Café Muse

Restaurant · Royal Oak

Café Muse

Restaurant · Royal Oak

3

418 S Washington Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067

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Café Muse by null
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Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
Café Muse by null
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Highlights

Bright, cozy European-style eatery offers locally focused comfort food & beer amid local art.  

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418 S Washington Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067 Get directions

cafemuseroyaloak.com
@cafemusero

$$ · Menu

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418 S Washington Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067 Get directions

+1 248 544 4749
cafemuseroyaloak.com
@cafemusero
𝕏
@CafeMuseRO

$$ · Menu

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Last updated

Jul 10, 2025

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@eater

"When founders David Smith and Greg Reyner opened Café Muse in 2006, they were among some of the earlier adopters of sourcing ingredients locally as much as possible. Since then, the daytime eatery has become known for its bountiful brunch offerings, including its cinnamon raisin french toast stuffed with mascarpone and topped with five-spice pear, smoked salmon scramble with gruyere and chives, and fiery bloody marys made with McClure’s bloody mary mix. The restaurant has recently made some changes and now shares the space with Cafe de Olla, a Mexican eatery featuring traditional antojitos." - Serena Maria Daniels

Where to Dine and Drink During Pride Month in Detroit
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@eater

"Before the partial reopening of Michigan restaurants, when it was just himself and Reyner working at the restaurant, Smith says he was more understanding of Cafe Muse customers doing curbside pickup without a mask. At this point, though, he’s surprised by people who wander in and claim they don’t yet own a mask, noting that grocery stores and similar establishments have required them by state executive order for quite some time. He keeps a handful of masks on hand and gives them out if patrons don’t have one in their car, at extra cost to the restaurant." - Brenna Houck

Restaurant Employees Become the Unexpected Enforcers of Mask Policies - Eater Detroit
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@eater

"The South American restaurant is being developed by Atomic co-owner Greg Reyner, who owns Cafe Muse in Royal Oak and is partnered with The Royce wine bar’s Ping Ho on a forthcoming restaurant and butcher shop called Marrow in West Village." - Brenna Houck

Peruvian Restaurant to Join Atomic Chicken’s Ranks in New Center - Eater Detroit
View Postcard for Café Muse

the wicked Xur

Google
First time in Cafe Muse, love the atmosphere and the style. Drink specials all sounded amazing, food was very decently priced for the food you got. I order the grilled hanger steak sandwich, with a side salad and I ordered an espresso martini with a shot of espresso on the side(after all still need my coffee for the morning and what better way to enjoy it). The meal as a whole looked very well on presentation and tasted as good as it looked. I recommend stopping in for food (breakfast or lunch) or even for drinks. Will be making a return stop

The Strand Magazine

Google
We need more places like Muse, an urban oasis where you can sit quietly and forget your troubles. The omelettes are amazing and the potatoes are done just right. Avoid the steak and eggs, the steak is very tough. The service is professional and unobtrusive. Time to go back to evening hours Cafe Muse!

Ed P

Google
Good, not great. Very difficult to get a cup of coffee, let alone a refill, making it a questionable breakfast spot. The waffles were excellent, but the scrambled eggs seemed highly processed. Meh.

Nicole Koss

Google
Pretty little spot on the strip. Vegan options! Tried the delicious tofu scramble with soy chorizo & pico alongside herbed potatoes, which they offered to grill with oil instead of butter. Loved that! Our waitress was friendly and kept the coffee coming. We will be back, specifically, to try the vegan burger next.

Kylie Arsenault

Google
went here with a friend for brunch on a wednesday ! it was virtually empty in there so service was speedy. our waitress was very nice & our food was yummy. my friend got tomato bisque with grilled cheese & i got the mushroom egg white omelet dish. i also got a bloody mary, which i didn’t taste and alcohol nor did it give me any sort of buzz whatsoever… but it was 11am on a weekday so i really had no business being tipsy anyways lol

rosie

Google
Interesting little place. It was cute and we got seated fast and the food came out fast. Our host took our drink order after the waitress said she would be back to take it, not a big deal but once we placed our drinks with the host, the waitress came back and said she recommended other drinks because people don’t usually like the drinks we ordered. I appreciate her telling us but it did seem odd. The food was good, and decently priced, we enjoyed our sandwiches. We got a side of chips with our order and when they came I was surprised the chips looked like ruffles chips. I would have preferred they just came in the bag, or would have offered fries as a side.

Jaylin Bailey

Google
Went in for brunch and i was pleasantly surprised I ordered the steak and eggs with a side of potatoes, i also got a side of their seafood cheese grits. I have to say everything was seasoned and cooked perfectly, probably some of the best scrambled eggs I’ve eaten while dining out. The grits were good a little to thick for my liking but good flavor overall. I will definitely be coming back to this place in the future.

Valencia Powell

Google
This was my second visit here. The first time seemed better, which is why I came back. This time wasn’t as appealing. While the food was good, I didn’t realize how small the portions are for the price. I tried the Hawaiian mimosa, it was delicious. The seafood grits were great (aside from the crab or shrimp shell that made its way in there) but would have been better if it were more to enjoy. The portion size was tiny. I love the ambiance and atmosphere. Perfect for a brunch date. But not if you’re hungry! The service was good! Very polite and professional.

Judy L.

Yelp
I am a long time patron of Cafe Muse. The food is consistently good but its the staff that has me coming back again and again. Lindsay and Patricia have been there almost as long as i've been dining there. I always feel welcomed. My preferences wordlessly met. Any issues quickly addressed. And there is always the heads-up whenever a my favorite special is on the menu. (Its the quiche). I appreciate their attention and consideration. Its what has motivated my return visits and strong recommendation.

Alex M.

Yelp
I arrived at Cafe Muse around 10:15 on Saturday and had no problem getting a table for two. There are not too many tables inside, but thankfully it was not busy at the time. The hostess was very quick to bring me water and coffee while I waited for my friend to join me. All of the sweet breakfast items looked amazing, but we both ended up getting the Plain Jane Scramble. The food arrived very quickly and was steaming hot. The eggs were nice and fluffy and were a great sized portion- neither of us could finish our eggs! With the meal comes a giant slice of sourdough bread, and we chose the garlic potatoes over the mashed sweet potatoes. The toast was great, and my only complaint was that the serving of the potatoes was not larger. The meal also came with a few slices of fruit and the pineapple was very good. I chose to add on a side of bacon which was cooked perfectly. The coffee was standard but also tasted good. My friend ordered a vanilla latte and she felt that there was a bit too much foam on top, which she ended up scooping off. Our server was attentive, but towards the end of our meal we did have to wait a bit to get another coffee. I did not have a problem with the 20% gratuity being added on, but we had good service and I would have tipped 20% regardless! But I do understand the frustration of not receiving good service and then having to leave a mandatory tip. Based on my experience today, I would recommend Cafe Muse. We had good service and while we ordered a "plain" breakfast it was executed well. I would definitely be interested in coming back and trying some of their sweet options next!

Lima W.

Yelp
Could not be more disappointed. I used to love Cafe Muse. Any time I wanted to do something special for Brunch I would suggest there. For Mother's Day I took my mother and grandmother there for a special breakfast, they drove over an hour to come - worst dining experience I have had in a VERY long time. First, when I made the reservation two weeks in advance no one mentioned that it was a breakfast buffet. So that was disappointing right off the bat when I arrived, but ok. I was sure it'd be phenomenal since the hostess said they always do a Mother's Day brunch. Speaking of hostess, when I arrived the restaurant was maybe half full (emphasized that it was NOT busy, nor was there a line of any sort) and I still waited at least 10 minutes for someone to seat me, about five minutes in someone did acknowledge me and ask me to wait while she went and laughed with the bar staff for five more minutes - I could clearly see her??? We were seated with no instruction for the buffet. I grabbed a coffee from the coffee bar they had set up (coffee was horrible but what do you expect when it's mass produced for an event, I understood), there was honey all over it. The "waitress" (I put in quotes because she had regular clothes unlike the rest of the staff) came to finally tell us about the coffee bar and we asked what other people were drinking in the large mugs. She goes "oh those are cappuccinos, they're not included" and we say "ok, do you have a drink list?" then looks visibly annoyed and rattles off like three drink items. We all agree we all want cappuccinos, which she verbalizes a third time that they cost extra - we get it. Finally get to the food - it was really not that great. And not a single item was labeled so I couldn't even tell you what was and was not good unless the item was painfully obvious like mac & cheese. Then at the end we get a $200 bill (already includes a generous tip) for only three people who had a terrible experience all around. My grandma mentioned to me "I think we bring it up to the register, I saw someone else do that" and I told her I didn't think so, then the "waitress" who was picking up a dish nearby goes "i've been waiting for you to put a card down" - which she wasn't even the one who dropped the bill so how would we know that's what she was waiting for? she didn't ask how our meal was or check on us or anything. For all we know her sole purpose was to grab drinks and that's it. I hope the kitchen staff received that tip because the one lady we spoke to was the only pleasant person there and she was working her butt off!! I've worked in customer service for years and I get that people can have a hard day, things can get busy, etc. But almost every single person we encountered was a true displeasure and the food was sub-par. I won't be going back even for a regular meal or ever recommending this establishment again. I was embarrassed my guests drove so far for this experience.

Ash P.

Yelp
This place is okay. Could be so much more. Doesn't seem to be diverse at all. Only one server and the food was okay . My son loved the BLT and fresh squeezed orange juice. But I ordered from the savory part ... salmon and eggs with fruit and caramel latte . Which was just ok not bad not good just ok and the salmon was over salted the latte tasted old I did not finish it. The ambiance is however very cute . Will not be on my list to return.

Taylor H.

Yelp
Food 5/5 So, the Exotic mushroom scramble and the Smoked salmon scramble have had me in a chokehold for years now. So much so I won't order anything else. The other menu items spark my interest. I just cannot come here and not order a scramble paired with a mimosa. Service 3.5/5 the restaurant has been short staffed. Causing long wait times, certain items not being in stock and unpleasant staff. I sat at the bar during my last visit her service was amazing! Ambiance 5/5 I absolutely love unique art work and color scheme.

Angela A.

Yelp
I visited this restaurant once. The restaurant has two seating areas, but only one side was open. We waited about 30 minutes before we were seated. The waitress seemed to have short patience when dealing with the customers. The menu is sort of limited when it comes to selections. We were their for brunch, and the food was decent. I don't think I would go back because of the selection of dishes served. It was fine, just a different spin on food selections.

Kim D.

Yelp
I was there with a group of 20+ people for a local brunch club. I received my drink fairly promptly and it was a very refreshing drink at that. It took quite a while for our orders to be taken, but with so many people trying to figure out what they wanted, not everyone was actually ready to order at the same time. I don't blame the staff for that. I ordered the mushroom bisque along with the three-cheese grilled cheese sandwich. Both were served hot and fresh, and both tasted good. I don't know that this was the 'best' grilled cheese I've ever eaten in my life, but it was a decent one.

Katerina L.

Yelp
It could have been good but... The place is not very big and only main portion is being used so if you have more than 4 people- most likely prepare to wait. Once you are seated - prepare to wait some more. Basically, this is not a place if you don't have at least a couple of hours to spare. Food was pretty good otherwise, BUT it seems like half of the items were served in seriously chipped dishes! And it's not ok. Now as far as actual food goes: oatmeal was good, cheddar grits was very good. But smoked salmon scramble wasn't what I expected. Salmon was very salty. I'm not sure if they fried lox or what- just don't. French toast needed to be redone.

Charli O.

Yelp
Had lunch with a friend on a Wednesday at 11 am. I had no problem parking near the restaurant in street parking, which is metered and back in only (a bit difficult and counter intuitive). Service was pleasant and prompt. We sat along the side where there is a banquette on one side and a chair on the other of a two top table. I ordered a raspberry lemonade and ricotta lemon pancakes along with a side of bacon. The pancakes were six decent sized cakes, tender and delightfully lemony, with blueberry syrup - not too sweet. The lemonade was cool and refreshing. The bacon was just ok. My friend and I were able to take our time and didn't feel rushed in conversation.

Vy N.

Yelp
Great brunch place, I always go during off times and miss the rush thankfully. Get the waffles they are so delicious and you can't really taste the difference compared to other waffles. Prices are reasonable too and waitress was super nice.

K M.

Yelp
Though they do not take reservations for parties under 5-6 persons, we called ahead on this late weekend morning and were encouraged to, "come on in". Brunch was simply PERFECTION. There are two rooms for seatings. We were seated in the simple, more cavernous space with the bar. My Peach Bellini was delicious and the pour was generous. My companion enjoyed the Exotic Mushroom Scramble along with a flavorful side chicken / kale sausage. I decided on a cup of the thick, hot, scrumptious Mushroom Bisque. My only regret is that I ordered a cup of soup instead of a bowl - it was that good! The Smoked Salmon Sandwich was done perfectly. Several, different toasted breads may be chosen. Our server, Robert was an excellent bartender, attentive server and amazing barista. He made the BEST triple shot Americano i have EVER had! Thank you. Of course, we plan to return!

Shawn S.

Yelp
Party of 12 and staff struggled to accommodate. You cannot change seats at the table or it'll disturb staff. Steak served at one temperature. Overall was good. Would like to try again with a smaller party.

Stacy C.

Yelp
Went here for Easter Brunch. The food and service was exceptional. Lindsay was so kind and attentive to our table. Food was fresh and came out hot. Excellent experience and can't wait to come back! 5 Stars!

Laurinda R.

Yelp
Understaffed. Terrible experience. And tip automatically added to the bill. Sadly this will be my last time visiting.

Mercedes M.

Yelp
Service was nice and the waitress was very pleasant. Ambiance isn't bad at all. However, certain food items weren't good at all. I had the mushroom scramble, the eggs taste as if they mixed milk with them to make them fluffy but instead they taste watery to me and the mushrooms were gummy. I could not understand how the mushrooms had such a gummy consistency. This is my food as I am about to leave I didn't bother to eat it. The toast was very good and they only give you about less than a half full of potatoes however they too were good. I didn't like how the waitress noticed the plate consisted of all of the eggs and mushrooms and didn't ask "how did everything taste" noticing I had picked over the foo

Leah R.

Yelp
Delish food. I got the mushroom and cheese scramble skillet and it had so much flavor. My friends got the Plain Jane skillet and enjoyed it. Only knocked off a star because after getting our food service took a while for the little things like ketchup or coffee but the staff still had a great attitude! Once we reminded them they were able to bring it out again with a small delay. It was a Saturday morning brunch so they were running around busy. Great location too in walking distance of many other royal oaks shops!

eli h.

Yelp
No host at the front. Someone said they would be right with us. Saw open tables and people getting served. Waited 10 more minutes and left.

Dawn H.

Yelp
After being turned away from a different breakfast spot my sisters and I came to Cafe Muse. This was my first time here but my sister said we would love it. It was a little busy but we got in table in less than 10 minutes. The host was friendly and gave us updates as we waited for the table. I started with a coffee with Baileys. It was the perfect amount of baileys and the coffee itself was good too. I ordered the exotic mushroom scramble with a side of chicken sausage. The eggs were so fluffy and flavorful. The mushrooms were cooked with the perfect amount of crisp on the edges. I wish I had asked what brand of chicken sausage they use. It was chicken, kale and Asiago cheese in the sausage. My sister ordered the ricotta and lemon pancakes. She said they were fluffy and delicious. I look forward to going back and trying a few other things.

Oyami N.

Yelp
Wow, such a shame as I really enjoy the food here. This is about their auto gratuity. The issue is how they hide the fact you were charged the auto 20% unless you are reading through the itemized bill. The credit card bill makes no mention that you were automatically charged 20%, but then asks you to tip. If you only look at the credit card statement you will end up tipping twice. Yes I caught it this time, but the past 4 times I tipped twice. By the way the waiter and waitress do not mention the 20% automatic gratuity. This is deceptive and fraudulent. I seriously thought it was just a super expensive breakfast. No more, you lost my business.

Jennifer D.

Yelp
My first time was today . Born n raised in Royal Oak I can't believe I've never been here till today!! We had the stuffed French toast and the Grilled Cheese ( featured on Oprah) and I had a Bloody Mary . Omg the food was delicious! And a nice portion size too. The Bloody Mary was pretty spicy- a little too spicy for my taste but yummy! To those complaining about the 20% gratuity being automatically added to your bill - The notice is clearly written on the menu and on your bill. In addition they've highlighted it for those of you not familiar with this being a restaurants option. And as I mentioned , it's clearly added on your bill. If you aren't reading your bill that's on you and not worthy of your low reviews. Our service by Kristen was very good. She was quick and friendly and made good suggestions. We will be back!

E B.

Yelp
Automatic 20% gratuity and you can tell. The servers are a bit sassy, it's on the brink of plain rudeness. Food was fresh. (Side note: drinks aren't actually refillable. But for some reason the menu only labels 2 drinks "not refillable") I'd try something else before returning here

Lisa D.

Yelp
I've been coming here for years. The food never disappoints. Lindsay (seemed to be wearing many hats...server, hostess, bartender) is a pro. I own a restaurant and want to hire her! .

Pamela B.

Yelp
Terrible service due to being understaffed. Lots of excuses. Food was okay. Won't be back. Too bad, used to be so good.

Kendrick J.

Yelp
I have been coming here since 2016 and this was the worst experience I ever had here. I'm newly married and took my wife here for the first time. I was bragging to her about how good the food and service was. I was let down BIG TIME. My server didn't seem to even want to take my table. I could over hear her asking another person if she had my table and if the other table had come first. I was here first by the way. This will be my last time here. There is even a 20% tip added to the bill no matter What. So you can have a crappy experience and you still have to pay the 20% tip. Also this place is very loud. I have been here many times and it has never been this way. Wished it was better but it wasn't. I really like this place before. I gave it two stars cause the food was so so this time.

Aaron J.

Yelp
Great service and amazing food. I've been a few times and every time it's been an excellent experience. I had the sausage gravy and tots with a fried egg. I've never had tots so crunchy topped with some of the best gravy I've had Lindsay has been our server the last few times and she has always gone above and beyond to make us feel comfortable at the bar. There are a lot of options for brunch around Ferndale and Royal Oak but Cafe Muse remains one of my favorite options.

Emily K.

Yelp
The food here is so lovely! The grits are probably my all time favorite, but you cant go wrong with any of the sweets! Lindsey A is our regular server and always so helpful and personal. Its not uncommon these days to find places that wont take reservations, or that put their staff first and include the much needed gratuity. Honestly, we need more of this, people livable wages. I feel like the customers who complained about those things have never worked in a server, or in customer service. When the food is this good, its just worth it!

Emily B.

Yelp
The service here was fabulous! Our waitress was super friendly and checked up on us often. My salmon omelette was awesome but the pancakes weren't the best. They were sort of dense and dry and I thought the apple pear pancakes would have a lot more topping.

Anastasia D.

Yelp
The wait was 25min which I found to be wonderful for a Saturday at 12:00pm Spinach-feta-pear salad was amazing Cheese and onion omelette was so good -undercooked for what I asked however it was still good Potato's were good, cold but still tasted yummy Toast was A1 Bacon was yum I hadn't been here in a couple years and I was happy to say it was still super good My friend also got the BLT which was super good however if you're remotely sensitive to dairy cut the mayo

Brandon W.

Yelp
Café Muse is one of favorite go to breakfast spots. The food is always good and the staff is great. I normal get the Cinnamon Raisin French Toast, Turkey Bacon and Eggs. The Shrimp and Grits is very good as well. The restaurant itself is somewhat small, but the vibe is always amazing. It's located in Downtown Royal Oak and who doesn't love Downtown Royal Oak? Always easy to find parking as well. Overall great.

Manisha M.

Yelp
Breakfast was delicious, and service was great! We got a table fairly quickly, but soon after the place began to fill up and the wait time was long. Expect a rush during brunch on weekends. We tried the exotic mushroom scramble and vanilla bean waffle. The waffle was the winner between the two. It was not overly sweet and so moist when cut into. I had hoped that there would be more mushrooms in the scramble.

Lauren J.

Yelp
I had higher expectations for this place. Service is very slow. It took about 40 minutes from the time we sat down to get our grilled cheeses. It wasn't busy. Maybe they are short staffed. The grilled cheese was very good but i wouldn't want to waste another an hour a half for a grilled cheese.

Nedra R.

Yelp
As I am standing here for now 10 minutes, I am thinking about how generally I would walk out after not being acknowledged or just plainly spoken to with maybe a kind gesture of saying ... " I apologize, we are short staffed , but I will be with you in "x" minutes or shortly. This didn't occur, instead I waited an additional 3 minutes only for the one of the two people staffed to say "she will be right with me... ", no hello, welcome, just I will be right with you. Another 2 minutes passed and she didn't come back. Then after the other staff finished taking an order comfortably, she came over to me to say "are you dining in"... then says " sorry about the wait", again, no hello, no welcome... After waiting with no acknowledgment for 15 minutes of course I was not happy. I then proceeded to tell her how unhappy I was to not be acknowledged and she said she was the only one there, then I said I saw another wait staff and she said "oh she's leaving for the day". I then said I am leaving and I don't want to eat here based on my experience and she shrugged her shoulders. I then told her ... so you just simply shrug your shoulders...? I let her know that I was a business over as well and all I was looking for on my day off was to have a nice breakfast and be respected. I told her I'd be leaving a review and maybe in the future because you have no idea what people go through... show people the respect and break away for a moment just to acknowledge the fact that they've entered your restaurant as if you care". In summation, I won't be visiting this place again, I want to go where I feel valued as a customer. The waitresses name was Courtney who shrugged her shoulders as if I did not matter. Customer service is a lost art that has become painfully the norm unfortunately but I will not spend my hard earned money with people that can't even fake like they care.

Tami L.

Yelp
I was skeptical today...There wasnt a greeter and no one made eye contact or acknowledged there were people waiting. After a long wait, I was seated and my food came as quickly as my coffee!!! Super fast and the staff is friendly and efficient - they're hustling. I ordered a late breakfast of Ammoglio Scramble with Sauce Ammoglio...DELICIOUS! The eggs are always fluffy at Cafe Muse and the flavors were really so good. Highly recommend

Ebenezer's Anni L.

Yelp
I heard great things about this place and one of the Meetup groups planned a brunch, so I had to try it. One of those trendy places in the heart of Royal Oak, it is open for breakfast and lunch only but on the carry out menu has desserts listed that the server told me is only on the dinner menu - WTF. Ordered their "famous" grilled cheese sandwich which comes with either a side of salad or soup or chips. I choose the daily tomato soup. Bad choice because of the corn in it - never seen corn in a tomato soup. When the server saw I didn't eat much apologized and got me a side chips. For the sandwich, why would anyone think it was the best in metro Detroit?!?! Yes it is on fancy bread with fancy cheese and had honey & basil, but I have had much better in too many other places. It did warm up well the next day since I took half home. I ordered a side of thick cut bacon that was crispy but again I have had better. Had saved room for dessert, but told that was only served at dinner. Maybe I am just out of their target market, younger 20s & 30s or maybe I have just eaten many more places to compare the food. My table mates enjoyed the drinks and thought the food was much better so that could be the reason. Having coke products for us non drinkers is always worth a star along with good service, so you know how unimpressed by my food choices.

Kila W.

Yelp
Was nervous to try since the last good reviews I'd seen were mostly from 2012 (I was specifically looking for the 3 cheese grilled cheese, more on that later.) Glad I came anyways, it did not dissappoint! My order: Grilled Cheese Sandwich. This is why I came. I wanted a nice grilled cheese and came across this. Since it had raves of being on Oprah's list, it was even more reason to try. Did not disappoint. Really tasty, even with the subtraction of honey. Light. Warm. Flavorful. Not a traditional grilled cheese but equally yummy! Would come back and order this again. Seafood Cheddar- I ordered this to accompany my grilled cheese since they didn't have tomato soup on the menu (I didn't inquire either). This was more yummy than I was expecting. No visiable chunks of meat in there but the flavor is there and I do believe they mix in slithers of the meat in it. Another , I would come back and order this again. Regular side of bacon- not as thick as I was expecting (to be fair, I'm used to eating Wright bacon) BUT it was still thicker than normal bacon. A little on the greasy side for me but, it's bacon so ‍ Bean salad - I received this with my grilled cheese sandwich as it was the "salad of the day". It was light and fresh. Had the feels of ceviche but with beans. Tasty for what it was, it just didn't go with the vibes of my overall meal. London Fog - I seen this on another Yelp review, not the menu. It's chai tea with warm milk and vanilla. The vanilla and chai came through well. The milk added a hint of creaminess but not overly so. Still the flavor palette felt like it was missing "something" for me, not sure what. But, that's just one opinion and I did drink it all so it's not "bad". Other notes: they only have about 7 or so tables open and the menu notes that you may be charged a 20% gratuity fee regardless of party size becuase of this limited availability. I felt far enough away from everyone else and staff wore masks. The woman who brought my food to wore gloves. Inside: small, quaint, somewhat cozy (imagine it's cozier sans pandemic) decent ambiance. I liked their music. Not too loud. Overall: I'd definitely return and suggest this place to others. 4/5 becuase while the food is great it's not over the top (I don't say this in a bad way). Also 4/5 for ambiance, but again that could be due to Covid.

Sarah H.

Yelp
So disappointed in this place, especially the reviews. My bill was 50 bucks for two lack luster salads. One with canned chicken salad and salmon on a bed of baby spinach. Small menu. The portions were so small the place very dark on a Wednesday morning. Not a place I would ever go again. I'm very shocked given the reviews. I wish I took a picture of the salad, but I was embarrassed I took my friend there.

Liz P.

Yelp
7 years later so it's time to update this review. My boyfriend and I went here about two months ago now for RO Restaurant Week. I was treating him as a late Valentine's present. The hostess seemed kind of aloof. We had a reservation and she seated us at a high top near the bar - not my preference but it looked like there weren't any others available (there are, there's another section of the restaurant, but I didn't know that at the time). Our waiter was good and also fast with water refills, which I appreciated. We both ordered soups for the first course. Mine was okay but very tomato-y, which I dislike. My boyfriend's was the truffle mushroom soup, and even as someone who loves mushrooms, I didn't like it. For our entrees, he had some sort of shrimp dish and I had chicken. The chicken had the skin still on it and was a bit greasy, but the portion was big. My favorite part of the meal was actually dessert, I had some sort of pistachio pudding I think and he had chocolate cake. Both were very good. It was $25-35/pp for the RORW menu and I'm not sure how much of a discount that was from the regular menu. Based on this experience, I can't say I would hurry back to Cafe Muse, although I do want to try their famous grilled cheese at some point.

Marci S.

Yelp
There was only one server on a Sunday morning. She was very short and rude with us. The food was decent but seemed expensive for what it is. Probably won't go back

Michael B.

Yelp
Had brunch there today was as always very good. Mamosa and Bloody Mary we're good had steak and eggs, nicely done with toast

Annie A.

Yelp
I visited this restaurant for brunch this weekend and they were very busy and very understaffed. They take an automatic 20% gratuity (listed on the menu) but that wasn't clear on our bill so make sure to ask if you're unsure. I got the grilled cheese that was apparently featured on Oprah (fontina, honey, tomato and thyme) but thought that it was average. I upgraded from chips to fruit and got a little cup of fresh strawberries and blueberries. My friend got the French toast with spiced pear and mascarpone on top and it was decent.

Aminah K.

Yelp
I came for breakfast the other day I didnt expect this place to be as good as it was! Their menu is fairly simple and they dont have a ton of options. But the food is such high quality! The pumpkin waffle was so good I think I inhaled it in about 2 minutes. I also came for lunch another time and got the 3 grilled cheese that won 5 star rating on the Oprah show. And omg. This was no ordinary grilled cheese. It had tomato, basil and honey in it.. all the favors worked so well together. I'm only taking off a star bc the food is way too overpriced.

Simmer I.

Yelp
We were at Muse for a dinner with matched wines. When Chef puts together these specialty meals they are always wonderful.

Yae Sul J.

Yelp
Must say I was very impressed Went there on Sunday for brunch a co-worker and we loved everything! For service This place takes reservations. I called thinking probably won't happen 30 mins prior to our get together for a reservation and they put me right on the list! When I went there the place was pretty saturated! Our waitress was amazing! She was Soo sweet and helpful and I loved the vibe that people were all helping out so we got all our orders fairly quickly after we ordered For food Everything was amazing. 1. Grits: People kept mentioning the seafood grits in their reviews so naturally we got that - and you won't regret it! It has pieces of crabmeat in it but it's not chunks of it. You can taste the seafood between the creamy cheesy grits and every bite was savored 2. The grilled cheese: apparently Opera recommends it and I can see why! It was the right amount of crunchiness and cheesiness that I would have want to mix in my mouth! Yummmmm 3. Exotic mushroom omelette: I had this after it was a little cold but it was still delicious! It was soft and creamy in the middle with hints of truffle oil that spread through your mouth. Definitely a safe choice for people who like truffle and mushrooms :) Will definitely be coming back to check out the dinner menu ;)

Stacia G.

Yelp
Had the opportunity to go here on an open pandemic morning. We couldn't make reservations and decided on a time to go. Once we went in we were given an approximate seating time- they took my number. We may have meandered to a coffee shop. We got in, got sat after a phone call. I got a second call after we were seated to tell us our table was ready- she apologized. Our waiter was ... well... distracted. She did get our drink order (lovely selection of mimosa and Bellini- mango highly recommended). ((Although it's not as heavy of a champagne pour as you might like.) She got our orders and we waited. We viewed a 6 top with only two folks the entire time we were there- apparently good place to go with no penalty for your party showing up late (priceless in the pandemic). I went to the bathroom (always magic) and our order arrived. My first thought- well plated and appropriate proportions. (No, not the American where I give you 3 times the amount of food appropriate for a human being to eat in a seating. ) I ordered the steak and eggs. My steak was cooked- well the way they wanted since they didn't really ask. And it was approximately a 2-3 oz serving. In line with their prices, maybe not my expectations. Scrambled eggs on plate- healthy portion above all. Flirting with the oversaltedness. I could not finish. Toast... sourdough- one slice- nicely buttered- jam. Obviously never enough bread for this girl! I ordered a round of "stuffed French toast" for the table. Not exactly stuffed. It was mascarpone and pear... iKR- you are drooling! Basically arrived on table as 3 pieces of French toast. Swipes of mascarpone on the pieces of toast- no not entire slice... then a 1/2 cup of delicious cooked pears on top. You could get a good bite and not what I was expecting. Prices not outrageous. Food not outrageous either. I'm not sure I would come back... and it was good, but nothing to flip the switch you might say.

Mac R.

Yelp
Brunch doesn't get better than what we had at Café Muse! Our daughter said she's heard everyone raving about it for quite some time - and now 3 more of us will be doing the same! There were so many options on the menu to choose from in both the Sweet & Savory categories that we all wrestled with our decisions of what to order. I ordered the Ricotta & Lemon Pancakes with housemade Blueberry Maple Syrup. I'm not sure what sort of magic goes into making those fluffy little pancakes but you literally tasted lemon, ricotta & blueberry in every single bite. Beautifully done! My daughter's coconut waffle with pineapple quite similar to that you'd find on a pineapple upside down cake was so yummy. My husband got the Stuffed French Toast with mascarpone and spicy pears - also quite perfect. We sampled each other's dishes & all were proclaimed clear 5 star winners. We take the train to Royal Oak from Chicago and this restaurant is super close to the train station. It's now on our must-stop list!!!

Ann W.

Yelp
For many years, this place has been part of our lunch rotation, where we enjoyed countless choices from the menu. I have been plotting another visit for a while but for one reason or another, have never made it back, until now that is. The restaurant was how I remembered it: sponged wall color, tight spaces, and the familiar menu. Usually, I have the grilled three-cheese sandwich, the wonderfully subtle tastes of cheese, tomato, basil, and honey. Today, I decided on a slight variation, grilled cheese with short rib. To start, however, I had to have the mushroom bisque. I loved the gritty texture of the mushrooms in the luxuriously-thick but light-tasting bisque. There was an abundance of mushroom-flavor goodness in that generously-sized cup. The braised short rib was good but it did not work for me with the grilled cheese, as it overwhelmed the rest of the ingredients. The nuttiness of the cheese just did not complement the tender beef. Service was fine, a bit slow but the dining room was busier than anticipated, even though it was early in the week.

Tim R.

Yelp
Pleasant little eatery in a great restaurant town. The food at Café Muse is definitely upscale and creative. I ordered the Exotic Mushroom Scramble with Boursin Cheese and Truffle Oil. It was a difficult choice. I practically had to cover my eyes and just point as there are so many wonderful sounding menu options. The scramble was small but the flavor was amazing. It came with garlic fingerling potatoes perfectly cooked and I chose rye toast which was the one taste disappointment (way too dark). It should not have been offered. I know they try to have everything timed to be done at the same time but the toast was also cold so there was enough time to start it over. The waiting time was also too long. We were a group of four and we arrived at 11:30. The room was fairly full (only two tables remaining) but it's a small room (maybe only 7-8 tables seating 2 or 4). Not a large crowd, yet it took about 45 minutes or more for the food to arrive. I feel that the 4 star rating I am leaving is a bit generous if only based on this visit but our previous visits were better and I really do appreciate the creative offerings.

The313BrunchBabe F.

Yelp
Café Muse is such a cute restaurant! The coffee is pretty good, and the mimosa I ordered was yummy as well. I ordered the salmon, and it was cooked to perfection! I'll definitely be back!

Jason H.

Yelp
Initially, we were deceived by the outlook appearance of the restaurant. As soon as we entered we acknowledged how slow it was on a Sunday in royal oak. However, we chose to continue. The setting of the restaurant was quite dim, very dark for a breakfast restaurant. When we got the menus it was noted that there would a 20% gratuity. The menu was not appeasing. They had limited options of breakfast choices. About 5 options and even those options they had things running out. Food was not tasty at all. Very small portion sizes. And the food was not tasty whatsoever. The workers were nice though.

Tony S.

Yelp
A downtown Royal Oak Classic. So many great menu options and my favorite is their outdoor patio seating area. The breakfast is amazing here, and for lunch it's a no brainer - the 3 cheese grilled sandwich. Voted as the best grilled cheese by Oprah!! Great location, outdoor seating and remarkable food. How can you go wrong?