Muse Café — Restaurant in Cincinnati

I live nearby and really wanted to love this place. I had been a handful of times before and loved the food and coffee. Last summer, my aunt, sister and I went on Thursday for a wine tasting. We were having a great time, so we bought a bottle from the tasting to continue to drink there. The owner wanted to charge us a 12 dollar corking fee, but said she would only charge us 6 dollars since we bought the bottle from the tasting. We just thought that was super odd. If we were supporting the tasting and Muse, why charge us a corking fee? It was also a twist off... the whole ordeal just left a bad taste in our mouths and we haven't cared to return since.

Edit: I'm just now leaving the review because I ran into my aunt today and we just talked about it since we saw pictures from a year ago. Maybe it is odd to leave a review now, but so is charging an expensive corking fee for wine that is purchased there (that is a twist off). When the owner commented on this review, no apology or explanation of the corking fee. Instead, the owner twisted my words and tried to gaslight me. A simple explanation and I would have changed my stars. The owner is also passive aggressive on other 1 star reviews. Not a fan. Unprofessional. Learn to take constructive criticism without being defensive. This just further sours the taste in my mouth. I stick...

Pretty bad experience all around. The drinks in the end were good. Not super welcoming at first, as we ordered we got told we couldn’t stay because of the show, unless we spent more money. I felt like we were spending a lot already. It was an awkward and sad exchange. It didn’t look very busy and I would have thought they would have appreciated additional guests at the show. Then it took them 15 minutes to make our three drinks. All the while the band was soundchecking to what was going to be a way too high volume for the space. Then I looked at the receipt and got very disappointed that an 8oz steamer cost’s $4.25, especially as it says in the description that it includes a flavor but we were charged for honey. And we were charged 25¢ for to go cups when we only opted for them because the barista so clumsily encouraged us to leave. We did not have the fun family experience of getting warm drinks in a cozy space after a cold walk that I was envisioning.

I shared this review with them via the Square option of rating your experience and they never reacted, which is...

I just moved to Cincinnati and missed the coffee shops back home. They have some decent coffee here but a lot of the coffee shops lack space and a certain vibe. This cafe has enough space and seating areas for any type of reason. You want to sit and study, or eat with friends, this place has you covered. Next the coffee is pretty decent, and the price is very fair. I have been to some local coffee shops that charge a lot and I leave feeling ripped off because, despite great coffee, the seating/space is too small or the vibe is just unfriendly. I have to also mention that the building inside is beautiful and clean. The baristas are friendly and cool too. One of the best things about this place is that they are open pretty late. I have had the hardest time finding a decent coffee shop that stays open late, so I was excited to find this place. Overall, its nice to finally find a coffee shop with a great environment, good coffee, fair pricing, and is...