Muse Paintbar

Great business! The concept is incredible ! Bravo

Went today with a group of 5 girls as a birthday gift. Never been to a paint event so wasn’t sure what to expect. I have zero artistic ability and think my painting is pretty darn good! Fun time! Not sure why they even serve food since grown ups should just eat before going out! Instructor was great! Only negative is there’s no free parking not do they validate for the garage. I have no idea what to do with this painting now so I wouldn’t go back but I still had fun!

This is such a great place to relax, be creative and have fun! I went with my mom and 14 year old sister and we all had a fantastic time. I am no artist, but the instructor was so helpful and made me feel like I could do it! I’m very proud of the art I made there. This place is perfect for a night out with friends or family. I’ll definitely be going back!

What isn’t there to like about partnering painting with drinks and some snacks? Muse combines painting with a restaurant/​bar. With locations all over the Northeast, Muse makes looking for a different night out easy, stress-​free, and fun!
Scroll through their calendar and find a painting that you like, on a night that you like. That’s it! Muse provides the paint, a canvas, and an apron — from there have a drink (or 3) and get to paintin’! They do offer appetizers and light snacks, but I’m always having too much fun drinking and painting that food doesn’t even cross my mind until after.
Paint instructors are great. Hilarious, witty, helpful — they’re good at what they do. Sometimes I feel like they’re just babysitting a bunch of drunk adults with paintbrushes, but when it comes down to business — they’re great at instructing you how to NOT suck at painting!
Classes are typically $ 35, but check out their events page to see session-​specific prices (cheaper pricing, for real!) Don’t forget about Groupon or Living Social for rotating deals too!

Great idea but not well executed. Used a gift card for the session. When we arrived we found our table. I tried to use the rest of the money on my gift card to buy a chef’s plate and water and soda for my group. I was told I could not use the money on the gift card. That’s an odd policy. I was immediately turned off. I ordered anyway. We received turkey pepperoni, cheese, hummus and crackers. Not really «charcuterie» listed on the menu but acceptable. I get it, we’re there to paint, not eat. Robyn was a great instructor, very clear and went at a good speed. Anne however seemed like she rather be somewhere else. She wasn’t very nice. I paid for food and felt forced into tipping on the ipad. I probably won’t return to this paintbar but would like to paint again soon.

Went here for a fundraiser event with the girlfriend, and the whole experience was kind of a mixed bag.
The Good:
Muse is a great idea; they provide a fun, novel way to spend some time. Also, the staff were all really nice and had great senses of humor — extra points for appreciating that some folks don’t want to follow the rules and will play in their own way. They even took a picture of my girls painting in which she added a dragon burning down the rest of the painting. The venue is very entertainingly decorated as well. Whimsy seems to be the word of the day with these folks.
The Bad:
Drink prices are a bit high for small plastic cups of wine. Food prices were a bit more acceptable. It’s in Blueback Square, so parking sucks. You need to pay to park when you can find an open spot, or have to wander over to a parking garage a block away. Also, the location is small, so with a lot of people, things were quite cramped.
The Ugly:
They have two distinct work areas separated only by a window — so you can see everything through into the other area. Not usually a huge problem, except that there was a kids birthday party in the other area when I was there. Not such a big deal in and of itself, although has anyone wanted to goof off and paint flaming genitals or something else equally fun, there could have been problems. Also, even though alcohol is served in the main room and not the adjoining one, it still seems like its a mix of drinks and kids.

Not a big fan of this place. I came here for my friend’s birthday and was excited to try it out. I have zero artistic ability so my expectations for my painting weren’t too high. I just thought it would be a fun experience. The tables fit about 4 people each and it’s EXTREMELY tight. You literally have no room to move. The canvases are practically set up one on top of the other. Again, I am not artistic at all and I felt that the teacher moved way too quick. Especially when she is showing you different techniques to use. The paintings are pretty advanced. They don’t give you enough paper plates to mix your paint on or paper towels so I kept having to get up to get more which made me miss what the instructor was saying. I also had to keep stopping to wash my brush off. I ended up getting very aggravated and just gave up. At that point I was more interested in the food than anything. So I got up and went to order the spinach puff pastries and a glass of wine. They also don’t give you a break to order food or drink or to eat. So I missed some of the instruction during that point as well. I went back to my seat and was trying to scarf down my food while painting and ended up burning the roof of my mouth-​bad. My painting came out absolutely horrible. It was actually comical. One of the girls who worked there tried to fix it to no avail. I didn’t think it was worth the money. I ended up throwing it out that day. It was nice to get together with my friends but it wasn’t enjoyable to me. It was actually kind of stressful.

While my painting came out okay, I am not impressed with this shenanigan that is paint night. Not really sure why everyone is so obsessed with it. Sitting in a room at a table with people I don’t know and not being able to chat freely made for an awkward evening. The teacher seemed annoyed and our table was situated as such so that literally everyone else was on her left side and we were the only table on her right. I had to keep asking her to show us (after the fact) what technique she was doing. I’m not sure why that one table is on the right side but oh well. $ 40 for a painting I’ll probably sell at a tag sale isn’t my idea of money well spent or a night well spent. I more than likely will not attend any paint night again, not just here.

LOVE love love this place! This is by far the best paint/​class studio in the area. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly and really creative. So happy there’s one close by. Thanks MUSE!

I went to the «Paint Your Pet» event yesterday evening. I went with a friend and we had no idea what to expect. I had never been to Muse before and had never painted anything. It was such a fun event. The instructors were very helpful and very cool and the atmosphere was super casual and friendly. I would definitely go back for another event. I didn’t eat or drink anything so I can’t review that aspect, but it was a fun night filled with lots of laughs. I’d recommend a night out at Muse Paint Bar WH.

I’ve come to this paint bar a few times with friends, family and co-​workers and had a ball each time. The staff is very friendly, good teachers and they have great a great calendar of paintings to sign-​up for. Also a great selection of wine/​beer and things to munch on. All around– a great night out doing something fun and relaxing with friends/​fam! Great environment too– plenty of elbow room, great ambiance! Lots of fun!

We went on a Wednesday night and luckily we booked ahead because it was full! Which is always a great sign! The instructor was very clear, and had such patience, she even helped us finish ours up! The food and beverages are great and super affordable. I love the piece of artwork I made and hung in my home right away!

I came here for a work outing. I think it’s a great option for team building, at least in the sense that it’s a casual spot and sells alcohol.
You’ll have to do a little bit of research on their site, but I recommend it — some of the designs are a lot more interesting than others. The one we did for the team building was pretty generic and uninteresting. Though, at the same time, you can diverge without being frowned upon, which I appreciate.
Nice big space. There are two rooms, too, in case they have a private party happening.

My friends and I have been meaning to try this… FOREVER! We finally decided to go and we had a FANTASTIC TIME. The actual venue is too small for my liking, only because they try to squeeze as many people as possible into these sessions to make $, and some people are very close to you. However this is not a dealbreaker for me. I found a coupon online for 15% off, and purchased my tickets online as well. We went for the Sun Streaked Robins painting, and the assistant was very friendly and helpful. She also ran the bar, and was nice with assisting everyone with anything they needed. The food was just OK, but I want to comment on some other people who gave this place less stars because of the food. Just shutup already!!! This clearly is a creative space, used for artistic reasons. Their food is not going to be like a high class restaurant, they offer finger foods and the basics. The chicken and cheese dip was actually really good, and the mozz sticks were average. You do not go to this place to eat. If you have such an issue, how about you eat before you go? Just a thought. ;) I loved how the teacher went through the steps in much detail, and offered everyone time to have him help. At one point, my robin needed the ER… I had to have him help me fix it. OOPS! He was more than happy to help. I showed everybody my painting and they loved it. Actually, most people thought I didn’t even do it! ha! I can’t WAIT to go back, what a fun night. A+

I am not the greatest painter in the world so this step by step lesson was perfect. I booked a party of 8 for a girls night and it was super easy to book. We painted Adirondack Chairs and it was a little tricky so I would have liked someone to come around and offer help. Our instructor went a little too fast for my liking, especially since I am a beginner. I would have liked him to slow down a bit, especially for the chair part.
You can buy alcoholic drinks and snacks but you can’t bring any in. I have been to other paint bars where you can bring snacks so I wish Muse offered the same policy. I would be more willing to buy alcoholic drinks if I could bring my own snacks in.
It’s very tiny and very cramped. It was fun for a girls night out, but I wouldn’t go back on my own. Events and nights out, I would!

I had a really great time at Muse paint bar last weekend. I came in with a group of friends to celebrate a birthday. You need to sign up online beforehand and you get to choose the date based on the painting that you want. Your seats are reserved when you arrive.
I was highly skeptical that I would have a good time and wind up with a halfway decent painting as I have zero artistic abilities. I was very pleasantly surprised at how much fun we all had. The instructor was excellent and informative. He took the instructions slowly and answered all questions that came up. Everything was very easy to understand. There were also additional employees who walked around to help anyone who needed it. When all was said and done, I wound up with a painting that actually looks good and I had fun painting it! I wouldn’t hesitate to return.

I’m so glad this place is in West Hartford. Like other reviewers have mentioned, it’s $ 35 for the class which includes all supplies and instruction. It’s a fun, middle of the week activity and although I didn’t eat there, I appreciated the chance to have a beer and relax midweek. I’m extremely un-​artistic, so the class was fun and challenging. Katie was a great instructor and explained things very clearly. I would definitely go again, booking a class for a friend made a fun present and a good time for everyone!

Paint a check next to «Good idea»; paint a second check next to «Good effort»; paint a final check next to «Falls short of expectations.»
Muse Paintbar & Eatery has the great idea of being both a place to paint and a place to eat, but its brush strokes aren’t that careful and well-​done.
The space itself is small, with tables stuffed on top of one another. If it’s busy with a number of people attending an event, you’ll undoubtedly be dodging people – some with food, some with drinks – when you need to get around the room. My friend and I had to patiently ambulate around the room when washing brushes and getting fresh water. Seating is assigned, and the supplies themselves are not the highest in quality.
Additionally, there are few options for food at this supposed eatery. There are limited choices for meals and drinks. It’s only beer and wine; there are no mixed drinks unless you count mimosas. Everything is somewhat steep in price, and you’re almost pressured to tip on it all, including a bottle of water.
The duration of the events seems longer than necessary. For our event, two and a half hours did not seem warranted, and part of the ending/​finishing of the painting was rushed to meet the time limit since it didn’t begin on time and longer breaks than necessary were taken in the middle. The instructions at the beginning of the event – including depiction of brushes and canvas types – are longer than necessary, as well.
The instructors of the event my friend and I went to, unfortunately, were none too friendly or overly pleasant. Her instructions were not very clear, as she went by the color of the brushes to tell us which to use and the same colors were used in the painting. I mixed up the colors several times and had to redo them again.
Muse gets two stars solely because it’s situated in a good location; it has a set calendar online; and it can accommodate a private event in which you can pick the painting. Otherwise, this paint-«bar & eatery» remains an unfinished masterpiece.

Tons of fun! If you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary to do this is a great place.
For $ 35 you get the canvas, materials and art lesson. When you arrive you find you name on one of the canvas set up throughout the room. With your canvas is the paint and paint brushes you will need. The class is led by an artist who takes you step-​by-​step on how to create the painting. Our artist was very helpful and answered everyone’s questions along the way. Once the lesson was done she went around and provided one-​on-​one help. She was able to help me fix my trees that need saving.
They do have a bar where you can get beer/​wine and a selection of appetizers. We got the hummus plate and french bread pizza. Both were good and reasonably priced.
I am already planning another night here with a different group of friends!

One word… FUN!
We went to Muse for a girls night out, some of us having artistic talent, while others of us (like me) cringe at having to draw a stick figure. But we were all in it together, started with some adult beverages at Cuvée, and headed over to Muse to create our masterpieces!
Muse is nestled in the small strip of stores in the small lot behind REI and the Cheesecake Factory. If you blink, you would miss it. You can try for parking in the small lot, but if you can’t get a spot (there are not many), Then I would recommend parking in the Isham garage. It is a close walk to Muse from there. You will be there for at least 2.5 hours and you don’t want to get a ticket or be running out to feed the meter. They ticket until 10 pm in West Hartford (Mon — Sat), so the garage is the safest bet for convenience and ensuring you don’t find a ticket on your car at the end of the night.
We booked the private room, which meant we got our own instructor and we were able to pick one painting of our choice (rather than painting what was on the schedule in the main room). We also had a table where we could set up snacks, we just were not allowed to bring drinks. Muse has an adequate bar with some wine and beer selections, they also had some food. The reality is once you start painting you don’t have a lot of time to eat or drink, nor do you have a lot of space to keep stuff at your work station. My wine ended up on the floor so that I didn’t accidentally dip my paint brush in it.
The major drawback is space… or lack thereof. It is VERY cramped and in our private room, you couldn’t walk around (say, to get to the bathroom or our food table) without people having to get up from their stations. It was nice to be all in the same space but just was a bit of an annoyance. You didn’t have a lot of room for your water, paint and brushes, so I kept getting paint on myself. TIP: Do not wear something nice!!! You will most likely get paint on yourself! Yes, they have aprons but they don’t cover your whole outfit and you don’t want to ruin something nice with paint. Especially sleeves… I would say sleeveless or as close as possible to sleeveless would be ideal for painting.
The actual painting class was so much fun. They really give you all of the materials you need and simplify the painting so that even someone who is afraid to draw stick figures can handle it. Our instructor was so much fun! The hardest part was mixing colors, for our painting (Starry Night) we had to mix several different colors of blue and I mixed one of mine too dark so it looked almost black. Oops. But other than that, I didn’t think my painting was awful and I had a ton of fun creating it.
I know they do painting nights at various bars in the area, and I haven’t tried those, but the thing I liked about Muse is that this is the space’s dedicated purpose. There are utility sinks, and there is paint on the floor, tables and walls. You can get paint on the bathroom door and you don’t feel like you’re trashing the place. Clearly you can tell I made a mess, so I’m glad I wasn’t at a regular restaurant on paint night, I would be banned for life due to getting blue paint on every possible surface!
Muse would be great for a girls night, team building or even date night. But it was mostly ladies so if you’re going to drag your significant other there, make sure he’s prepared! And be sure to pick a painting that matches a room in your house because you are going to be so proud of your creation that you’ll want to rush right home to hang it up!