Review Muse - Canberra

Opening times are incorrect. I drove quite a distance to arrive in time to have coffee and a quick bite. I arrived at 11:03am (Google says they're open until 12:00pm) and politely asked if I was too late for food. They told me that I wasn't too late for food, I was too late for a table. There were tables everywhere and had they asked, I would have just grabbed a quick coffee to go. Update opening times?

It was satisfying experience. The souffle was creamy and soft and definitely signature menu here! But it might be too heavy for breakfast🤣 Egg benny was delicious. Coffee was good as well, nice temperature, and flavour. They use my favourite coffee bean from redbrick:) I spent my sunday morning happily here.

One of the best & most popular breakfast/brunch venues in Canberra so do take the time to book. A few of tables are outside for nicer days. Both the staff and the menu are consistently good. The place doesn't fall into the trap of bulking-up offerings, instead it pleases by variety of taste. Don't forget to checkout the books on offer..they always amaze with their relevance to current affairs and history from a Canberra perspective.

Entering into the bookshop is welcoming and warm, and the lucky table sitting there will feel either lucky or uncomfortable as they are right near the front window by themselves but surrounded by so many lovely books! A number of options to eat but dishes were hit-and-miss; my Green Bowl was nicely seasoned and exactly what I wanted, but my sister's Hawaiian Poké Bowl was bland and disappointing, with cold undercooked rice and no exciting flavours. My soy coffee was nicely done. A little on the expensive side coming from Melbourne at $18-$20 per dish but a pleasant option for those staying at the attached hotel or in the area.

(3.5 stars) Fresh from a great sleep upstairs in the East Hotel, we didn’t have to wander far to find an interesting breakfast. Muse: Food, Wine & Books is another of the hotel’s onsite restaurants. Part bookstore, part all-day diner, you can access Muse either through the hotel’s stylish lobby, or from the street if you happen to be a Canberra local. The audience is clearly a good mix, testament to the hotel giving each internal restaurant an external face and identity. Being a bookshop restaurant, obviously books are a big part of the attraction, and you can buy a book at any time the restaurant is open. It’s not a gimmicky bookshop either, there’s a decent collection of contemporary fiction, current issues, arts and culture, food and wine, plus a political shelf where you can pick up a biography of your favourite ex-Prime Minister, with quite a few to choose from over the last few years. The other printed work I should mention is the wine list. It’s interesting, wide-ranging and cleverly arranged; enough to make me regret dining here too early in the day to give it a thorough going over. After a slightly shaky start where staff show irritation after we arrive without a reservation for an 8.30am breakfast on the advice of hotel reception staff, we’re seated in the dove grey dining room. With a baby grand piano in one corner, and natural light streaming in from both sides, it’s an attractive but simply furnished space. We’re quickly delivered our locally-roasted Red Brick Espresso coffees, in a pale-hued Latte ($4) and a Strong Flat White ($4.50). It’s smooth without being remarkable, a bit hollow in the middle for my liking. The breakfast menu is interesting, with dishes like Sriracha Eggs Benedict ($20) instantly grabbing my attention. A pair of poached eggs sit with pulled ham hock on sourdough toast under an eye-catching orange sriracha Hollandaise that eats as well as it looks. I find the ham hock a bit intense for breakfast though, and in such a generous portion, it tends to dominate the other ingredients on the plate. Ordering a Full English Breakfast ($26) in regional areas is a good way to taste test local produce without much adornment. Described as “no ands, ifs or buts”, Muse’s big brekky includes fried eggs, sausage, thick cut bacon, black pudding, grilled tomato and a whole grilled field mushroom (my favourite thing on the plate). With this much food on one plate, it would be advisable for the kitchen to heat their high-end crockery to ensure the diner gets to enjoy all of their food hot.

Great food, great service. It was busy when I was there and that didn't impact the staff at all. Highly recommend.

Friendly, happy and efficient, very comfortably furnished. A great manager keeps it all moving smoothly - well with a visit.

What a wonderful atmosphere, although I only had the fruit salad the dishes around me where refined and elegant to say the least. A added bonus was the attached small book shop :)

Popped into Muse while attending a conference at the East Hotel. The variety of books available in the bookshop was outstanding, some great reads. I'd recommend Muse to anybody whether looking for a gift or looking to expand their world view. Certainly worth paying a visit.

This was by far the best meal I have ever eaten in my life! Sour dough Miso steak Banana pecan Heaven on a stick! I will never be able to eat out anywhere else again as I will always compare it to this wonderous meal.

Probs my fave in Canberra. Great books, interesting food, amazing staff, good wine list and right next door to the funky Joe's Bar. At the quieter end of Giles St and just a great all around experience for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

We often find ourselves at MUSE Canberra. The food is excellent and the staff always friendly. No matter what you eat your find something on their wonderful menu. Oh, and the gluten free bread so absolutely fantastic! and... there is a great bookshop to browse. Love MUSE!

Limited menu however the food was excellent. Great service and atmosphere- musicians playing the evening we visited. The wine was expensive ($17 for a glass) but again I really enjoyed my glass of Pinot.

On a scale of 1 to amazing, if rate this a perfect. I would eat here again <3 The Asian chef there is very good with his food despite his young age. He is fairly good-looking too. 10/10 Would recommend.

Beautiful food and wonderful service. I have some special dietary requirements and they went to the trouble of looking up what would and wouldn't work before we arrived and then tailoring the meal for me. I was very happy and impressed. A lovely date night!

It was my first time at Muse, I was there with friends for brunch, the food was amazing very delicious and generous with portions, the atmosphere was great and the staff very friendly will definitely be back

One of the most innovative restaurants in Canberra, in my humble opinion. I haven't seen steak tartare on the menu for years and as for gnocci with king prawns, never. Both were delicious. The service is impeccable, the wine I had magnificent, so we will be back. (If you like a big smooth red, try the Zeitgeist Shiraz from Barossa.) I even bought a book.

Amazing food and service, extensive breakfast menu and it was delicious. Great for families too. Quaint setting in a boutique bookshop.

Just had lunch with a friend. Incredibly tasty, innovative food at top value for money prices. Terrific staff. Your mix and match menu is spot on. Cheers

Christmas lunch was amazing and the staff were so generous and cheerful even when working Christmas Day.

Love the vibe of Muse, its menu and its lovely staff.

Just had the best breakfast I have ever had at muse! Wonderful choices and well executed breakfasts.. We over ordered as there was so much choice and such generous serves.. Coffee rocked as well! Keep up the great work! So lovely to have a book store there toi

Set within a bookstore selling a wonderfully curated selection of new and second hand books, Muse serves food from dawn into the night. We loved visiting for breakfast every morning during our stay at the East Hotel.<br/><br/>Muse serves up a stunning breakfast menu with an exciting selection of food options to suit everyone. For the coffee-enthusiasts, there is much to love – the coffee is poured by adept baristas and is frankly brilliant.<br/><br/>For something truly decadent, we recommend the baked soufflé. This is sheer pleasure on a plate – Think cloth-wrapped aged Tasmanian Ashgrove cheddar interlaced with shavings of double-smoked ham in the form of a fluffy airy, cheesy souffle. Just yum!

(3.5 stars)<br/> Fresh from a great sleep upstairs in the East Hotel, we didn’t have to wander far to find an interesting breakfast. Muse: Food, Wine & Books is another of the hotel’s onsite restaurants. Part bookstore, part all-day diner, you can access Muse either through the hotel’s stylish lobby, or from the street if you happen to be a Canberra local. The audience is clearly a good mix, testament to the hotel giving each internal restaurant an external face and identity. Being a bookshop restaurant, obviously books are a big part of the attraction, and you can buy a book at any time the restaurant is open. It’s not a gimmicky bookshop either, there’s a decent collection of contemporary fiction, current issues, arts and culture, food and wine, plus a political shelf where you can pick up a biography of your favourite ex-Prime Minister, with quite a few to choose from over the last few years. The other printed work I should mention is...

Really well executed egg ben. I hate hollandaise and poached eggs with vinegar-y taste and this egg ben def doesn’t have it. The pulled pork was soft and juicy without being too rich.

Loved it. Beautiful environment with the adjoining bookshop, fresh Christmas tree, loveky music and even a baby grand piano adorned with with today's newspapers.<br/>We visited a few times whilst guests of East Hotel.<br/>Service was faultless and coffee was great.<br/>We also took a group for breakfast. The waiter took our orders, many with alterations or additions without taking notes and everyone's orders were spot on.<br/>I indulged in the aged cheddar souffle with ham. Oh my, so glad I did, it was delightful. Very rich and cheesey, I enjoyed every spoonful I ate.<br/>Highly recommend it.

I love this little spot in Kingston with adjoining bookshop. We went for Father's Day breakfast & found it very kid friendly- my nephew loved his baby chino and kids meal. There are plenty of healthy choices and I was very happy with my green bowl full of broccolini, kale, avocado, quinoa, haloumi, poached eggs, toasted almonds and I added a cheeky side of thick cut bacon for good measure.

Muse is great. Friendly and attentive staff, decent menu options and they allow you to build your own breakfast. I had quinoa toast with avo, sautéed mushrooms, oven baked tomatoes and a fresh OJ. Yum! If I ever find myself in Canberra again, I'll definitely go to Muse again.

Very cool vibe, and I always end walking away with a new book to add to the collection! Great for weekend brunch or a wine (whiney?) night with the girls.

Being unique in menu, at lunch the menu includes two salads/sides for  $16 or three for $20 (ideal for light eating or to share). For larger appetites, a main at lunch with two salads/sides is $26 or with three is $28. In fact the whole menu is very well priced. Mains are $22-$28…. Desserts are $12…

amazingly lovely cafe. I love the location，ambience，the food，the idea of book，the sitting...we sat by the window.it was so nice to glance at the view outside. Unfortunately, it was cloudy today. It must be better on sunny day. I ordered healthy breakfast which is vegetarian. I will back to try more.

Unpleasant staff.Service was poor.

Pro: Have been there twice for breakfast. The food options are extensive and very good. The Srirachi Eggs Benedict with ham hock is my pick. <br/><br/>Con: The let down is the service time, 45min+ wait for breakfast on the both occasions. For a small establishment, it really should be better.

Was staying at the East Hotel so ended up having breakfast here twice. Both times was delish and the service is wonderful. I'd go here even if I wasn't staying at the hotel

An interesting place - a bit noisy when busy but food is consistently good and worth a few extra decibels. Breakfast choices more on the good-and-wholesome side: poached salmon with eggs and sides was delicious...even the toast with nut butter was wholesome!

A fabulous addition to the Canberra restaurant scene. Our favourite dish is the black garlic gnocchi with pan fried prawns. This dish also has roasted cherry tomatoes, spinach, zucchini and garlic. There is an excellent wine list and the cheeses are superb.

Muse is a delightful airy space at East Hotel, Kingston. The staff are friendly and helpful, the service was prompt and the food is delicious. We had the Eggs Benedict x 2, the Buckwheat Waffles and the Croissant Pudding that was the special of the day all washed down with Mimosas (celebrating a birthday) and coffees. The coffees were not as hot as requested but overall the experience at Muse was definitely one to be repeated!

Very pleasant! Sums up my first experience at Muse. Not normally one for eggs benedict but I saw a serving and decided to give it a go and so glad I did. The hollandaise was perfect not too rich not over done. The egg yokes a little pale for my liking but cooked to perfection. The highlight however was the service, attentive without being annoying and one of the cleverest waiters I have ever encountered.

I love the idea of a cafe in a bookshop and Muse is almost this! Located in the beautiful East Hotel you can enter Muse through a trendy bookshop before walking up a few stairs to enter the cafe. The menu is amazing and I wanted to try almost everything. I went with the buckwheat and coconut waffles with burnt honey semifreddo, baked rhubarb and berry compote. As expected, it was divine. The only downfall was the side of bacon. It was a beautiful piece of bacon but more than 50% of it was fat and that was inedible. I love bacon and I know that it's fatty but when it's $5 for one piece.... The waitress was so good and I actually didn't even have to say anything because she was the one that noticed I hadn't eaten much and pointed out how much fat was on it. She took it back to the chef and they happily took the price off the bill. There was no fuss caused and they completely understood. The food is reasonably priced and the location is really nice. I can't wait to go back and try more dishes from the menu!

UPDATE<br/>Returned for weekend brunch and was not disappointed. A dish described as smoked trout (substituted from salmon), zucchini pasta, poached eggs and hollandaise was so very much more... Quenelles of a fluffy "pate" of smoked trout were presented on a salad of fresh, summery greens, and allowed the dish to shine independently of the egg and hollandaise placed in one corner. My espresso (red brick coffee) was fruity and clean tasting and a delight. My Bloody Mary was well seasoned and not over-spiced... Not discernibly different for all that it was listed as the "house recipe" but so often brunch venues get it wrong- sometimes success is in simply not ruining it. <br/><br/>Staff were friendly and engaging.<br/><br/>I will be back with a book or notepad and pen for as long as they will allow me.<br/><br/><br/>------------<br/><br/>Currently my favourite location for dinner in the Kingston/Manuka patch.  A small but well curated menu where the chef is clearly trying to get off the beaten path that features interesting takes on beef tartare, ceviche and others.  Plates are (generally) designed for sharing, but not so large that they couldn't also be a single serve.  Some excellent cheese choices, but ultimately, ultimately ITS IN A BOOK SHOP.   I can eat interesting food, drink a glass of something the waiter recommends IN A BOOK SHOP. <br/><br/>Overall:  good for those who want to try something different from the standard fare.  Expect that they may not always get it right (couple next to us didn't enjoy their choice of dessert) but you'll love them for taking a chance and engaging your sense of adventure.  I will be back to try their breakfast.

Being unique in menu, at lunch the menu includes two salads/sides for  $16 or three for $20 (ideal for light eating or to share). For larger appetites, a main at lunch with two salads/sides is $26 or with three is $28. In fact the whole menu is very well priced. Mains are $22-$28…. Desserts are $12…

Stylish eatery cum bookstore in the lux East Hotel. Nice ambience with the books and a grand piano near the window. I had the herb crusted lamb with some salad. I like the fact you can choose your main meat and mix it up with the sides. The lamb was luke warm and could have done with a red wine reduction to heat it up, the salad was excellent.

It’s hard to keep up with all the new cafes opening in Canberra, but when I heard about Muse, a cafe/restaurant/bookshop, it went to the top of the list. We booked in on a Sunday morning and were all delighted by the space; despite the industrial feel with concrete floors, it wasn’t very noisy and fresh flowers added a nice style element. The menu had some exciting options, and I went with the most unusual – brown rice with avocado, beef tapa, chilli jam and a fried egg. As it came to the table, we could all smell the garlic rice aroma and I was delighted to see that the dish looked like bibimbap. I wasn’t disappointed flavour-wise – the beef was a bit sweet and tender, the fried egg was oozy and salty, and the garlic rice was a dream. I appreciated the fresh carrot to break up the heaviness of the rest of the dish. Our drinks arrived much later than our food, but I loved my fresh lemon and ginger tea – it was literally those two things in hot water and was the perfect digestive at the end of a lovely breakfast. I can’t wait to come back!

Where in Canberra can you find a meeting of literature, art and good food? Muse is a new venture located in the East Hotel, in the inner south of Canberra. My good friend Serina, who blogs at Ms Frugal Ears and has been published in the Canberra Times, kindly shared her lunch experience at this new and exciting space. If you’re interested in finding out more about this new restaurant/bookstore, read on!

After the recent launch of Joe’s Bar at the East Hotel in Kingston, Muse has opened up nearby. Part book store, part wine bar and part cafe, Muse offers a sleek new hangout all day and night. There was no signage out the front of the East Hotel (yet) so J and I walked in to the reception area for directions. Muse is literally next door to Joe’s Bar, and we entered via the book store.