Curiosity by Nest
161 Midland Ave, Kearny, NJ
Crema's Take
“Curiosity by Nest is a meticulously curated café where the thoughtful design details and carefully curated music create an atmosphere that feels intentional and inviting—the kind of place that draws you in for a coffee and keeps you lingering. Their specialty drinks and creative signature beverages pair beautifully with light food options like onigiri and dumplings, making it ideal for both a quick coffee break and a leisurely meeting with friends or family. While experiences here can be a bit uneven, the warm, friendly staff and genuinely distinctive vibe make it worth a visit if you're seeking a neighborhood spot with real personality.”
What to expect
Google Reviews
I genuinely feel bad posting this because the owner has always been nice to us, but my last visit a few months back, was really upsetting. I started eating my ramen with my kid and noticed what I thought were condiments were actually a few dead fruit flies in the soup. I called the owner over, and she said they probably just fell in while I was sitting, but it wasn’t just one dead fly, there were multiple. There was no apology, no offer to fix it, no refund and no reassurance that the ingredients would be checked. I felt sick to my stomach knowing I ate the ramen with fruit flies in it. I’m guessing the flies got trapped in one of the ingredients and they didn’t notice when pouring those contaminated ingredients into the soup. I get that accidents happen, but how they’re handled matters. I won’t be returning, and I’d just suggest checking your food carefully before eating. Update since the owner responded: I want to clarify that my review was not posted with malicious intent whatsoever. I am just sharing my experience because it actually happened and I think it is fair for customers to be aware. Now, when this happened, I physically showed you the fruit flies in the ramen and you saw them yourself and said they must’ve fallen in while I was sitting down eating. My concern was not just that it happened because like I said accidents can occur, but that there was no apology, no reassurance that the ingredients would be checked and your response now still shows no accountability for the situation. I waited months before posting because I did not initially want to leave a negative review, especially since you have been nice to us in the past. But after seeing similar concerns mentioned in other reviews, I felt it was important to share my personal experience.
I loved coming here! The food was delicious. The people at the reception are always so friendly! The music they play is my favorite part. This will become your favorite place!
Recently visited this café for a couple of drinks and absolutely loved the vibe. The ambiance is top-notch, and I was genuinely amazed by the thoughtful detailing inside—everything is so well curated to give it a unique and authentic feel. They even had a live tattoo artist the day we visited, which was such an unexpected and exciting touch! It definitely added a whole different experience to the evening and made the place stand out from the usual café scene. We tried the Strawberry Matcha, Mocha, and Boba, and each drink had its own delicious charm. The staff was extremely friendly and helped us pick the perfect drinks, which made the visit even better. Overall, a must, must visit café for anyone looking for great drinks, aesthetic vibes, and something a little different. Can’t wait to go back! ☕💚✨
I really don’t like leaving bad reviews, but please don’t go to this place. It’s not like it used to. I ordered 2 salmon onigirs and matcha (nothing out of the world, simple and easy) anyways.. I went to pick them up, the cashier told me it was going to be 10 minutes, I went there she was making the matcha and the onigiris were almost ready, she handed me the matcha and it was all dripping and messy, but I didn’t care bc she seemed new, but when I tried it, I’m not lying when I say that I almost broke my tooth, the tapioca was hard as a rock and I told her right away. She didn’t apologize and told me that if I wanted fresh tapioca I had to wait for 10 minutes ( I had no choice because I already paid for everything) she redo the matcha and I noticed that she added more milk to make the cup full tbh I wasn’t going to say anything else bc I needed to leave. At the end she gave me the bag of onigiri, I checked my bag and it was only 1 onigiri, I told her that I ordered 2, so I had to wait AGAIN for the onigiris and the poor watery matcha. Once I got everything went to my car and the onigiris were PURE RICE, barely any piece of salmon, with the previous owner the onigiris were delicious and with a good portion of salmon. Please don’t waste your time like I did. Horrible experience and horrible customer service.
Well the staff, the place and vibe was on point - 10/10 The vegan options were really okayish or it can just be me. We ordered : Veggie Shoyu - 6/10 Mushroom Onigiri - 8/10 Veg Dumplings - 5/10 Mango Smoothie - 5/10 I liked my time there and would like to go back just for vegan mushroom onigiri and people (:
Crema Reviews
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