Academic Coffee

Rating solely based on the taste of the drink, but not the quality of the matcha itself, the banana pie matcha here was superb! What stood out to me most was the banana cream itself, which did not taste like pure artificial banana syrup infused heavy cream. It actually had small chunks of banana and the flavor tasted so much more natural than most places. Best banana cream I've tasted yet. The matcha at the bottom was creamy, smooth, and well-blended. Not very strong but complimented very nicely with the cream top. This is more of a sweet treat dessert drink that I'd get, not something I'd want when I want high quality tasting matcha. I finished my drink on the 10 minute car ride back home.... The service was very swift. Place itself looks brand new and pretty empty of decor; looks minimalistic. I think it's a great spot to study.

Situated right next to Valley fair, this is the coffee shop to grab a coffee pre-shopping! Academic serves better as a place to grab and go for coffee rather than sit and stay. The coffee shop holds a small room with roughly 7 small tables and counter area for those that want to study or work. Be warned to come with your devices fully charged, there are no outlets :') at least none that I could find. The store has roughly 6 designated parking spots with 30 minute time limits. The worker told me that there was more street parking and neighborhood parking available. The service was great and the worker was very friendly in recommending me a drink. I ordered a matcha honey latte which came out to be very promising and a good standard matcha latte. My total came out to be around $6.5 which is pretty good in this economy even with an oat milk substitute. I would return here to grab a coffee before shopping but probably not to do work in or chat with a friend in

Did somebody say "Coffee?"Across the street from the buzz of Valley Fair mall, nestled near the new housing complexes is Academic Coffee. A coffee shop originating in downtown San Jose just steps from San Jose State University. A coffee shop wanting to cultivate a hub for the studious with good craft coffee, and thoughtfully created pastries. Academic Coffee provides a place to enjoy a delightful cup of coffee, and the opportunity to do work, enjoy your time alone or with friends. This location in particular just opened and has all the bells and whistles of a brand new place. Everything is nice and tidy. The service is also very hospitable providing a very friendly charm to the place. The baristas all were very pleasant and helpful. The prices are a little on the higher side, but it is craft coffee.Overall; it brings back memories of my college days, now with a brand new location this will be in my rotation of coffee shops i'll enjoy!

So glad I found this place on TikTok! We came here pretty early on a Saturday morning & it wasn't busy at all - I actually thought they were closed, but they weren't! We found side street parking & walked inside the coffee shop & it was so cute! They have a small/medium size seating area that would be cute for a coffee date or even studying. The cashier was super friendly & answered all of my questions with ease. We got a banana cream matcha that was amazing!! The banana cream was sooo good & didn't have an overpowering banana taste. The strawberry matcha was also amazing!! I find it a little difficult to find matcha that I actually enjoy but this place was perfect. In comparison, I have also tried the popular Izumi Matcha strawberry matcha latte & Academic Coffee's is WAY better, in my opinion of course.

I've always wondered what this building was and I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was a coffee shop. Been here a handful of times and I will say this is probably the best spot for banana cream matcha in the South Bay as of now. Not only is their matcha good but their coffee is a must try too. Staff is super friendly so if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask away. The vibe of this location is very calming since most of the people there are working or just catching up with others. It is located right across valley fair and parking is very limited so plan ahead. I only knocked this place a star because the last couple of times I've gone they ran out of banana ): overall though, great spot for a quick pick me up or something to satisfy your matcha cravings

Cute little cafe ! I did some work here and got the strawberry matcha latte. It was okay for me since it had more of a strawberry flavor than matcha but I think other people who like sweeter matcha would like. I would come back to try their coffee.

Academic Coffee is one of my favorite coffee shops and I was happy to see that their 2nd location is near my work! I used to go to the DTSJ location when I was a student at SJSU.My top recommendations: anything with the banana cream! I enjoy sweeter coffee, so I like to add the cream. It's not overly sweet or empowering banana flavor. It kind of reminds me of banana milk and the cream blends nicely into the drink. The dark chocolate chips were cool because it imitates the banana aesthetic. I've had the cream with the regular latte, which is good, but with the matcha latte?? Even better!! The matcha latte is good on its own and doesn't need the banana cream. Another drink I recommend is the pandan latte, which is also popular. I usually like to grab a croissant here and they're able to warm it up. I did get a black sesame mochi muffin once, but it was alright and not sweetened. I'll definitely come to Academic often! The interior is clean and the workers is nice. The only con is that the parking lot is small.

Big congratulations to Academic Coffee on opening their second location! I visited during the second weekend of their soft opening, and there was a good crowd on a Saturday afternoon. While there may be a bit of a wait for drinks right now, I'm sure things will smooth out as they settle in. There is also a separate seating area that is larger than the first location. A couple of my favorites are the pandan cold brew latte and the piloncillo latte. Be sure to check out their seasonal specials too, like the ones for Lunar New Year and the winter holiday drinks. I'm not usually a fan of pumpkin-flavored drinks, but I'm hooked on their Pumpkin Hojicha Latte!They also sell canned versions of some of their most popular drinks, which is perfect for long road trips.Frank and Kathy, the owners, are incredibly welcoming, and the baristas are super friendly and knowledgeable about the coffee.

Really cute location! I had been meaning to try this coffee spot, but I'm glad they now have a location in Santa Clara, making it more convenient. Came on a Sunday morning and luckily as I pulled in, a car was coming out, there's a parking lot but spaces are super limited. The shop was busy, however the line moved pretty quickly and drinks came out quick. I tried the banana cream pie latte and wow! I wasn't sure what to expect but this combo is great together. You can taste the depth of the espresso while getting some of that sweetness, it really does taste like a banana cream pie. I also got a butter croissant and it was buttery and flaky, perfection. My only suggestion is to label what pastries are vegetarian or vegan as I was asking what had meat and what didn't. Labeling products as such will make it easier on staff and customers. Highly recommend if you're in the area.

I love Academic Coffee. This is their new location near Valley Fair! Love that there's parking and how airy this new location is. My go-to drinks are always the pandan latte, banana cream latte, or their strawberry matcha. Can't go wrong with any of their drinks honestly. I always get my drinks here with oat milk!