Chromatic Coffee roasts its own beans at a small West San Jose warehouse and serves the result at two cafes — one at the roastery on Forest Avenue, the other on East Santa Clara Street. The coffee is consistently among the best in the South Bay; pour-overs and single-origin espresso are the things to order.
The roastery cafe is the more interesting space, with bags of green beans stacked along the walls and the roasters visible through a glass partition. The Santa Clara Street location is the easier visit for tourists, sitting near downtown and the SJSU campus. Either way, the drink in your hand is unusually thoughtful for what looks like a casual takeaway counter.