Café, coworking or private room: where to hold a work meeting in Barcelona
The short answer: it depends on whether at any point you are going to say a number out loud.
Here are the four realistic options in Barcelona, what each costs, and where each breaks down.
The café
When it works: two people, an exploratory conversation, nothing confidential, no screen.
Where it breaks: as soon as there are three of you. A café table for three forces you to raise your voice, and from then on the next table hears everything. If you have to show a proposal with prices in it, noise stops being the problem.
Real cost: not zero. Three coffees and something to eat in the centre runs to €15–20, and you control neither the table, nor the power socket, nor how long you will be left alone.
The client’s office
When it works: almost always, if they offer.
Where it breaks: when the meeting is between several parties and none wants to play at another’s home ground, or when what you are about to raise is uncomfortable. Neutral ground changes the tone of a negotiation more than people expect.
The coworking space
When it works: if you are already a member, it is the most convenient and often the cheapest.
Where it breaks: if you are not. Many spaces reserve rooms for members or require a pack of hours with an expiry date. And coworking meeting rooms are usually sized for four to eight people; above that, the choice narrows sharply.
The private room by the hour
When it works: when you need confidentiality, when there are more than four of you, when something has to go on a screen, or when the meeting runs beyond two hours.
Where it breaks: for a quick twenty-minute catch-up it is overkill, especially where there is a minimum booking.
Quick comparison
| Café | Client’s office | Coworking | Hourly room | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confidentiality | Low | Medium | High | High |
| Up to 3 people | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| More than 8 people | No | Sometimes | Limited | Yes |
| Projector | No | Sometimes | Usually | Usually |
| Direct cost | €15–20 | €0 | Membership or pack | €20–60 |
| Neutral ground | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
The question that settles it
Before booking anything, ask yourself: would I mind if the next table heard the entire meeting?
If the answer is no, a café is fine and you save the money. If the answer is yes — and in any conversation about prices, people or contracts it is — the cost of a room is small next to the cost of the alternative.
What we offer
WorkSpace.Cat rents two rooms by the hour at Avinguda de Mistral 40, five minutes from Plaça d’Espanya, with no membership and no commitment:
| Small room (15 m²) | Large room (40 m²) | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Up to 5 people | Up to 30 people |
| Room, per hour | €9/h | €12/h |
| Per person (one-off) | €2 | €2 |
A three-person meeting lasting two hours comes to €24 excluding VAT. That covers the room, wifi, air conditioning and access to the shared area with sofa, coffee machine and microwave. There is a €20 minimum per booking.
We open at any hour, seven days a week, by prior arrangement. Call, email or WhatsApp us and we will confirm availability.
FAQ
Can you hold a work meeting in a café?
For an informal conversation between two people, yes. It stops working as soon as you need to show a screen, discuss prices or figures, or there are more than three of you: background noise and the lack of privacy show immediately.
What does a private room cost compared with a café?
A two-hour meeting for three people in an hourly room costs around €24 excluding VAT at WorkSpace.Cat. Three coffees and something to eat in central Barcelona gets fairly close to that.
Do you have to be a coworking member to use their rooms?
At many spaces, yes, or at least to buy a pack of hours. Some rooms are rented by the hour with no membership; it is worth asking before you compare prices.