"Academic Coffee in downtown San Jose is a great stop if you’re looking for quality coffee and excellent pastries. The pastries were especially good, fresh, flavorful, and clearly well made. You can tell a lot of care goes into the ingredients and the overall product. The coffee itself was generally very good, though it did have a slightly fermented flavor profile that may appeal to some but wasn’t quite my personal preference. That said, it seems like many regulars really enjoy it, and the shop clearly has a strong and loyal clientele. The main downside is the size of the space. It’s very small, with no tables and almost no room to wait. Most people are standing around for their orders, and if you grab something to eat on site, there’s unfortunately nowhere to sit. They also don’t offer a way to heat pastries, which felt like a missed opportunity given how good they are. It feels like the shop is intentionally designed for quick in-and-out service, which I can understand for a busy coffee spot. Still, a bit more attention to hospitality and customer comfort, however limited the space, would really elevate the experience. Overall, a solid coffee shop with great pastries and a strong identity, just not ideal if you’re hoping to linger."

"I visited Academic on a Saturday morning around 9 AM. There was a line but it moved quickly. There is a decent amount of indoor and outdoor seating and they are dog friendly. I had the matcha banana latte and loved it. I could definitely taste the matcha - it seemed like a high quality matcha powder and was not bitter. The banana cream tasted so good! It tasted like it was made with real bananas and not extract. I would definitely come back for the matcha banana latte and to try their other matcha drinks."

"Great eclectic coffee shop with chairs and love seats along window and a high top work table facing out to the street. The accessible height table looks out to the street and can be moved The comprises are displayed and the coffee and treat menu is posted in plastic stand for no contact. White background with readable black letters. They close at 4 and I arrived at 3 to find all the sweets already taken home by others. My green tea is delicious with green tea leave in a high quality bag Great service at accessible height counter for order and pick up. Outdoor wooden benches and chairs with wooden side tables under shade and stalls roofed are. Gender free accessible restroom requires a code Subtle background music. Great lighting to work but not too bright"

"Always busy with a long line for good reason. Coffee is super good and the matcha is great too. Their lattes are not too milky and are customizable for sweetness levels. Their sweet matcha creams are also very decadent. They also carry Stan's Donuts! Highly recommend their beans as well! Store has limited seating inside and outside and it's always very noisy because it's so busy ."

"Best banana cream matcha I’ve ever had!!! Academic Coffee totally nailed it! Conveniently located at the corner Second and William St, Academic has a cute and spacious outdoor patio with parasols providing shades and many plants surrounding it! Street parkings are easy to find especially on the William St side :) One step inside and you’ll feel welcomed! Floor-to-ceiling windows provide natural lighting to the space, making it appear larger! Lovely art on the ceilings and night wall arts on the walls! There was a line when I came in but it moved quickly. The staff smiled nicely and quickly took my order. I sat down and my seat was not even warmed up yet when I heard they called out my name. OMG the drinks totally blew my mind!! I ordered banana cream matcha and double cream melon matcha! Both tasted heavenly!!! They’re super smooth, right amount of sweetness and I can still taste both the matcha and banana/melon cream! I have tasted many banana matcha drinks at many locations before but this has to be the top of my list so far! Great job, Academic Coffee!! I have my little pup with me and the staff are super friendly toward him as well. Thank you for the hospitality. Ambience, service and quality! Academic Coffee nailed it!"