Flora & Muse

THE place for pancakes and eggs Benedict! Hands down. I’ve tried pancakes and eggs Benedict at other places around Houston and the only place that came close to making the perfect eggs Benedict is at Mockingbird.
I love to come here for brunch. Gotta have the French pressed coffee, too.
They also open at 7:30 am! Can’t beat that!

We finally made it here for dinner. My first experience was enjoyable; I had really wanted to see what they could produce in the evenings.
We made reservations for 4 for the evening. The table we were sat at was in the area up front with the plush booth and table combinations. It was a little tight for 4 people, but we managed. I had the malbec to start, which did not taste like a characteristic malbec (more of a carmenere — tobacco undertones and smoke). I enjoyed it, but it was actually a handoff from my man who didn’t like it. My friend’s dirty martini looked delicious and it went down well for her. The other two wine selections were deemed just OK for the others.
For dinner we had the scampi, wild mushroom flatbread, and cedar planked salmon. I tried a little of everything to check its quality. My flatbread was tasty, but basic — nothing overly exhilarating. I added a house salad with it and enjoyed the house dressing that was on it. The salmon was tender and moist, but really kind of lacking the cedar flavor I was hoping for. The risotto it came with was just the right texture, but very very cheesy. The broccoli rabe was also cooked perfectly, but over oiled. The scampi had nice flavor, but I found it to be heavy on the oil too. Overall the food was certainly yummy, but could have possibly been executed and fine tuned a bit more.
The service was not as good as our first time here. Our waiter, Jesse, didn’t check back on us much and we had empty wine glasses without him ever coming back by to see if we wanted another round. We also asked for a salad instead of the broccoli on one of the salmons. That part was changed, but they also removed the risotto. When we asked for the risotto — he brought it to us and charged us for it. This part of our visit was subpar compared to my first visit here.
Overall it was a satisfying evening, but not as great as my brunch experience.

I got the café Bianca and hazelnut torte which may have been a bad idea since I couldn’t fall asleep. Usually caffeine doesn’t affect me, but I found out why this does, they give you TWO shots of espresso! I honestly think you’re getting your moneys worth with this coffee!
Also on my most recent trip I ordered the coffee to go and there’s an additional fee for coffee that’s to go, but my barista didn’t charge me extra which is definitely a plus!
This rating is solely based on the café portion of Flora & Muse.
The cake was okay, but I was disappointed by how few options there were in general in the dessert section of the menu. I can’t adequately judge the restaurant portion until I try some more things.

I came for dinner a while back and ordered the Vienna Espresso and Chicken and Mushroom Pide. Both tasted pretty good but for the quality of the food, I felt like it was way too overpriced. I came again for lunch and ordered the Cobb Salad and the Mocha Freeze. I don’t know if the food is cheaper at lunch than at dinner but I didn’t feel as much sticker shock when I received my bill after my meal.
I enjoyed lunch here more than dinner. The ambience is a lot nicer during the daytime than at night. At night, it was too dark but in the day, you can enjoy beautiful décor inside the restaurant. I love all the art and the chandelier! The food tastes pretty good but the décor is what really makes this restaurant stand out.

I really enjoyed Flora & Muse. I was a little apprehensive based on the negative reviews, but we still decided to give it a try. We got there, and I was fortune enough to find parking super easily. We didn’t pay because we didn’t notice all of the pay for parking signs everywhere, and I was lucky and didn’t get a ticket. Maybe you only have to pay during business hours? I’m really not sure how that works.
We walked in and like everyone says, the décor and ambiance are absolutely lovely. The hostess asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside (inside) and if we would mind sitting at a high top. I’m pretty sure they were a bit understaffed today, since our waiter was the bartender, but that didn’t make too big of a difference since he was so attentive even though he was busy making all the drinks for everyone.
I got the wild mushroom flat bread. It was pretty good, and I enjoyed it. The truffle wasn’t too overpowering. But it’s not really wild mushrooms. From the description, I expected chanterelles or porchini. It might have been baby Bella or crimini, I couldn’t tell, but it was just one type. Oh well.
This place would be great for a date night!

I come here twice to three times a month. I am usually in City Centre every sunday, so its always a debate between Flora and Muse or Ruggles Green. Let me tell you, Flora&Muse always wins!
On the dine-​in side: its very adorable and cute. They have very interesting artwork all over the restaurant. They have a sitting area across from the bar that is very cute! They have chandeliers hanging around. On the mirrors they have hanging around, they have little quotes and sayings hung written on them. The atmosphere is very lively and nice. its a great place for any kind of get together.
On sundays, they do not have a brunch menu, so you allowed to pick from their breakfast or lunch menu. My personal favorite dish from this place is their turkey panini! it is VERY DELICIOUS! it is what i almost always get when i come here. you have a choice of their kettle chips or pay extra for their fries. But their kettle chips are NOT to disappoint since they make it themselves! Also between the orzo salad or just a small salad. i always opt for the small salad, cause orzo just isn’t my cup of tea.
The service really does depend on who you get. The many times i have been there, i have only had one bad experience with one of the waitress who was just absolutely dumb and forgetful, but i haven’t seen her back since that day.
I will always come back here :)

HUGE fan of the restaurant’s ambience. This place def. has character with its European/​Roman décor & bizarre, artistic paintings. Their nutella, roasted bananas crepes & viennese coffee are mucho delicioso! Although it’s not my usual go to spot for sweets, the atmosphere of this place draws me back every time. Too bad they don’t offer a wider selection of pastries/​sweets.
PROS: chilled atmosphere. Good crepes & coffee. full bar. live music entertainment. opens til 2am on fri/​sat.
CONS: can be pricy.

This review is for their afternoon tea only:
There aren’t very many places in Houston that serves afternoon tea, especially one that serves it on a weekday. After much research, my girlfriend and I found this place. It was moderately priced — $ 35 for 2 people. The spread included finger sandwiches, cookies and a couple muffins. Overall, the spread was good but nothing mind blowing. We liked the bread the sandwiches were served on. It was some kind of cheese roll — delicious! While the cookies were nice, we were really disappointed there were no scones. It just doesn’t seem like a proper afternoon tea without it.

I recently hosted a Bridal Shower Brunch at Flora & Muse and worked with the venue’s Event Planner, Alexandra. Alexandra and the restaurant’s staff were responsive, professional and attentive. When there was a small mistake on my party favors (yummy macarons made by their patisserie), they more than made up for it! I would return just for their level of service.
The food had much to be desired. I ordered the «European» breakfast which consisted of a croissant, lamb sausage, potatoes and eggs — $ 15. The lamb sausage was extremely greasy and, for what I received, I felt it was overpriced. Also, and possibly of most importance, there was no option for bottomless mimosas! THUMBS DOWN! If based on the food alone, I would likely choose a different venue for brunch.
This review is based solely on my personal experience and reflect my personal opinions. Your experience may be completely different.

I didn’t venture into Flora & Muse with any real expectations of the dishes. I was just hungry and wanted something that was goooood to my palate.
What I ended up with an overpriced meal that belonged in the trash, more than my stomach. If you listen to nothing else I write, skip over the monte cristo. It’s not worth the price tag. Soggy bread from the preserves being cooked inside, very little meat, hardly any cheese. *sigh* A grilled cheese sammie would have been waaaay better, at least I would have seen the cheese in that. The chips were the best thing going on that meal.
The décor is nice and different; vintage. This definitely seems more of a ladies’ restaurant though it was a few men inside. Not too big so the lunch crowd fills up quick. The bar is available though.
According to the friend that brought me, the flatbreads are delish. First impressions count for a lot and I’m not impressed.

Ten people in our group, and the dining room was only half full. Our service was terrible. We had their preset Christmas menu where each person gets to chose from an app, a salad, an entrée, and a dessert, for $ 50/​plate. And it should be mentioned that their cocktails are at least $ 10 each.
Although our waiters were very friendly, the amount of time it took for our food to get there was inexcusable. Everyone at our table works in the service industry and we are more than understanding. But when it takes 45 minutes for a cup of lukewarm soup to arrive, your patience starts to thin. The problems we encountered were: wrong menu items delivered, long wait times on the food, NONE of the food arrived hot, bad service in general — the waiters would drop our food off and then disappear, never offered us coffee with dessert — and by the time we left, we had spend four hours there, mostly spent waiting!
So, at $ 100 per person, we were definitely their high dollar table of the evening. And even after telling the waitress we were not happy with our service, we still never saw a manager the entire time.
It was a huge waste of money and time.

We sat inside but this place does have a wonderful little patio for the three days we have in Houston where you can enjoy patio dining. Once they walked us through the very nicely decorated bar area — with the TVs — we were sat in the back dining room. It reminded me a bit of a hotel conference dining room. Ya know, muted colors, big mirrors, puffy seats. I nearly set my mind to believe it was gonna be an awful experience. It just felt like they had bought the furniture at a hotel clearance sale.
They had an amazing bloody Mary menu for brunch. We enjoyed reading all the combinations and mixtures. But we wanted mimosas and ordered those. They are NOT bottomless and they are VERY proud of them. $ 9 each is just crazy stupid for cheap champagne and OJ.
Service: Our waitress was very friendly and laughed with us as we visited with her and asked questions and requested things. I have read several reviews stating that the service was the one black spot on the place. Ours was more than adequate.
Food: Wow! We all had something delicious. We ordered a traditional waffle for the table and it was terrific! The home made whipped cream was so good we all kept saying we needed a tub of it to take home with us. The French Onion soup was perfect. The chicken & wild mushroom crêpe was a HUGE hit. If it hadn’t been for the super fluffy and flavorful quiche, the crêpe would have been my favorite of the meals. I wouldn’t recommend the salmon Benedict. Too salty and the English muffin was tough to cut. None of the sauce or egg yolk ever got to soak into it enough to make it tasty.
But for a first visit and just doing brunch I am a fan. We’ll be back. Maybe for one of their happy hours where they have half price appetizers. We can try several more things on the menu. They have live music some nights too. Check their site for some of the special events they have there.
I should become more of a frequent goer to City Center. And if parking wasn’t so obtuse I might. Really. The entire two first floors of the parking garage closest to everything is reserved for valet! So be ready to walk a bit. Just FYI.

Just as cute as I imagined it to be!
Their breakfast was great. It’s not super expensive, especially if you split one of their tray items.
I had the apple and walnut pancake, which I highly recommend. I also had an omelette with goat cheese and arugula, which was also very good. The side of herb-​roasted potatoes were by far some of the best I’ve come across. The slice of baguette was also a nice add.
Service is not that great, which prevents a 5-​star rating.
Wonderful spot in Houston for brunch. Unique, cute, and delicious! I’d probably come here again.

Aesthetics wise, Flora and Muse
has it going on. Little bits of original
flair are visible here and there, though
out the restaurant.
My waitress was very attentive,
bordering on excessive.
She offered to retrieve beverages, appetizers,
even entrees while I waited for my BFF to arrive.
I was completely content with my beverage
’til my BFF arrived to choose appetizers and the like.
Parking nearest to F and M can

This place is awesome! hmm which label to pick — café, bistro, bakery, florist, lounge? it’s All of these!
The food is exceptional and not cookie-​cutter. I really liked the chicken & wild mushrm. pide (like an open pocket pie). The portion is more than enough for 1 person. The pear & gorgonzola flatbread (like a pizza) was also great, but i didn’t get as much gorgonzola as i was hoping.
I also like sitting out on the patio as it’s in a secluded but nice area (with a view of a fountain). I feel like im dining al fresco in europe.
plus, the servers are very helpful and friendly (and cute!)
I came here w/​some girlfriends and did not want to leave! My friend had tea au lait and I chose café mocha after dinner to sit n chat and they came in these oversized mugs, so creamy and fresh home-​made-​tasting.