So this review is just based on atmosphere and ambiance, but I never actually tried the food. I was about to study here but the location of where this cafe turned me off. It was difficult to find parking and there was a huge homeless population surrounding the area, so I felt a bit unsafe. Also, it wasn't the best spot for me to study for long periods of time as they only had a few seats outside. I'm sure if this was located elsewhere like Santana Row, maybe it be more my cup of tea.
Tran T.
Super cute shop in downtown SJ! This was the only place that I could find that did customized latte art. I showed them a picture of a penguin that I wanted, and they were able to replicate it perfectly. It also tasted really good :-)
Andrew S.
I really like the interior of the Cafe. It's really open and great for meet-ups or to simply relax. I had their americano as they stop making drip past 1pm and it tasted great! It's not bitter/overextracted and they have oatmilk for those that can't have milk. Definitely recommend this place.
Karin M.
LATTE ART IS A BLAST! Anais is a great teacher - demonstrating and then helping us each practice first with water to start to develop the muscle memory. Then we each got several chances to try out the real thing (Nicky was great behind the scenes preparing everything). Takes practice - took home the knowledge she taught & am starting to get the hang of it - too fun! Highly recommend!
Andrew N.
Love the comfy and cozy atmosphere you feel when you walk through the door. I asked the barista if I should get the black sesame latte or the purple taro latte and she asked if I preferred sweets. I chose the purple taro latte since I preferred it to be sweet Purple Taro Latte (4.5/5): this drink wasn't anything too crazy, but it's the perfect drink if you want something sweet with coffee or something with caffeine. The purple taro syrup blended perfectly with the coffee. I would definitely come here again to try out some other drinks. Remember that you could get a discount with a Student ID and 20% off when check-in on Yelp
Jacqueline N.
Delicious warm drinks and cozy, comfy atmosphere. When you walk in you're immediately greeted by the pride flag and Black Lives Matter posters. I'm definitely coming here again.
Brenda L.
The good: The service here is great and the workers were friendly and greeted us right away. I tried honey jasmine milk tea with 25% sweetness, brown sugar boba milk tea with 50% sweetness and a hot ginger minj tea latte (seasonal flavor) with reduced sweetness. Their menu is quite simple and offers items like coffee, boba and some snacks. They also had other seasonal flavors to choose from. The interior has a modern and industrial feel. There's an area where they sell merchandise and have local ads and magazines. The store is decorated with a giant downtown San Jose map and other social justice campaigns. The bad: The boba was super hard and tendon-like. It was toward the end of the day so I think the boba was old. It was probably the worst boba I've had. The credit card machine wasn't working due to connectivity issues. Downtown parking is difficult so we parked at a nearby lot for $7. The interior has tables fit for 2 people max. There is no outdoor dining area or benches. The ginger minj could have been spicier. The hot latte was about 1/5th foam so the volume felt small. The brown sugar milk tea tasted kind of like chai tea. The jasmine milk tea tasted like it had less than what 25% sugar tastes like in other milk tea places. There was also a lot of ice. I wasn't impressed by any of the three drinks ordered. The interesting: I'm not sure if this place is associated with the downtown bar Paper Plane. You can get a free Thai tea if you write a Yelp review.
Lawrence L
Paper Moon Cafe brings a very special energy to downtown. They do the fundamentals well: good coffee, good (self-roasted) beans, creative coffee/tea cocktails. But they do so much more because they are very involved in the local community. You'll see murals and artwork by local artists. You'll see local musicians playing outside on select days. They provide water and resources to the needy. They have pop-up shops for various local bakeries and businesses. The staff has created a laid back, energetic atmosphere that I find infectious.
Maeve Sullivan
Loved this spot! So happy they serve boba and I love the cat aesthetic. Not a lot of people hang out in there so it's a great place to get work done. I will definitely be back!
Linda X.
Cute coffeeshop with excellent coffee and amazing service. They have a wide selection of coffee and tea/milk tea drinks and their staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. Seems like a nice place to study/work with free wifi and tables. No parking in front but not too difficult to find street parking on adjacent streets.
Nice lil shop in downtown. A bit runned by the homeless everywhere. But beyond the environment the coffee is yumm! We had the single origin shot which seemed sour at first then became bitter. It's always good for us to try their espresso. Let's us know how the rest of the specialities are gonna taste. Loved the seasonal gore for s'mores latte. The graham cracker mixed with a bite of marshmallow was on point. Also the coconut latte was delicious. The Rosie Perez was a favorite although I love my coffee!!! This was a nice find in downtown. Not too mention we want to come back for their latte art class!
Dawn B.
All I can say is wow. These drinks are fantastic. We purchased a black sesame latte (w/o coffee) with oat milk as well as a seasonal blood moon (with almond milk). The black sesame latte had a nice nutty flavor and was well balanced with the oat milk. In my opinion, it's a must try if you're a black sesame fan. I enjoyed the flavor so much that it was finished minutes after ordering, oops! The blood moon was such a creative drink. It changes color as you mix or shake it. With the color change (from red to lavender), the different flavors become more pronounced. These include the coconut and hibiscus horchata flavors. The staff here are amazing. They were so helpful in trying to determine what to alternative milk to pair with each drink and did a great job describing the options. Also, they allowed me to remove the coffee from the black sesame, allowing me to reconnect with one of my favorite flavors. Definitely will return here when hanging in downtown San Jose.
Lizz K.
What a cute little shop a little hard to find but look for the pastel green building I got a sourdough grilled cheese and a seasonal drink and taro w boba. But one bad thing is I noticed they didn't wash their hands after handling cash registers to make sandwiches and drinks. They also have a 20% off when you check in so be sure to use that or student discount
Huy D.
Cool lil coffee store in downtown san jose. They have very unique coffee offerings here not found elsewhere. No extra charge for Oat Milk which is a great perk compared to other cafes charging .75 or more. Pricing is consistent with other craft coffee cafes in the area. Students get 15% off their order with an ID. The staff are very friendly. Drinks are great. Only downside is no parking along the same street the cafe is on. You'll have to park on the cross street.
Sabrina L.
Super great customer service here! I've never been here before and Arlyn was very patient and informative which I really appreciated especially since I came 5 minutes before closing! They also have a student discount which is always appreciated. I will definitely be coming back here!
So this review is just based on atmosphere and ambiance, but I never actually tried the food. I was about to study here but the location of where this cafe turned me off. It was difficult to find parking and there was a huge homeless population surrounding the area, so I felt a bit unsafe. Also, it wasn't the best spot for me to study for long periods of time as they only had a few seats outside. I'm sure if this was located elsewhere like Santana Row, maybe it be more my cup of tea.
Super cute shop in downtown SJ! This was the only place that I could find that did customized latte art. I showed them a picture of a penguin that I wanted, and they were able to replicate it perfectly. It also tasted really good :-)
I really like the interior of the Cafe. It's really open and great for meet-ups or to simply relax. I had their americano as they stop making drip past 1pm and it tasted great! It's not bitter/overextracted and they have oatmilk for those that can't have milk. Definitely recommend this place.
LATTE ART IS A BLAST! Anais is a great teacher - demonstrating and then helping us each practice first with water to start to develop the muscle memory. Then we each got several chances to try out the real thing (Nicky was great behind the scenes preparing everything). Takes practice - took home the knowledge she taught & am starting to get the hang of it - too fun! Highly recommend!
Love the comfy and cozy atmosphere you feel when you walk through the door. I asked the barista if I should get the black sesame latte or the purple taro latte and she asked if I preferred sweets. I chose the purple taro latte since I preferred it to be sweet Purple Taro Latte (4.5/5): this drink wasn't anything too crazy, but it's the perfect drink if you want something sweet with coffee or something with caffeine. The purple taro syrup blended perfectly with the coffee. I would definitely come here again to try out some other drinks. Remember that you could get a discount with a Student ID and 20% off when check-in on Yelp
Delicious warm drinks and cozy, comfy atmosphere. When you walk in you're immediately greeted by the pride flag and Black Lives Matter posters. I'm definitely coming here again.
The good: The service here is great and the workers were friendly and greeted us right away. I tried honey jasmine milk tea with 25% sweetness, brown sugar boba milk tea with 50% sweetness and a hot ginger minj tea latte (seasonal flavor) with reduced sweetness. Their menu is quite simple and offers items like coffee, boba and some snacks. They also had other seasonal flavors to choose from. The interior has a modern and industrial feel. There's an area where they sell merchandise and have local ads and magazines. The store is decorated with a giant downtown San Jose map and other social justice campaigns. The bad: The boba was super hard and tendon-like. It was toward the end of the day so I think the boba was old. It was probably the worst boba I've had. The credit card machine wasn't working due to connectivity issues. Downtown parking is difficult so we parked at a nearby lot for $7. The interior has tables fit for 2 people max. There is no outdoor dining area or benches. The ginger minj could have been spicier. The hot latte was about 1/5th foam so the volume felt small. The brown sugar milk tea tasted kind of like chai tea. The jasmine milk tea tasted like it had less than what 25% sugar tastes like in other milk tea places. There was also a lot of ice. I wasn't impressed by any of the three drinks ordered. The interesting: I'm not sure if this place is associated with the downtown bar Paper Plane. You can get a free Thai tea if you write a Yelp review.
Paper Moon Cafe brings a very special energy to downtown. They do the fundamentals well: good coffee, good (self-roasted) beans, creative coffee/tea cocktails. But they do so much more because they are very involved in the local community. You'll see murals and artwork by local artists. You'll see local musicians playing outside on select days. They provide water and resources to the needy. They have pop-up shops for various local bakeries and businesses. The staff has created a laid back, energetic atmosphere that I find infectious.
Loved this spot! So happy they serve boba and I love the cat aesthetic. Not a lot of people hang out in there so it's a great place to get work done. I will definitely be back!
Cute coffeeshop with excellent coffee and amazing service. They have a wide selection of coffee and tea/milk tea drinks and their staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. Seems like a nice place to study/work with free wifi and tables. No parking in front but not too difficult to find street parking on adjacent streets.
Restaurantji Recommends
Nice lil shop in downtown. A bit runned by the homeless everywhere. But beyond the environment the coffee is yumm! We had the single origin shot which seemed sour at first then became bitter. It's always good for us to try their espresso. Let's us know how the rest of the specialities are gonna taste. Loved the seasonal gore for s'mores latte. The graham cracker mixed with a bite of marshmallow was on point. Also the coconut latte was delicious. The Rosie Perez was a favorite although I love my coffee!!! This was a nice find in downtown. Not too mention we want to come back for their latte art class!
All I can say is wow. These drinks are fantastic. We purchased a black sesame latte (w/o coffee) with oat milk as well as a seasonal blood moon (with almond milk). The black sesame latte had a nice nutty flavor and was well balanced with the oat milk. In my opinion, it's a must try if you're a black sesame fan. I enjoyed the flavor so much that it was finished minutes after ordering, oops! The blood moon was such a creative drink. It changes color as you mix or shake it. With the color change (from red to lavender), the different flavors become more pronounced. These include the coconut and hibiscus horchata flavors. The staff here are amazing. They were so helpful in trying to determine what to alternative milk to pair with each drink and did a great job describing the options. Also, they allowed me to remove the coffee from the black sesame, allowing me to reconnect with one of my favorite flavors. Definitely will return here when hanging in downtown San Jose.
What a cute little shop a little hard to find but look for the pastel green building I got a sourdough grilled cheese and a seasonal drink and taro w boba. But one bad thing is I noticed they didn't wash their hands after handling cash registers to make sandwiches and drinks. They also have a 20% off when you check in so be sure to use that or student discount
Cool lil coffee store in downtown san jose. They have very unique coffee offerings here not found elsewhere. No extra charge for Oat Milk which is a great perk compared to other cafes charging .75 or more. Pricing is consistent with other craft coffee cafes in the area. Students get 15% off their order with an ID. The staff are very friendly. Drinks are great. Only downside is no parking along the same street the cafe is on. You'll have to park on the cross street.
Super great customer service here! I've never been here before and Arlyn was very patient and informative which I really appreciated especially since I came 5 minutes before closing! They also have a student discount which is always appreciated. I will definitely be coming back here!