Muse Coffee Company

My coffee was pretty good, the service was very quick and nice and the décor was trendy.

Yummy zucchini cranberry muffin. And the guy working was nice. Not overwhelmingly sweet and not rude. Just perfect :)

The owner, Adam, is excellent! Fantastic décor, a lot of outside parking, toys for kids to play with, unique snacks and desserts, very cool art, and delicious handcrafted coffee! This is definitely somewhere I plan to return as much as I’m in the area!

I really enjoy this shop. It seems like Seattle coffee shops are often these strange, awkward spaces that are either pretentiously coffee focused («we have the best roast, pull the best shots, etc. etc.) or have a cozy environment that sacrifices on drink quality. If coffee shops are Seattle’s «third place», they should all feel more like this. The coffee (Herkimer) is tasty, the baristas are friendly and efficient, and the prices are reasonable. In terms of space, Muse is well lit by huge windows and soft lamps, has comfortable chairs and couch, large tables for work projects or homework, and some of the best music selections I’ve heard just about anywhere.

Today was my first visit to this part of Queen Anne. Well, I came here because I wanted to give Muse a try.
Coffee: they use Herkimer coffee. The drip is a strong blend. Really good. I went back for a refill. They also have all your typical espresso drinks. I think a 16oz latte was about $ 4. A drip was in the $ 2 range, depending on size. Not sure if this is the norm, but they didn’t charge me for a refill.
Snacks: they have an assortment of baked goods incl cookies, scones etc. Some were from Il Fournil.
Ambiance: Nice space. There is a nice seating area with a couch and 2 comfy chairs in addition to 4 – 5 square tables that can easily accommodate 2 people with laptops. This is a good study spot. There is also a higher table with bar stools. Good upbeat music was playing, but not too loud.
Service: very good, no complaints.
Easy parking on the street. Free wifi. Clean, single person bathroom.
I would definitely come back!

The art rotates often, so there is always something new to look at. There are good work spaces, good lounge places, and even toys for kids. He is open early and the coffee is great.

Decided to go here on a whim. I had to do work and I wanted to find a place that wouldn’t be so crowded. So I crossed my fingers and drove over to Queen Anne. It’s a cute little coffee shop (very visually appealing) with very nice baristas. There is plenty of street parking available, another reason for me to come back. This place has a great atmosphere– perfect for reading a book or having a casual conversation with a friend.

Popped in for coffee after a visit to Kerry Park. We’d been confined to downtown/​South Lake Union all week, so we wanted to find a spot with more of a quiet neighborhood feel. Unilocal didn’t disappoint with this recommendation… Cappuccino was great and Murcia (mocha with orange zest) was awesome.

I used to live a block from Muse during my good ‘olé college days and would plop myself down at one of their tables most afternoons to study. Great coffee, great location, great ambiance, comfortable seating, great staff. The owner was there most days, always super friendly. You could definitely tell that they take pride in making this a successful small business!
Wish I still lived in Queen Anne.

I work right down from Muse at Classique Queen Anne spa and after having my first cup of coffee there this morning I have no idea why it’s taken me this long to go over there! Adam definitely knows how to pull some espresso and I’m very happy for that :-)

Muse Coffee Co. ROCKS!!! Terry is a pro and I love that I have a nice comfortable place to kick back and read a book or just relax and enjoy a great cup of coffee. Also, it’s very convenient to have a coffee shop like this so close to my business as I know I can trust Terry to take care of my customers while they wait for their iPhones or iPods to be fixed :) Thanks again!

New ownership ruined this place.
I’ve lived down the street from Muse for years and have long regarded it as one of the best coffee shops in Seattle – excellent coffee, friendly service, and couches! Sadly, last April former-​owner Brent sold the place to one of the rudest fellows I’ve ever encountered. He was always generally unpleasant and treated customers with disdain, but then the unforgivable occurred. I had paid for a cup of drip a few weeks ago and sat down to read the paper when a neighborhood friend spotted me through the window and popped in to say hi. She had been seated for no more than 5 minutes when the owner walked over to inform her that she had to buy a drink or get out! Humiliating! If the service was still great, I could forgive that the once perfect, caramelly americanos are now a bit weak and acidic, but I’d rather go to the dentist than give my money to that jerk.

Muse is in a strange location in Queen Anne, in a single commercial block surrounded by houses. I’m a regular and it’s a great place for me to hang out. I like the quirky art, interesting but not intrusive music, outdoor seating when it’s warm enough to want to sit outside, and especially the couch! Why are couches so rare in coffeehouses? Sometimes I just want to lounge with my coffee!
Oh, right, I should mention the coffee: better than most, and I’m a snob, so that’s a compliment. The staff wants to make sure that your coffee is just the way you like it, so they’ll talk to you about milk temperature, blends, etc. Unlike another of my fave places where, depending on the barista, you’ll get brushed off for not being cool enough to bother conversing with.
Muse never runs out of bagels! It’s true! And there are a lot of sweet pastry choices if you’re in the mood. Lately they’ve been experimenting with different types of pastry, but one of my old favorites is the blackberry tart.

Muse is a little out of the way for me to get to and isn’t a place I’d seek out when I’m in the mood for espresso. The espresso I had was good, but there are a lot of wonderful coffee shops in Seattle and this place didn’t offer anything that makes me want to come back.
It looks like they use Herkimer espresso (the beans were available for sale on the counter) and the barista made me a decent cappuccino. It was a little hot and the foam was bubbly and dry, but I’m admittedly very snobby about espresso drinks. The drink was far better than what you’ll get at any chain, but not on par with what you can find at the better independent shops in town (like Herkimer). I’d definitely give them another shot, but I wasn’t that impressed.

Another spectacular reason to love Seattle’s little hood’s. Nearly every neighborhood is guaranteed to have a local indie coffee house.
Muse is nestled randomly in a section of Queen Ann and thus leads to a perfect spot to rest your bones in its tranquil seating.
Props are for the friendly baristo along with the 15% off Unilocal discount. Its almost like getting a free coffee here!
I spent a solid 3 hours here and can tell you it is the most relaxing and welcoming café little café in a long time.

A Unilocaler buddy asked me to go to Muse with her so that she could vent her deepest secrets and be 100% not cynical or guarded. I decided that would be neat since even though I live in Seattle, I don’t think I’ve been to Queen Anne in years. I don’t hear many people say «What are you doing Friday? Let’s hit up Queen Anne!» So we went to Muse.
Coffee:
I respect places that have their own unique coffee, because most small coffee shops that pride themselves on being not Starbucks serve Café Vita. Dear coffee shops: If you all serve the same brand of coffee, you’re just like Starbucks. Sorry to burst your bubble.
The coffee tasted like it had some nice flavor, but I ordered a mocha and there was no chocolate taste whatsoever. No sugar taste even. My friend’s coffee tasted better though, so I am not marking them down much. I would just recommend not getting the mocha.
Food:
I also got a blueberry scone which was extremely soft. Very few blueberries, but the… what do you call the scone part of the scone. Dough? The dough was great.
Location:
This place is really nice inside. There are a bunch of different styles of chairs, and the setup is such that it looks like a good place to be social with friends or even strangers. There is one chair that is shaped like an egg and hangs from the ceiling. Neat.
Service:
Nice guy. Not the most interactive or attentive, but he was friendly.
Whatever. It’s a coffee shop. It’s what I expect a coffee shop to me. Bonus points for serving their own coffee, minus points for the mocha tasting dry.

+1 Service
— Friendly baristas
— Self-​service water
+1 Ambience
— Great music (Beatles, Postal Service)
— Rotating local art
— Spacious tables for studying
— Comfy chairs for cabals
+1 Dietary Restriction Awareness
— Soy and rice milk dairy-​alternatives
+1 Quality
— Coffee is Ok, decent tea selection
My Review System:
+1 star for Service — if the staff could not be replaced with robots, or doing so would not be an improvement, 1 star is awarded.
+1 star for Ambience — music, rotating art, nice lighting, comfortable seating, etc.
+1 for awareness and friendliness to Dietary Restrictions. This can very wildly from «has soy milk available» to «gluten-​free /​Halal /​etc. items are kept in a separate container and separate kitchen implements are used for preparation».
+0−2 stars for Quality of Food /​Services

What a great little shop!
You kinda have to hunt for the Muse Coffee Co. because if you blink as you’re driving by on 10^th, it would be really easy to miss. Make it a point to stop in though — well worth it!
It’s a pretty small little shop — but it’s got style. I especially liked the artwork on the walls. At the time of this writing, it was some great photography of fall leaves/​collages. Very nice. Fit perfectly for the feel of Muse — especially on this particularly gray and rainy November afternoon.
Now, on to the most important thing: The coffee.
Ahhh! Finally! An exceptional americano! So good! I like my americanos to have just a tiny layer of black/​brown froth on the top. I think it kind of differentiates between a good barista and an average one. And the gal who made mine at MUSE made it perfect! Four stars for the coffee alone. The pastries looked good too! (next time)
This place was silent like a library. Which I found to be a little odd. But everyone in here was pretty much tuned out on their wi-​fi. Whatever. That’s cool. Just kind of made it a little impersonal.
I don’t find myself in this part of Queen Anne very often, but when I do, I think I’m going to make a couple of extra turns just to stop in to Muse.
4 Stars — for excellent coffee!

It’s a little bit out of the way, but Muse Coffee Company is worth the trip. The place seems like more of a local hangout, which makes sense. Muse is at the upper reaches of Queen Anne, and while you don’t quite need a compass and the North Star to find your way here, it’s not a part of town that you happen to wander into often. Everyone in the shop seemed to know each other and the barista knew all the patrons by name (except me, the interloper), which is cool.
The place is fairly small, perhaps room for a dozen or so, but cozy. There are some hanging lights across the counter and the room is oriented into three separate sections: a few tables with chairs, a small sofa section and a counter near the window. There are appealing parts to all three areas, although I only tested the tables. The latte was very good and above average for Seattle and I had a slice of the German Chocolate Cake (very tasty!) which I heartily recommend.
And the vibe here is very friendly; the barista even wandered over between customers to chat and inquire about the pastries. Recommended.

Dfens at coffee shops? What the hell am I wasting my time at a coffee shop instead of the Lusty Lady for Christ Sakes? Well this is the only neighborhood coffee shop in walking distance of West Queen Anne. And when I say walking distance I mean one fat lazy bastard (me) and my legendary 3lb sidekick, Amelie the dog
But if I had to choose a coffee shop to be nearby it would be Muse. Of course there’s free wi-​fi which is a must. The space is on the smaller school yet they still manage to fit a few of tables inside and number of chairs outside. There’s even a couch and plenty of outlets for the computer and though the place is rarely empty it’s never quite full meaning that you can grab a cup of joe without being forced to share a table with «Big Fat Smelly» Joe. Of course if you’re into that kind of kinky stuff I’m not judging.
The space is well designed. When you walk in you’ll see two really cool hanging lights that are decorated with notes with sayings such as «the truth is between the lines». The lighting is perfect and the place is well kept. And let’s not forget the infamous Unilocal sticker on the door.
You’ll also notice a chair hanging by the ceiling near the window. Yes, you can sit in it. Hera’s proof
The prices of the drinks are average which is good for an independent coffee shop. And everytime I’ve gotten a drink here it was well put together. They also offer the typical variety of muffins and breads.
This is a neighborhood coffee shop which means that you don’t have 8 teenagers in a Starbucks apron throwing together drinks while plotting where they’re going to hangout after work. I think this I s a good thing but some people rather have chicks talking about the NKOTB reunion which is fine with me (I’s a Backstreet Boys fan myself)
The owner is also really nice. In a time when a majority of businesses are run by a bunch of mean and grumpy people, Brent the owner is really cool. He used to have a Unilocal review posted here but I think too many of you cheap Unilocal bastards must have taken advantage of the free cup of coffee he offered. Thanks a lot of guys because Seattle Unilocal could have had a «spike the coffee» DYL here.
Then again I heard that you can bring flasks to the Lusty Lady.