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Jiaren Cafe

4.4 (569 reviews)
Open • 7:00 am - 6:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

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JIAREN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Jiaren Cafe

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Deanna Y.

Came here for a team building event. I have to say it was a fun experience and different from the let's just have a meal together. If say you definitely need the full hour but was nice that you keep busy so don't really have to converse with teammates you don't wanna make small talk with. You get to pick your jar, colors, and choose something online for inspiration. It was supposed to be a candle that resembled a type of drink. Mine just came out like a regular layered candle which was fine. Still a fun experience. I wish they did have more decorative options vs just different colors.

Interior
Lloyd C.

Jiaren Cafe is a unassuming little cafe in a small strip mall with some parking in a small lot. A cafe with natural lighting and a soothing atmosphere. I came here for a Surprise Bag which came with a small fruit tea with boba and a small package of hibiscus tea. The Boba was firm yet soft, but had a nice chew to them. The tea was tasty. The owner was friendly and helpful. Overall, 3.5 stars but rounding up. Support your local business.

Lauren H.

It's always an unfortunate experience when the reviews rave about something and the product doesn't quite hit the mark. We ordered the mango hoijcha and the milk tea espresso. The mango hoijcha was not good by any means... in fact it was really bad in both flavor and texture. What we thought would be fresh mango purée turned out to be a packaged mango syrup with artificial mango flavoring. This didn't mix well with the milk tea and ended up looking like curdled milk. The mango syrup was so overpoweringly sweet that it honestly was inedible. We threw the drink away after one sip. The milk tea espresso was more palatable but lacked any real flavor. I'm sure there are some good things on the menu but was sorely disappointed that 2 of the drinks you're marketing as the most popular items were regrettable. On a positive side, the staff were really nice. I wish we tasted our drinks before we left so we would've had an opportunity to exchange them instead of throwing them away.

Steam bun making class!
Elodie T.

My sister found this steamed buns cooking class on ClassBento.com and decided she wanted to do it for her and her fiancé's joint bachelor/bachelorette activity! We were a group of 10 and everything was set up for us when we arrived. It was about $70 per person, and we were given a free drink (I chose a strawberry matcha latte with oat milk which was perfect for a caffeine boot) and told we had 20% off anything in the store. We did end up taking up the entire 2 hour slot, and a little bit more time. This was a really fun experience and we were taught how to make different shapes (turtles, hedgehogs, whales, roses) with a little bit of dough, yeast and water (+optional fillings). We had excellent instructors and we were able to take our steamed buns home. I definitely would add a little bit more salt for flavor next time. People were creative and went outside the box, like making Pokémon starters (squirtle, charmander and bulbasaur). I would definitely recommend Jiaren and their cooking class!

Almond croissant. Really good!
Alexa H.

Absolutely delicious items here! I got an almond croissant, the salted cold foam cold brew latte, the plain cold brew, and the midnight cold brew espresso. You can tell that everything is made with thought and love here. The coffee was really really good. Staff were so kind and helpful, as it was my first time here and they helped me decide what to Getz

Rona S.

This place was on our way home and I was craving matcha so we gave it a shot. This cafe looks like it also does different type of classes like clay and latte art. There's also a yoga studio I think on the back. There were a lot of things to look at. Some ceramic items for sale, matcha making kits, keychains, among other things I don't remember currently. They had plenty of drink options, some pastries in the case, and also gimbap. After we ordered and got our drinks, the lady told us to let her know if we need to adjust for sweetness or if aren't satisfied, she can remake the drink. A nice gesture and I appreciate it. The pastry was okay, super flaky, I made an entire mess on the table. The drinks were okay. I wasn't sure how I wanted it remade so I didn't ask. It was just a bit grainy. Flavor was okay. I don't remember what my bf got but he said his drink was fine. Overall our experience was okay and staff was very friendly and helpful.

Vicky L.

Came here randomly as I needed to kill time between tasks and got a hot matcha latte with soy. Didn't expect too much but it was really delicious and hit the spot. Although nothing crazy but a good solid staple. While I was there they hosted a latte art class which was cool to see such a location coffee shop hosting community events. The staff was friendly and I'd definitely come back again!

Lavender London Fog
Denise T.

Love this space! It has such a warm and cozy vibe and a pretty extensive drink menu- I've probably tried 6 different drinks and all of them have been tasty. You can tell they have put a lot of heart and soul into the space. I especially love that it's part of their mission to empower women-owned small businesses and they offer a lot of engaging classes like ceramics/calligraphy/social workshops and events. Lots of parking available in the plaza! The cafe itself is tucked away in the corner of the plaza and has it's own yoga studio that is very popular from what I've seen. The owner is very sweet and all the baristas I've encountered have been wonderful. I have been coming to the cafe at least twice a month because of a social group that meets, but I would highly recommend anyone check out this little gem! Thank you to the lovely Jiaren staff who have made every visit so welcoming!

Kate A.

Nice and welcoming place to take a rest, sip a cup of coffee or tea (so many variations) and take a bite of a cookies or pastry. Honestly this place is much more that just a coffee place, it has a variety of different classes like pottery, yoga, coffee latte art. I love it! There are a lot of parking spaces even on from of the entrance. The area is really nice, not far from Santa Clara university. The gender neutral restroom is available inside. Love the staff here!

Entrance
Benjamin T.

Jiaren cafe is a small business cafe that is located close to SCU. There's plenty of parking in the parking garage but limited out front They have solid boba and tea, but their matcha is a little watered down (granted i got it when they were busy with their latte art class) They have a lot of different classes that you can check out and sign up for Might be hard to grab a seat inside when they're teaching Overall great experience and fun place for classes

Bingo night
Brenda M.

Bingo night at Jiaren Cafe is so fun! The staff are fun and welcoming. Each $5 purchase gets you a bingo card and the prizes are sponsored by local businesses. The drinks are also good! My faves are the London fog, Thai tea and fruit tea with real fruit chunks. I'd just recommend adding pudding as an add on! Definitely recommend this spot for tea and fun events!

Sherman T.

Boba and yoga coming together to immerse you in zen at Jiaren Cafe. This quaint little coffee/tea shop adds their herbal touch to their drinks with a focus on health, balance, and fitness. Needless to say, their herbal drinks are great tasting; if you're a matcha fan, they have quite a few elixirs concocted with bold matcha flavor and other flowers/herbs (their lavender drinks are delicious). High quality teas are used to make their drinks and it definitely blossoms on your tastebuds as you sip. Milk tea made with your choice of dairy (or non-dairy creamer) with chewy boba makes this spot a great one for a grab and go experience, but they do also have a few seats and tables available for those looking for a spot to camp a bit. In addition to milk options, each drink can be customized with sweetness level, temperature, and toppings. Aside from drinks, they also have baked good and snacks. Some of the drinks are premade and come in bigger take home containers. Perhaps you may be coming for a drink or looking to bring something bulk home to drink at your leisure - Jiaren has the serving size for you! I came in on a quiet weekend afternoon and the private lot was pretty empty. The shop had a few folks enjoying their drinks and upon entering, the staff greeted me almost immediately. Being a first time customer, the impression was a good one as they were all smiles and had a great energy as they were completing our order. We got the lavender milk tea and house milk tea both with boba. The milk teas were creamy, not too sweet, and flavorful. The fragrance from the lavender was pleasant and added richness with every sip. The boba were decently chewy but definitely need to be consumed fresh. Overall, I had a great experience with Jiaren Cafe and their offerings of milk teas and coffee drinks. Their listing on TooGoodToGo also is sure to bring in more patrons, but those in the area looking for a place to chill out and find their inner calm, give this yoga/cafe combo a try - stretch your horizons, one may say!

Annie C.

This is a very interesting cafe. It has large piles of merch for sale (Jiaren branded notebooks, boba keychains), a random "free stuff" box full of abandoned junk, and two massive tables in the middle for their various classes (I saw ads for lattes and cookie decorating). There's a small kiosk for ordering boba and no seating for boba customers. When there's a class going on, there's almost no place to stand, either. They also sell Kimchi (which might be made in-house?) and pastries. I got a black sesame and ube milk with boba at 25% sugar with almond milk. I got it because I hadn't seen that combination before. It cost around $8. The sweetness level was perfect for me. It was a very deep purple color and I'm not sure it was real ube. It was an interesting place to go but it's not my favorite ambiance or taste.

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Jiaren Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Jiaren Cafe

Is there outdoor seating - and dog-friendly?

Yes and yes !

Is there indoor dining now? I'd love to try studying inside.

Yes there is indoor seating

How do I find the info for classes I can not find on website?

Please send us a text msg to request for private/group latte art class. Our phone number is 4086573264. Thank you for your interest.

Do they have Oatly?

Yes:) we serve Oatly! You can choose it from milk alternatives when you order from our website jiarencafe.com !

Hey there, Do they have sugarfree and daily free options?

Hi! Yes, we have some sugar free syrup and flavor, and you can also choose to make unsweetened drinks ! We can customize the drink for you according your preference :)

Is this place open today? Signed up for a latte art class

They post their hours on google maps, if you've signed up for a class, I am assuming they'd be open

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Crema Coffee Roasting - Hot Vietnamese Coffee

Crema Coffee Roasting

3.7(1.3k reviews)
2.5 mi•St. Leo's, Downtown
•$$

Crema is underrated in my opinion. When I first moved to San Jose this was the first place I went…read moreto for coffee and breakfast burritos. I don't go quite as often anymore but I love that every time I do, they're have seasonal offerings that are delicious and unique. Service has always been good for me. Sometimes the staff are in the middle of doing something else so it can take a moment for them to get to the register but they're human beings with multiple responsibilities in addition to helping the customer. I think other reviews are a little too harsh. The coffee shop is attached to another restaurant and the interior is spacious and nicely decorated. Note: I did get a bacon breakfast burrito for nostalgias sake and it still holds up.

Long wait at the ordering counter because it was unstaffed and not monitored. Eventually asked…read moresomeone from the fish restaurant to assist. Great coffee and sandwich - until the nauseating stench of oysters and fish hits you, because this space is shared with a fish restaurant. Yuck. Very loud music (very loud, even when wearing noise cancelling headphones). It's a big disappointment because it is cozy, well decorated, and nice ambience inside. I ended up at this location by accident thinking it was the other location and won't be back. The idea of a fish restaurant and coffee shop sharing a common space is pretty icky.

Photos
Crema Coffee Roasting
Crema Coffee Roasting - Front from the restaurant side.

Front from the restaurant side.

Crema Coffee Roasting - Seasonal menu

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Seasonal menu

Chromatic Coffee - Mushroom & Havarti Savory Pie

Chromatic Coffee

4.3(484 reviews)
2.8 mi•Sunol-Midtown, Downtown
•$

Really lovely little coffee shop that leans into that industrial warehouse vibe in the best way…read more The coffee was great--I ended up trying both on-tap cold brews on the day we went because I didn't realize that buying a bag of whole bean coffee came with a free coffee drink. With some coffees a second cup will give me a stomach ache (especially since I drink my cold brews black and bitter like my soul), but I had no problems with their cold brews! I also got the vegan stonefruit scone (baked by Sweet Dragon) and while a little on the dry side (common with scones), paired extremely well with the coffee and had good flavor. Husband got a cappuccino and a strawberry mini pie and was extremely pleased with his order. The service is friendly, but some things may have been new on the day we went. They almost forgot my cold brew until we asked at the counter, as well as stating that they didn't have anything to heat up my husband's strawberry pie (which seems odd, since a little toaster oven seems like a simple fix for that), but apparently it was fantastic at room temperature anyway. Seating was absolutely full when we got there and we were lucky to snag a table as another couple left, so it seems like a popular Saturday morning spot. Several folks were working on laptops, and it seems like a kid-friendly place. The decor is a clean and modern/trendy industrial style, which works well for the space, and the windows provide nice daylight. Overall, a good coffee shop and I am really happy to see vegan pastry options! My husband is getting into pinball, which was part of the motivation to come out and try Chromatic, so I am sure we'll be back again next time he wants to hit up Slingshot (in the same building), and I look forward to the coffee and treats!

I've been a fan of their coffee for some time, but this is my first time in one of their…read morestorefronts. The space is awesome, assuming you like the warehouse aesthetic. Lots of spaces to sit, interactive puzzles, and plenty of things to browse. The service was quick and efficient, and came with a friendly smile. We got two espresso and a cookie. It would've been nice to have a warmed cookie, but it was good nonetheless. The espressos came with bubbles (a must) and had a nice acidity. However, they lose a point for not having cups for here ‍ Espresso served in a to go cup should be illegal. I said what I said.

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Chromatic Coffee - Found the entrance

Found the entrance

Chromatic Coffee - Mango raspberry pastry

Mango raspberry pastry

Chromatic Coffee - Entrance

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Entrance

1 Oz Coffee - Plain Bagel w/ whipped organic cream cheese

1 Oz Coffee

4.3(160 reviews)
0.5 mi•Newhall
•$

People are so nice and pleasant!…read more Excellent coffee - perfect and pretty Cortado and I always appreciate glass for that drink. Love the just off campus vibe. Put this in your rotation.

Personally feel like I'm living a fever dream where everyone loves this place and enjoys the coffee…read moreand I'm the lone Scrooge who hates it. I don't think their coffee is any good. At all. I've enjoyed a few of their specialty seasonal drinks but those have never become core menu items. I am talking some really great items like mango matcha's, strawberry matcha's, lavendar latte's etc that I have thoroughly enjoyed but their core menu is not something I ever want to order from. They have really great stuffed croissants but those are also seasonal! My office catered pastries from here once and I still think about the spinach and cheese croissant we had alll the time! I have never seen it in their case though. And while they are really great, ~$8 for a pastry is highway robbery. Parking here is very difficult and I think most people who come here live nearby enough to walk. You gotta hope to get lucky with some street parking as they have no designated parking areas. I've had several odd cashier interactions where I am met with blank stares and no dialogue as I order. Today took the cake, however. When I ordered, the cashier looked at me confused. I picked up their menu and pointed to the item one I wanted. The cashier had to come find me again after placing my order to confirm it again. They have a seasonal chai listed and 'can be made into a pumpkin chai by request.' There was confusion around it coming with a shot of espresso and because my stomach has been completely wrecked since I had it, I think the they must have put two shots into my drink. In the past 5 hours, I've used the restrooms 4 times and eventually projectile vomited. I don't drink coffee often and had this in ONE sitting. I realize this is a unique experience as I do not drink espresso often but wanted to share so you all understand how strong their coffee is and seeing as how its across SCU, it DOES make sense why so many people come here. Upset is the least of what I feel right now and can confidently share I will not be back. Shits fucked up. No pun intended

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1 Oz Coffee - Pastries

Pastries

1 Oz Coffee - Espresso

Espresso

1 Oz Coffee - Holiday flight

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Holiday flight

Blue Bottle Coffee - Santana Row - NOLA Shakerato

Blue Bottle Coffee - Santana Row

3.7(368 reviews)
2.0 mi•West San Jose
•$$

Love that this location is in the middle of outdoor seating. Nice place to get coffee and hang out…read moreon a nice sunny day. Ordered an iced miso and it took a little longer than expected but the coffee was creamy and not bad.

They have one primary job: make good coffee drinks. The rest are cute details but don't neglect the…read moremission. My experience, after the hell that is trying to park at Santana row when you just want a coffee: I waited 20 min in line because, if I'm going to a cafe, I prefer human interaction to ordering on the app. Got to the window and ordered a regular whole milk latte, only to learn that they were out of cows milk. No sign for customers waiting in line. Kind of an important detail, no? A shrug from the barista that they planned to get more on the weekend?! Maybe I misheard. But... did I want oat milk instead? No.... Mooooooo. I mean boooo. Where my attitude comes from: 1) probably just being an old cranky person but possibly 2) I used to work at a cafe as a barista. If we ran out of milk, we basically ran out of our businesses' entire purpose. Sure mistakes happen when you're anticipating inventory needs. But when you notice the mistake, fix it quickly or you literally are losing business. I'd have gotten a manager to run to the grocery store to grab some milk to get though the day and keep things going. Obviously a large chain can't necessarily do that. I get it. But that is a big flop for a cafe not to have milk. My snobby judgement doesn't stop there. One of the employees who was headed out on break yelled to her coworker that she almost forgot her redbull. It struck me as surprising that a person who works at a top tier coffee chain would be drinking an energy drink and not...coffee? But that is 100% me being snobby and judgmental. It just capped the impression that this specific branch of Blue Bottle doesn't get the integrity of brand. I miss the original one in Oakland.

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Blue Bottle Coffee - Santana Row - Ordering counter

Ordering counter

Blue Bottle Coffee - Santana Row - Truly amazing in every bite

Truly amazing in every bite

Blue Bottle Coffee - Santana Row - Inside

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Inside

Bavetta Coffee - Green Eggs and Ham

Bavetta Coffee

4.3(1.4k reviews)
2.5 mi•Sunol-Midtown, Downtown
•$$

Such a cute and good coffee and breakfast spot! They have a lot of cute images and pictures in the…read moreshop with limited seating. They had a good selection of fun and different drinks and the AAron and matcha horchata drink is what we got and both not overly sweet and so good! For food, we got the green eggs and ham sandwich and it was so filling and good that I could only eat half! Altogether a solid spot for breakfast food and drinks and would definitely come back!

This was my first time visit here and I am pretty disappointed. I was really excited to try the…read moresourdough bagel, but it was actually two slices of sourdough bread with cream cheese...I know they're both bread but it is very different, and I did not like it! I honestly would've preferred a plain bagel instead. I ordered a vanilla iced latte with one pump of cardamom. I like cardamom, but even one pump was incredibly overpowering and ruined the drink for me. I did order ahead my drink, and "bagel" were ready. There happened to be a race downtown, which obviously isn't the café's fault, but after dealing with parking and walking over to pick everything up, it was extra disappointing to not enjoy either thing I ordered. The inside is cute, but overall this felt like a waste of time and money. I would've rather just gone to Starbucks or Peet's, and I'm not sure I'd come back.

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Bavetta Coffee
Bavetta Coffee - A-A-Ron Latte and The Veggie

A-A-Ron Latte and The Veggie

Bavetta Coffee - Iced A-A-Ron Latte + Iced Vanilla Latte

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Iced A-A-Ron Latte + Iced Vanilla Latte

Big Mug Coffee Roaster - The Ultimate Monster Toast

Big Mug Coffee Roaster

3.9(1.8k reviews)
1.9 mi
•$$

I love the Mont Blanc. It's really creamy and sweet. It's probably too sweet for others but I enjoy…read moreit. They have two kiosks to order and live people for help. I don't know what happened. Am I getting too old? The ambiance has changed since my last visit. They took out the open book case separating half the cafe so it wasn't just open space. The long table was there and same with the bench seat against the wall but it just doesn't seem as cozy and cool as before. They moved the rack for used dishes by the door. The menu board is very white. It's a place you go with someone you're familiar with not someone you want to date or impress.

Honestly, I can't keep supporting this business with how bad the customer service is when the owner…read moreis around. He's always rude to me as a customer, and the employees look stressed when he's present / aren't friendly like usual. One time I forgot the restroom code and threw out my receipt already (same code is always printed on the bottom). I asked one of the baristas for the code, and the owner swooped over and scolded me for losing my receipt. He then told the barista that she can't give me the code unless she checks the transaction history on their computer to verify that I was a customer. Never mind that my boyfriend and I were dining in and clearly had food and coffee at the table that I just walked away from, or that the barista just gave us our order minutes prior- such a weird way to treat your regular customers. It's embarrassing that I kept going back after that. I like how their coffee tastes though, and especially that I order for here and get it in a "big mug." It's literally the only reason I pick this place over other coffee shops. Today I received my overpriced coffee (~$9 each!) in cheap paper cups and mentioned that I ordered for here. The owner immediately lied and said the mugs were only for regular sized coffees, not large size. I was literally here yesterday drinking a large coffee from a mug. He could have just said the mugs were dirty, or the dishwasher was broken. He said that after I pointed out the lie, ha. I would have still given 2/5 stars because the food and coffee are REALLY good despite how unpleasant the owner is, but they also recently changed their menu photos to AI slop. 0/5 if I could.

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Big Mug Coffee Roaster - Macchiato

Macchiato

Big Mug Coffee Roaster - The Ultimate Monster Toast ($15.99)

The Ultimate Monster Toast ($15.99)

Big Mug Coffee Roaster

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Academic Coffee - Guava matcha

Academic Coffee

4.2(378 reviews)
1.6 mi•Forest, West San Jose
•$$

I was pretty nervous trying this place since it was hyped up quite a bit on YouTube. For a lot of…read morematcha places I've tried that were "hyped" up in the past, they usually aren't good. There's street parking (if you're willing to walk a few minutes). They also have parking behind the cafe though it's limited. I was pleasantly surprised. My sister and I went yesterday afternoon and there was no line. I asked for the staff member's recommendation who said that I try their banana matcha (what I ended up ordering). My sister ordered the guava matcha. Both drinks were soooo good! From what I read from reviews, it's really a hit or miss depending on the day. The banana matcha was absolutely delicious! You can still taste the matcha while having a hint of real banana. Definitely not some artificial banana flavoring. My sister isn't the biggest fan of guava and she enjoyed her matcha too! 10/10. There's lots of seating indoors and outdoors. It's also next to the Valleyfair mall.

I've had Academic a few times already. This was my first time at this location. Parking was awful,…read moreeven for a Friday morning at 10AM.. Ain't y'all got work or something (I was coming home from the dentist). Luckily I found a spot after circling the lot one time, got my drinks, and was in and out within 15 minutes. I finally got to try the Melon Matcha, which was delicious! I recently had the King Jasmine Melon matcha from Heytea or something, and it just did not hit. I know these aren't identical drinks, but I've been craving something good with melon flavor, and this hit the spot. For the 2nd drink, I got one of our usual go-to's, the guava matcha. Pretty good overall. I've knocked on their prices before. Still steep and more than I'd like to pay for my matcha, but it IS good. Still, costs about $1.5-2+ more than other places in my experience.

Photos
Academic Coffee - Small interior, very limited indoor seating, but lots of outdoor seating.  Great for pups!

Small interior, very limited indoor seating, but lots of outdoor seating. Great for pups!

Academic Coffee - Dirty Chai & Melon Matcha

Dirty Chai & Melon Matcha

Academic Coffee - The banana cream pie latte | reg. ice | whole milk | reg. Sweet.

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The banana cream pie latte | reg. ice | whole milk | reg. Sweet.

Jiaren Cafe - coffee - Updated October 2026

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