Simplicity at its best, but worth coming if you are a true coffee lover. Tono has been in my newest rotations of coffee shops to go to in San Jose. It is located in the back end of the Japantown strip under an apartment complex (it is easy to miss!) It's across Higher Fire JTown Clay and you will need to rely on street parking like most of downtown. Note: Tono is more of a quick grab and go environment with some seating outside (limited), so not a place to work from home/do school work, but more to get your caffeine fix. There are close by community spaces to sit though! At Tono, they do not really do drinks with frills, but straightforward drips, lattes, and at most chocolate/matcha lattes. That being said, all of the drinks I have gotten so far have been smooth and not bitter at all. I typically do not like plain lattes, but I did order one the other day and it might have been the best I had due to how non-astringent it was. What I truly love about Tono is their pastries. They are so delicious! When I asked the barista, they let me know it is all made in their kitchen located in East Side San Jose. My favorites I have had so far was the Blueberry Hand Pie (had a good amount of blueberries with a sharp lemon citrus flavor) and a salted pecan chocolate chip cookie. The food and drinks here were definitely crafted to complement each other and I am all for it. Overall, Tono is a great community cafe, check them out! read more

As long as I've lived in the area, I had no idea that there was coffee around the neighborhood besides Roy's Station. Tono Coffee Project is Japantown's hidden gem, but I'm glad I found it. No wonder Tono Coffee Project is unassuming because it's tucked inside an apartment complex. I don't think I would've ever stumbled on it if I hadn't let my dog wander off our beaten path. Tono Coffee Project was cute and simple. I would say that their selection of artisan chocolate bars (they got that good, good chocolate) and pastry case drew my attention more than anything else. There were indoor lounge chairs in the complex foyer as well as tables outside. What hospitable staff members! When I went up to order, the employee at my register welcomed both me and my dog. He also observed that I had my hands full and offered to assist me with adding a lid to my coffee and bagging up my pastries. I ordered the "Extra," which was basically a mocha. I thought it was excellent. Smooth with rich chocolate undertones. It also was at the perfect temperature and didn't need a sleeve. All their baked goods looked delectable, but I went for something savory and got their Korean garlic cheesy bun for me and my husband. We both agreed it was the best Korean garlic cheesy bun we've ever had. In addition to the bright garlic flavor and gooey cream cheese, the crunchy corn flakes added a nice texture to the buns. Can't wait to make Tono Coffee Project part of my routine! read more

Cute coffee spot with zero frills inside the...apt complex? Very warm service and legendary aeration of the oat milk in my latte. I could not believe how fluffy that milk got. They're quite the simple setup, with a very pared down meny for easy ordering and cafe basics/cute shop. Ample seating around but not much space inside the shop so takeout only. read more

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Ordered: Iced White (~$6): oat milk & coffee with a splash of sweetener Aya's take: A small but mighty coffee shop tucked away in the lobby of the Exhibit at J Town Apartments. I ordered the Iced White which is simply coffee & oat milk (the only milk offered). The amount of milk varies depending on the type of drink you want. I was going for an iced latte, and this delivered. It was refreshing, creamy, and the espresso was pulled nicely. Lowkey spot that will satisfy the caffeine kick! read more

Tono coffee project - Iced White (~$6) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Wanted to check out their place for a while! Finally came to try their coffee and milk tea and it was so good! You can explore the art gallery located right next to the coffee shop! The owner designed the logo and cafe itself inspired by their experience living in asia! They said they believe nothing is permanent so they wanted to arrange as a popup cafe which is unique and cool! They can simple move their cafe location to every where! Drinks (milk tea and coffee) were so good! We love to come back :) read more

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This small coffee shop located in Japantown has a nice aesthetic and simple menu. White (5/5): Sweetened and very simple. Cant go wrong with this. read more

Tono coffee project - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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A damn good cup of coffee. Friendly, warm service; nice seating area; beautiful art. But the coffee is really where it's at. They have some unique pastries, we had their blueberry hand pie, it was not too sweet and even a little savory with a hint of rosemary. Very pleasant, will come back. read more

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Super cute coffee shop near japan downtown! We stopped by and grabbed a sweetened ice matcha and iced hojicha. We both thought the hojicha was more flavorful! Staff was friendly and the space was very quaint but cozy! read more

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Amazing taste, really enjoyed very good ambiance and staff is really helpful. Service 5 on 5 read more

Tono coffee project - What a coffee!!! Amazing loved it and even staff is very friendly and helpful in finding our choice. Truly enjoyed mocha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

This little pop-up shop has been on my sights for coffee in SJ this year of 2025. I wasn't expecting to visit them anytime soon until I passed by while walking in Japantown. It is located in the Exhibit J-Town Apartments lobby with a small sofa for inside seating while tables for two are scattered out the building. Tōno Coffee Project, with its equally minimalist logo, has a simple menu of single-origin coffee and matcha with oatmilk & chocolate milk as variants. They did offer baked goods from local bakers this particular Saturday but I was here for coffee only. The baristas were fast, efficient and good with small talk. I doubt that they had restroom access as I didn't ask but the Hot Black I got was full-bodied and a waker-upper even without real milk. read more

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I cannot say enough about Tono. OMG, is this an incredible coffee. No sugar needed; just savour the excellence. Clever details, delightful barista banter. Gorgeous. read more

Tono coffee project - The white, hot - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Easily the best coffee in Japantown, San Jose! I think I've visited Tono at least 10 if not 20 times now. Convenience plays a big part, but the coffee and service is what really keeps me coming back. The menu is simple and straightforward with just a few options -- Black - coffee only White - coffee + milk (my personal favorite and go-to) Extra - chocolate, coffee, + milk (when I'm looking to switch it up) They also have matcha and hojicha latte options, all of which are great! Their baked goods are all made in-house and of the items, I've only tried the Korean Cheesy Bun, but I absolutely love it and get it almost every time. Maybe I'll get tired of it one day and then I'll be ready to try the other bakery items! The location is almost like a semi-permanent pop-up out of Exhibit J Town Apartments. Not a lot of seating, just a few inside and a few outside, but a cute and charming little locally-owned spot. read more

Tono coffee project - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Tono is in the lobby of The Exhibit apartment building off of 7th Street - an artistic building that greets you with an awesome mural outside. When you enter the building, Tono's coffee station is just to the left. They have a small menu with a few coffee and tea options, and they use oat milk by default. Every drink is high quality and excellently made. My drink of choice is their matcha - the last time I got it, I thoroughly enjoyed the texture and flavor. They've expanded their food options, now offering a variety of sweet and savory baked goods. I loved the cheddar jalapeno biscuit! They also have a variety of artisanal chocolate bars and some coffee beans and matcha for sale along the shelf as you wait in line to order. They get some unique flavors in, and I find it hard to resist picking up a chocolate bar to take home. I think there's only 1-2 people working at any given time, and they are always super friendly. I get the feeling that they work really hard to curate the experience and care a lot about their craft. There's a little bit of indoor and outdoor seating, or you can just walk over to Heinlenville Park to enjoy your drink & goodies. Highly recommend giving them a try! read more

Had a wonderful time at Toni coffee project! We got the matcha and hojicha lattes - both were high quality and delicious! The barista was also friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend! read more

Tono coffee project - Matcha and hojicha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Tono Coffee Project is a hidden gem-easily missed yet hard to forget. Tono serves one of my favorite hot mochas to this day, and the creamy chocolately oatmilk flavor still lives in my head rent-free. This location is within walking distance of SJ Japantown so parking is mostly free street parking. The cafe sits on the bottom floor of an art gallery/shop with a small seating section inside as well as an uncovered outdoor patio with small tables. The menu is simple with just 3 options but these three options are done meticulously and with care. There is a small selection of baked good to enjoy your coffee with and they are certainly not your average pastries. The pastries are unique in flavor and textures. My favorite one was the furikake bun filled with an overflowing amount of cream cheese (not complaining at all). I do wish they served their pastries warm, that would be my only complaint. Service is warm and friendly as always. The owner really takes his time to make each cup of coffee with love and care. He always makes short and sweet small talk with each customer too. If you're looking for a simply heartwarming cup of coffee, come to Tono. read more

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This is seriously some of the best coffee around! Was happy to find out Tono has a brick and mortar store now, inside the lobby of Exhibit J Town Apartments. It's a small spot but very chic and modern. Their menu is simple with only a few options that are done very well. Their coffee has a unique and distinct taste. They usually have a few baked goods as well. The barista was very friendly and knowledgeable. There's a few couches since it's an apartment building lobby, but most people get their coffee to go. Will definitely stop by any chance I get whenever I'm near Japantown! read more

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I've been coming here a couple of times. Great coffee and the cookie I was ordered was good as well. read more

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2/5/26 - I haven't tried them since they were doing pop ups at SJSU many years ago! Still so good and happy they have a physical location now! Simple and delicious community coffee! read more

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I've visited Tono Coffee Project a couple of times recently, and I'm consistently impressed. It's such a charming little spot, offering a straightforward coffee selection and some really interesting snacks that are a nice complement to their drinks. What stands out the most is the staff; they're always incredibly friendly and very helpful when it comes to making recommendations, which is great for someone like me who isn't always sure what to order. The coffee itself is good quality, and I also appreciate that they have a small outdoor seating area, perfect for catching up with friends over a coffee and a chat. read more

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Love visiting Tono when I'm in Japantown! Small spot, easy to order with no frills. I usually opt for coffee + milk or matcha + milk (both sweetened)! Their hojicha is also really good. They make their drinks quickly and sometimes have beautiful latte art so service is top tier. The taste def shows that they use quality ingredients! There's some seating indoors and outside too. It's next to an art shop/studio so it's nice to walk over and check out their items read more

Tono coffee project - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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I would come here again when it's a slow day Pros Really affordable matcha and expresso at a nice apartment lobby Everything tastes high quality Cons Not enough space inside the store. The cashier is the batista so it might result in some wait time read more

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4.5 Located in Japantown, might be hard to find parking. It was initially hard to find because it is in an apartment complex. I love the simplicity of this spot. Very simple menu, which is nice for indecisive ppl. There is black, white, and extra on the menu. If you're not a coffee person, there is also matcha and hojicha. My friends and I got the hojicha, extra and white drinks along with two pastries to share. Every thing was amazing, I will def be back! read more

Tono coffee project - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

I've been trying to go to the little place for the longest time!! I didn't realize it was on the other side of Japan town by the new tall condo building with a beautiful murals and a little Parkside dog run!! There's also a cute local gallery, seventh empire over here as well! This café was actually inside of the condo/liming community but open to the public. I ended up getting an iced Matcha latte with oat milk, and it was perfectly mixed and tasted delicious! I also got one of their almond cookies, and it has the perfect almond taste to it! Not overwhelming, but not so fat I couldn't taste the almond within the flavor itself!! My friend got the roasted Matcha, hojicha and it traditionally does not come with sugar so she asked if they could add a little pump of simple syrup and she loved her drink also!! We were very impressed with this cute quaint little coffee shop, as well as their customerservice and unique drinks and the mural was beautiful to look at outside while we got to play catch-up! We will definitely be back and next time we'll just walk since it was two blocks up from the Manju shop. We thought it was farther away so we drove on Accident. Lol. read more

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got some drinks at a thrift pop up and i thought the drinks were okay. it was a little pricey for the size they give (~$7). i got the hojicha latte and thought it was good, not the strongest, but it was decent. the matcha latte hot was good as well, i think their hot drinks are better and the flavor shows more. yummy rating: 7/10 read more

Tono coffee project - matcha latte, hojicha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Came across this place via social media. I didn't know it was a pop up concept inside an apartment complex, but it was nice, clean modern look. There is seating outside in the shade and inside there's a long couch and 2 chairs. There's no restroom but you can go to the grocery store that's about a block away. The menu is straight forward which I believe helps customers out. The drinks automatically come with oat milk. The menu on the wall is the original menu, but they had a special menu where the matcha was added. I ordered an iced matcha w/ a bit of sweetener and my boyfriend ordered the black coffee. Simple easy. I think because the matcha is premade, it loses a bit of the taste, but it was still good. The barista was friendly and approachable. They greeted us when we walked in as they were helping a customer. Whenever we're in SJ again, we will be back! read more

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The menu is straightforward, and the drinks are simple but very customizable to your liking. I ordered the white with less sweet- I liked how it automatically came with oatmilk. The drink was refreshing and had a good balance of milk and coffee. I enjoyed the simplicity of the drink! The space feels like a good spot to catch up or take a short break. There's not a lot of seating, but perfect for a quick pause in your day. read more

Tono coffee project - White - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

If I opened a cafe, I'd want my menu to be as minimal yet customizable as tono coffee project. It's tucked in an apartment complex in Japantown next to an art gallery and you can either get a water-based "black", milk-based "white", or chocolate milk-based "extra" at whatever ratio you'd like. I got a white at a latte milk ratio. The coffee is toasty and subtly sweet and they only offer Oatly oat milk which was a bit strong, so I'd probably try a 1:1 ratio next time, but I still really enjoyed my drink! The barista was sooo friendly too! There's no bathroom or WiFi but there's some outdoor seating and some couches inside that make it a great place to sit and yap. read more

Tono coffee project - white - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Wonderful hidden lil caffeine pick me up spot with unique snacks! There's not a lot of parking in this area depending on what time you come but def worth checking out. Lots of cool artwork nearby as well for some aesthetic photos if you'd like. There's not much seating inside though but that's fine if you weren't planning on coming here to do work. It's inside an apartment complex (lucky for the people who live there) and the owner was super friendly. He's the only person working so he takes one order at a time and makes your drink on the spot quickly! When we got there I thought they only had coffee drinks, since the menu on the wall only had 3 coffee drinks, which is pretty cool for those who are indecisive! When i got to the front of the line, I saw a paper menu showing they also had some teas so i opted for a Hojicha since i was in a tea latte mood at the moment. I asked for light sweetness which he accommodated and it came out perfect and a nice pick me up for the day! Very cool pop-up spot to check out :) read more

Tono coffee project - menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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Super cute little shop in an apartment complex! I'm so jealous of the tenants that can get good coffee right in their lobby. It's a one-man team but he is very friendly and efficient. I got an iced matcha drink and my partner got a hot coffee. We took it plain w no milk/sweetness and it was very tasty. I would definitely come again! There's a few sitting areas outside but it is very small. There's street parking but you may have to search a little since there's a few apartment complexes nearby. read more

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Quite a unique coffee shop located out by the front lobby of an apartment complex right next to an art gallery. Menu selection is quite limited so I chose the iced milk chocolate comes in one size for a mere $5 nothing really special. Exact change is required or pay by debit/credit card. Appertizers are very slim which they had more to choose from. Staff very friendly and attentive they do have a great outdoor seating and parking is along on the residential street just a walking distance from Japantown. It would be nice if they were open seven days a week and extend their hours. read more

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[REVIEW WRITTEN: 17 Nov 2025] This pop-up-ish is EPIC. Great neighborhood addition! The deets: + Set up is outside on sunny days. For colder days, they set up in the lobby of the Exhibit at JTown Apartments. + All drinks with the option of milk use OAT MILK. No dairy available. + My fave is the matcha latte lightly sweetened! + Pastries and chocolate are available to pair with their excellent coffee. + Owners are rad and very personable. Staff are friendly and the team is always asking how your day is going. + For hours of operation, check out their IG: https://www.instagram.com/tonocoffeeproject/ + Will sometimes make an appearance at JTOWN Farmer's Market (May - Oct) (https://www.japantownsanjose.org/sunday-farmers-market) read more

I've been to Tono a long time ago when they were in Palo Alto! One day they disappeared so I did always wonder where they went. Then realized they opened this next little pop up location here in Japantown! I like how simple their menu is and how affordable their drinks are. Or maybe I'm overpaying elsewhere but I got a white (latte) and a bar of chocolate for $9. Decor is also super cute! read more

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A nice quaint place that has a simple menu and great selection of beans~ Coffee is delicious here and we've been to their other pop ups in the bay. read more

Great little coffee spot. Barista was very friendly. Their menu is very small (a few espresso and matcha based options), but their drinks are really good. They use only oat milk in all of their drinks. Seating is very sparse - there is a couch and set of chairs inside and a few outdoor tables with chairs outside. read more

Cool spot. Pretty decent coffee and really unique pastries. Super friendly and welcoming service but if there's a line, be prepared to wait. The coffee is served one by one as each customer is tended to...at least that's how it was when we visited. Definitely worth a stop to relax and enjoy some quality coffee. read more

A tasteful little cafe that packs a punch! Stopped in after a long time of seeing their sign on the corner of 7th and Jackson st in Japantown and am so, so glad I did! The tea was smooth and well balanced with the oat milk, their only dairy. The pastry was absolutely delicious and fresh, better than many bakeries. My chocolate scone was small but really flavorful and not too sweet, the way it should be. I normally pass over chocolate pastries but it was all that was left. Prices are a little on the high side but worth it. Soft jazz music, nice and calm male baristas, an art gallery, outdoor tables- a perfect weekend spot! read more

I visited Tono coffee project for the first time a few weeks ago. Their concise menu and reasonable prices are refreshing in comparison to other cafes, which sometimes have an overwhelming list of options. I ordered the White, which is essentially a latte - this was on the lighter side compared to what I'm used to. There is also the option to add some sweetener if desired. Staff are outgoing and will make conversation if it's not too busy. While there is indoor and outdoor seating, tables are small so I would not recommend coming here to study or work. Street parking is available, but otherwise there isn't a parking lot. The coffee was 4/5, but giving an overall 5/5 for the vibes, menu, prices, and kind staff. I'll be back on weekends to try out Tono again! read more

Tono coffee project - menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

My favorite coffee popup in the South Bay! Their shop is located in SJ's Japantown and has beautiful minimalistic decor. They have a similarly simple menu. We got their "white," both iced and hot, which is their coffee with oat milk (their only option of milk is oat) slightly sweetened. The coffee was great! Super smooth and very toasty. The baristas were super knowledgeable and friendly so I highly recommend asking them more about their menu. Overall, amazing popup with some of the best coffee I've had in the Bay! Would definitely return to try their matcha + hojicha or any of their other drinks. read more

Tono coffee project - White (iced and hot) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Tono Coffee is tucked around the corner next to the railroad tracks, but it's a cute space with little chocolates and coffee beans for purchase. There was a few seats inside but I believe outside they have more seating in a sectioned off area with plants and murals. There was just one person working and he was very friendly and talkative to all the customers. I like that the menu is very simple and straightforward. My friend ordered a sweetened "white" and I got the sweetened matcha latte, and their only option is oat milk. The matcha was okay, it was batched for a squeeze bottle because I'm guessing their main focus is coffee, but it was overpowered by the taste of the oat milk. I didnt try the coffee but my friend said it was good! read more

Coffee was good, but the size was a bit small. However, the pastry was the standout! We had the Korean cheesy garlic bun and it was different then most pastries I've tasted and absolutely delicious! read more