The temperature has officially plummeted, and along with it your enthusiasm to leave the house. When cabin fever strikes, grab one of our recommended books (or download it onto your Kindle) and get cozy at any of these five low-key cafes across Brooklyn.
Sit & Wonder | 688 Washington Ave. | Prospect Heights
Why Try: As the name suggests, this is the place to go to do your best thinking. It’s library-quite and the patrons are happy to keep to themselves. Stumptown Coffee flows like water, which means you’ll be fully fueled for your marathon reading session.
Suggested Reading: The café houses an impressive selection of books at your disposal. One may come in handy when you need a break from Julian Barnes’ heady The Sense of an Ending.
How to get there: S train to Park Place, exit at Prospect and Franklin, head west three blocks and make a right at Washington Avenue.
Milk and Roses | 1110 Manhattan Ave. | Greenpoint
Why Try: If you took everything you loved in a café (legit food, unpretentious baristas, room to spread out) and shook it up like a snow globe, you’d get Milk and Roses. This bistro, run by a charismatic French transplant, is aaaaall the way up on Manhattan Avenue – just shy of Queens – but well worth the journey.
Suggested Reading: There’s a strict “No laptop” policy on the weekends, meaning you can uncover the hidden symbolism in Chad Harbach’s The Art of Fielding minus the distracting clickety clack of a keyboard.
How to get there: G train to Greenpoint Avenue, exit at Manhattan and Java and head 6 blocks north.
Atlas Café | 116 Havemeyer St. | Williamsburg
Why Try: offMetro asked three bibliophiles for their favorite place to devour a book, and they all said Atlas. They credit the big open windows and the natural light that abounds in this no-fuss café. Apparently the word is out, they admitted, and it can get a bit crowded at times, so have a back-up plan.
Suggested Reading: There’s free wifi if you need to look up that massive word you just read in Infinite Jest by the ever-sesquipedalian David Foster Wallace.
How to get there: L train to Lorimer, head west on Metropolitan Ave and make a left at Havermeyer.
Urban Vintage | 294 Grand Ave. | Clinton Hill
Why Try: Not only is the owner of this corner bistro slash home goods boutique an absolute pleasure, but she also makes a mean chicken noodle soup. But that’s not to say the vegan pastries, pressed sandwiches, or crop-to-cup coffee should be overlooked.
Suggested Reading: If it’s a trip down memory lane you seek, purchase an antique relic for your home after going back in time with 11/22/63 by Steven King.
How to get there: G train to Clinton/Washington Avenue, exit at Lafayette and Waverly, head west on Lafayette one block and make a right onto Grand Avenue.
Union Hall | 702 Union St. | Park Slope
Why Try: Fireplaces. Comfy couches. Book-covered walls. Late hours. If this place doesn’t scream Stay a while, I don’t know what does. Being a pub, you can order an adult beverage like a seasonal drink served warm (hot toddy, coming right up) while losing yourself in a book.
Suggested Reading: Reading Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? has you questioning your true friends. Screw ‘em all and make new ones during a pick-up game of bocce ball.
How to get there: D, N, or R train to Union Street, exit at Union and Fourth and head east on Union one block.
Lead photo: Project Latte
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram