, on Bench stationery.
I.
How is the Bench different from a coworking pass?
A coworking pass buys you a desk. The Bench buys you a seat at a particular kind of room — one with bookshelves, a fire, & someone behind the bar who knows your name by the second visit. The desks come included; the rooms are the point.
II.
May I bring a plus-one?
Yes, generally — & particularly so at the Resident & Global tiers. Residents have two plus-one passes per month; Globals, three. A plus-one is welcome at the bar, at the table, & at one members' evening per visit. Children before 17:00, dogs at our discretion, & both in Brooklyn always.
III.
Can I take phone calls or sales meetings?
In the booths, of course — they are wired with ethernet & lit with green-shaded lamps for precisely this. In the main rooms, we ask for a quiet voice & a short call. There is, in addition, a silent hour observed each afternoon in Berlin & Tokyo, & we recommend respecting it.
IV.
How does the membership application work?
Slowly & in good faith. We ask three questions, & read every answer. The committee meets fortnightly. Most applications are answered within ten days; some, candidly, take a little longer when a city is full. There is no fee to apply, & no fee at all unless you join.
V.
What happens if I move cities?
Your home house, on the Resident tier, may be moved at any quarter — without paperwork. We will simply expect you at the new house from Monday next, & the concierge there will be told to look out for you. Globals carry their membership in their pocket, & needn't move anything at all.
VI.
Is there a company rate?
There is, & we are quietly proud of it. For teams of five & above we issue named cards at a 15% discount, & arrange a quarterly off-site at the house of your choosing. Write to company@thebench.co — or, better, take the founder to lunch & we will talk about it then.
Chapter VIII.
Member Portraits
Six members, on their own time & in their own words, photographed in the rooms in which we most often find them. Quotation marks added with care.
No. 0047
I write better when there is a fire in the room & someone, who is not me, brewing the coffee. The Bench understood that on the second visit.
Anouk Hollander
Novelist · Berlin & Lisbon
Member since MMXXIV
— Anouk
No. 0312
I keep the same chair in three cities now. None of them are mine. All of them are.
Davíd Reyes Iturbide
Founder & CEO, Costera · Mexico City
Member since MMXXV
— Davíd
No. 0089
It is a quietness I have never quite found in another working room. Wifi at the back, candles at the front, an espresso between the two.
Ruth Sōseki Park
Architect · Tokyo & San Francisco
Member since MMXXIV
— Ruth
No. 0561
I closed our seed round at the Sansome bar & signed the term sheet on the rooftop heater. The Bench took the cork.
Jordan Aldermann
Co-founder, Field Notes Capital · SF
Member since MMXXVI
— Jordan
No. 0117
A members' book club, every fortnight, on the floor above the bar. It is the most expensive book club I have ever joined & the very best.
Helena Eze-Markham
Editor-at-Large, Granta · London
Member since MMXXIV
— Helena
No. 0408
I host monthly founder dinners in three cities. The Bench books them, sets them, & never once asks me to "engage" with anything.
Pieter van Daele
GP, Salt & Paper Ventures · NYC
Member since MMXXV
— Pieter
Appendix.
Apply for Membership
A short form, treated as a private club application ought — read carefully, replied to in good faith, & not, under any circumstances, in fewer than three working days.
An application, by post.
Three questions; an answer within ten days. Submitted to the Membership Committee at our New York & London offices, & read by a person — never by a machine.
No fee to apply. No fee at all, unless you join. — The Membership Committee