I had a great experience!! Sethra was absolutely fantastic! He was very patient and informative. I truly love that he didn't make us feel bad about doing a terrible job with our clay. He always made a way out of a mess... thank you for the great experience. read more

So my girlfriend was recommended to go here by another friend of hers... last night they took a class and were to be taught to make a bowl by one of their pro instructors. The class is normally $70 which is pretty reasonable... IF you're actually being taught. My girlfriend (who was never told in any prior correspondence she wasn't able to) recorded herself making the bowl in Timelapse... The instructor told her to put her phone away and that "phones aren't allowed in her class" My girlfriend was really excited about recording herself (and no one else) and out of spite for having her phone out, the woman named Amaka, refused to help / teach her and offered to give my girlfriend a pre made Bowl to take home since the one she was making was nothing more than a blob. Talk about a waste of money and a totally unprofessional "teacher." Well she sucks and I'd recommend that no one should ever take her class! Ease up on the power trip Amaka... this is supposed to be an enjoyable pastime / hobby! read more

At first glance you think it's beautiful so you sign up for the crazy $220 membership. But soon you find all the issues wrong with this place. They are super stuck up, overpriced and in general just not worth it. read more

The class itself was fun, especially if you pick the outdoor version with the great view of LA. But it's been 3 months and we still don't have our pottery with very little communication from their team. Not sure we'll ever get it at this point! read more

I paid for a private session for my husbands birthday and it was really nice. The teacher was very attentive and responsive to questions and encouraging while we were working our clay. Even when things started getting wonky with my husbands she tried valiantly to redeem the situation but ultimately had to let him trash it and start over. She quickly got him back to a place where he could make the piece his own and end the session on a high note. Sadly due to covid we may have to wait something like eight weeks to get our glazed pieces back but hopefully both of our pieces will make it out the milk in one piece so we can collect. While we were there a young girl came in for a pick up and they found that her piece never made it back. It was unfortunate but not unheard of.. hopefully I'll be able to update with our finished pieces! read more

Bitter Root Pottery - On the wheel - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is one of the best activities my wife and I have done in LA. We did our session with Meagan and she is such an amazing teacher. She is very helpful to every one of her students and made the activity so enjoyable. Also watching the sunset from the rooftop was such a nice bonus. 5 stars!!! read more

Bitter Root Pottery - Finished product - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Had a lovely experience taking a private lesson. The problem has been post-lesson. My boyfriend and I each made a bowl we were really proud of. We were told we'd get a call when the bowls were ready to be picked up, but it's been 12 weeks (twice as long as we were told it would take) and haven't heard a thing. They aren't taking any calls. I emailed using the contact form on the website, but they didn't respond. We want our bowls :( Update: Increased my 1 star to a 3 because after posting this review, they did call me to let me know our bowls were ready to pickup. They did gaslight me and say that my phone number was disconnected (it wasn't), but I am looking forward to pick-up. read more

My partner and I did a walk-in class and our instructor, Ethan, was really great!! He was very descriptive in his verbal instructions, which helps give you an idea on how to position your body or how much pressure to apply. If you had a concern about how your bowl and how it was turning out, he would verbally instruct you on how to fix it rather than taking over. Unless there was no saving it, he'd ask if it was okay for him to give a helping hand which I totally didn't mind lol It was a great experience and I can't wait to see if my bowl made it out alive in 3-4 weeks. As the waiver states, your pottery is not guaranteed if it cracks/breaks during the heating process. So fingers crossed and I will post a picture until then! read more

Bitter Root Pottery - 3ish weeks later and our bowls were ready :) - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Fun date night activity! Signed up for a two hour beginners class where we learned basics of open wheel pottery. Got step by step instructions on how to build a nice bowl. Overall a good experience and excited to see what the finished product is going to look like (takes 4-6 weeks to receive your clay creation after being baked in their oven) read more

My fiancée and I came to Bitter Root pottery several weeks ago as an activity to celebrate her birthday, as this was something she had always wanted to try. Thankfully the classes had plenty of availability, so it wasn't difficult to sign up. Our instructor, whose name I am forgetting, was very friendly. Since we were beginners, we made several mistakes, but our instructor was very accommodating and helpful in offering suggestions for quick fixes to any areas where we may have messed up. In the end, we both managed to successfully make small bowls, and had a very fun and therapeutic time doing so. The downside is that we do not live locally, and it takes several weeks for the bowls to be fired up in the oven. I'm not sure if they have a heavy backlog or what, but we were told it would take up to 6 weeks before our bowls would be ready - and it did take exactly 6 weeks. This was unfortunate because there were a few times around 4 weeks out that we were in the area, but were told our bowls still weren't ready. So that was a little bit of a hindrance. In the end I had to ask a friend who happened to be visiting the area to pick up the bowls on our behalf. All in all, this is a very fun experience. A little bit pricey considering what you're making and how long it takes to get the final product, but well-worth trying at least once if you're curious about pottery. read more

Had girls night out for a Friday session and it was fun! I just didn't think it was worth $50 for the drop-in beginner session. Class was scheduled for 2 hours but we were done in less than 90 minutes. The instructor knew was she was doing and was patient with everyone. Half the class had to start over with new clay and she was able to catch us all up. There were also a lot of different glazes to choose from. What really bothered me was that the instructor said she would help round out the bowls but didn't. When the bowls were taken off the wheel, they got all warped so I thought the instructor would have fixed it. There were also some sharp edges that could have been picked off, but I thought that was going to be taken care of as well. If my bowl looked prettier, I would return with more interest and a higher star rating. read more

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What a great experience! My daughter and I wanted to try something new, so we decided to try a pottery class. We googled pottery classes, and Bitter Root popped up! When we went, we did have difficulty finding parking but did find a spot on the street. When we entered, I loved the vibe of the place. It felt like we were going to get dirty and make a mess, which I was down for. We were greeted and helped right away. My daughter and I put our aprons on and picked a spot to sit. The class had about maybe 10/12 other people there. It was small, which I enjoyed. Our instructor was super friendly and very, very patient. She went step by step and stopped to help when needed. The whole experience was very great, especially experiencing it with my daughter. It took about 3-4 weeks for our masterpieces to be ready. We were so anxious about how the final look of our bowls would turn out. I finally received a call that our items were ready to be picked up. My daughter and I were surprised at how great our boo turned out! So worth the wait! We will definitely come back. read more

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Had so much fun making pottery for the first time! Michael was so patient, playful, helpful, and an amazing teacher! Can't wait to come back again soon :) read more

Bitter Root Pottery - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Unfortunately I have to give another 1 star review. I came here to pick up some pre-made pottery for my girl's sister. (Yes - for my girl's sister. Not for me. NOT for me.) I came here during normal business hours. I asked the worker (heavy set brunette) if I could pick up the pots. She gave me an answer filled with attitude - "Sorry I'm in the middle of a class. Closed to public. Come get them tomorrow." WTF. I am a customer also. You can't pause for 3 minutes and get me pots that are already made? How long does this take exactly? And... there appeared to be other workers there who could help! So then I ask - "Ok... what time do you open tomorrow?" What with business hours changing lately due to new Covid restrictions. Answer in a similarly condescending tone - "Ummm I think noon? Just go check Yelp." Great customer service and knowledge of your own store. Way to encourage people to want to support your business. read more

It was my first time taking a pottery class and it was so much fun! staff was very kind and helpful throughout the whole process ! a fun activity for all! read more

Bitter Root Pottery - made a heart bowl - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This experience was the PERFECT way to celebrate our anniversary. We love a good hands on activity/experience and our time at Bitter Root Pottery was a 10/10. We booked the penthouse because we've seen videos and pictures of the area and we're excited to be outside in the beautiful weather making pottery. When we got there, however, we were told the class would be in the west wing (one of the indoor rooms - there are 2) instead of outside, as we envisioned based on the pictures on their website. We didn't know that was a potential as we didn't see it stated anywhere online or when we purchase the tickets (could be we overlooked it). My smart partner, however, ended up asking if we could upgrade to a private class and do it in the outdoor area. The manager, Noelani, was so kind and accommodating and ended up teaching us herself. The private experience was AMAZING. Super hands on (literally lol) and Noelani gave us amazing tips and was super patient and helpful as we attempted to throw clay for the first time ever. Heads up, it's so much more physical than I anticipated and you really use your body to help shape the clay with your hands. Super cool and such a fun experience. We can't wait to get our pieces back in 4-5 weeks and will definitely be back! read more

Bitter Root Pottery - our creations :) - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The setting was gorgeous and the view spectacular. The place itself is actually really nice. My friends and I had fun and laughed and giggled a ton but the staff were all rude to us and we couldn't understand why. It was so bizarre. The attitude was of sheer annoyance at us. All but one of us had never done wheel before so we needed a lot help but it seemed like the instructor was impatient and overwhelmed. I suggest asking for a second instructor during a class of over 4 people. I'd go again but be more specific about levels read more

We still had fun despite the instructor being so rude and unhelpful! He was so impatient with us! He could have tried to have fun with us as we were a fun group! I think he hates his job! read more

Really enjoyed the 2 hour adult beginner class. A clear walk through of the process. I do wish there was a little more opportunity to experience the process full circle, such as taking it off the wheel or coming back to paint it. BUT believe you can do all of that with a membership and jump into whatever class you want. Definitely planning to try a membership out after my experience :) read more

Bitter Root Pottery - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Had the best time with the best instructor Avia! So fun and so professional and we both ended our private class with beautiful bowls!! Highly recommend this place and Avia! read more

Fun experience but rudest employees! Our instructor was mean and cold. Even the women who checked us in gave attitude when we hadn't even been there yet read more

We had the best time this weekend in a one time 2 hr pottery class. Our instructor Lily was great. She did a demo and then guided us step by step though the process of creating our first piece of pottery! Each of us got focused help from her each step of the way. The class was really well thought out and Lily is an amazing and patient instructor. I will be looking into more classes and am so grateful for a really positive first experience. Here is my first piece, now I just have to wait for it to be glazed and fired to take it home. read more

Bitter Root Pottery - My first piece, I had no idea that I could do this. Thanks Lily for the great instruction :) - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I recommended this place for my friends birthday party back in November, even though it was a little over our budget. I really wanted them to have this experience. We had a party of 8 women, all beginners except for me. We were all really excited about the experience and it was quite enjoyable. The staff was so nice and patient with everyone. Each of us checked in, got our materials and created our masterpieces. We left feeling so satisfied and skilled. Fast forward a few weeks and we go to pick up our pieces. This is why I am leaving the 1 star review. I was the main contact person and never received a call saying the pieces were finished. We just ended up swinging by one afternoon when I was in the area to see if they were ready. The staff member brought out the large group bag with all our orders in it except for one. She then tells us that the bowl exploded in the kiln and that it must've had a bubble in it or something. Which, I understand from my previous experience with pottery can happen. However, I asked her what's next then? Does she get to remake it? A refund? A discount on a future class? We were then informed that it states on the waiver we signed that if the piece breaks we are pretty much S.O.L. I think that is ridiculous. This needs to be advertised as a pottery skills class and taking your piece home is not guaranteed. I doubt people would be so quick to pay this amount when there's other pottery venues in LA. 1st) We paid almost $60 per person, with tip for this experience. Group of 8- $480 for the 2 hours and 4 other people in our group with us. 2nd) We were never contacted or informed that her item exploded or offered the broken pieces to make something out of so we could atleast salvage the memories. Which was extremely disappointing for an arts studio. 3rd) How do we know her item exploded and it wasn't dropped or misplaced by staff? Something didn't seem right with this and I am extremely disappointed with how they went about it. I know the "waiver states..." but come on...really? Does the waiver also state that I am no longer entitled to the materials I paid for? Needless to say I will be looking further into this with the manager/BBB and seeing how this can be resolved. read more

What an apropos name "bitter." I called for ceramics lessons for my son and they refused to let me enroll him because he was just 2.5 months away from his 6th birthday. He HAD to be 6. If you look at the rest of their "requirement," i.e. refunds and reschedules, they are pretty inflexible too. No refunds and reschedules. Ever. Oh, and you HAVE to have your ticket if you want to be admitted to a class. I guess they aren't up to speed with technology, when an email registration and I.D., would amply suffice. Yuck. What an unfriendly, unwelcoming place! read more

Says the class is 90 minutes ours today was only an hour. Rushed me when my pot fell apart - Jill the instructer wasn't great with kids even though this class is for kids 6+. But honestly if your paying for 90 min. The class should be 90 min. read more

I took a class from Jill who was so much fun and really patient with all of us. I'd never 'thrown clay' before lol, and she made it really fun even though it's no where near as easy as it looks. I took a friend with me and we both laughed and had an amazing time. I would absolutely recommend this class to anyone. It's a really great date idea, and Jill was so dope! read more

Bitter Root Pottery - Had a blast - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Loved it all! Great lesson, nice people, had a blast! Can't wait to pick up our pieces!!! read more

Bitter Root Pottery - Pottery making class - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My second time throwing pottery. Natalie my instructor is extremely knowledgeable and has an amazing personality. Between the instructor and the environment you can't find a better place to have this experience. read more

This is a fun spot for a date. The instructor was great, and the class itself enjoyable. I made a great vase that I never got to see finished. The service after the event was appalling. I don't live locally, and so for me to collect the pottery was a long car ride. I emailed many times to chase. They would email saying they had it. My friend went to collect his item only to be told it wasn't ready. Despite being told it was on the phone. We tried again. This time they said it was available to collect. Both of our pieces. I told them of how I was coming into LA specifically to collect the pieces. Could they confirm that both pieces were ready to collect. When I arrived, they only had one piece (which was my friends and could have been collected any time) but my piece was lost and they had a terrible archive system - finding and losing pieces. Which doesn't make me feel confident paying $70 for a class. I understand some things break, but I had checked many times to see if they actually had something for me to collect. When I arrived they didn't. And suggested it was probably broken. I spent $50 on a cab and $70 for the class. That's $120 for a 90 minute class that left me with no item. They said they would compensate due to their mixed communication. And that they would call. They never did. I keep chasing. They are not responding. It seems other people according to these reviews, have experienced the same poor service. Such a shame. And very avoidable! I would advise other places than here for a more excellent service and honest communication. read more

Made a reservation for 2 for their special Valentine's Day class. Found metered street parking outside and the class had about 10 other people. They had wine and cheeses and crackers and snacks. We learned how to make bowls. The instructor was clear and patient when she was telling us the steps. The other students in the class however were okay. Some were perfectly fine but it really does bring you back to grade school when there are students were are CONSTANTLY talking and asking questions and just are overall annoying. But what can you do, it's a toss up when the class is just 10 people. Throwing was surprisingly difficult. I liked how there were other staff members walking around to help us when needed. Once we completed our bowls we chose our colors and cleaned up. The cleaning up process was very tedious and I did not think it was a part of our (expensive) package to help clean up so that was weird... oh well. They said that it'll take about a month for them to call back to inform us when our bowls are ready for pick up which is a long wait time, and we had to sign a waiver before the class that said that they may break the bowls when they're kilning it which I hope didn't happen to mine. Overall, this is a good place for a unique date night and I'd recommend it. Would I do this regularly? No because it was expensive. read more

Really liked the setup, lovely location. Metered street parking available. I've always wanted to try pottery. Took a class with Paige, who seems like a great person. She's friendly and outgoing but not the best instructor. I didn't really learn much because she took over and basically made whatever she wanted. She was a bit condescending at times, reminding us on many occasions that we weren't advanced enough to attempt the moves she could perform. Most of the attention was given to members who are allowed to sit in on any class. We first timers were ignored like stepchildren. Several of us gathered at the end of class and chatted a bit. We all agreed that we wanted to give pottery one more chance but with a different instructor. Felt like she wanted to hurry up and kick us outta there. read more

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I love this studio! I love how open it is. I've been to creative hand ceramics and the pottery studio and those SUCK. This studio is probably the best in LA. It's a bit pricey but totally worth it. I have about 10 pieces that I've made from here. Such a great idea to make pottery as gifts! read more

Pretty disappointed in the service but the experience was cool. My boyfriend booked us a class for Valentine's day and when we showed up after waiting for about 15 minutes were told our class time was mixed up and we could either reschedule or come back an hour later. After coming back I will say, our teacher was pretty good and we enjoyed our time. On the website it clearly states **please allow about 4 weeks for your pottery to go through the entire firing process**. Upon calling them on the 4th week they said it wasn't quite ready and to remember it takes "4-5 weeks." I picked mine up at the end of the 5th week and my boyfriends is still not ready - assuming it will be ready the 6th week since it's already Friday. It wouldn't have been too big of deal till I got home and unwrapped my bowl to find it was the wrong color. read more

My family and I took a class with Joan today and she was amazing!!! It was our first time doing any sort of pottery work, Joan made it super easy to follow and was super patient with us. Not once did we feel rushed or incompetent with Joan. I would definitely come back!!! read more

For $50 per person, two friends and I attended the beginner class. It led to the epiphany that pottery-making, like surfing and meditating, = intensely awesome balance of relaxing and engaging. The instructor was quirky and skilled (the 10+ years of experience showed when I pulled a King Kong on my bowl. He resurrected that baby like it ain't no thang), and class enabled both socializing (bonding through our universal lack of skill :) and individual creativity (none of that "paint & wine, we all create the exact same thing" here). Final observations/notes: There was a solidly diverse crowd in terms of skill level, age, ethnicity (East European models, retired men, budding art students etc.) Good quality equipment and good studio practices re cleaning materials Good instruction for beginners Firing our six mugs/bowls took exactly two weeks read more

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The course itself was fun. If you mess up, the instructor will make your Bowl for you, so don't mess up. As of right now I am giving this place two stars because my class was six weeks ago and I still have no Bowl. I was told it'd be three weeks. I have called three times and every time they can't find it and "they will probably be giving me a call shortly because it's in the kiln." I'll give them a call again tomorrow and see what they say. But until then, two stars for the experience. Update: so I called today and they magically found it and it was ready to go (after six weeks). I got home and opened it up and I'm really disappointed in the glazing job and with the way they cut it off of the wheel. The glaze is okay, there is one major spot that has like no glaze on it. My biggest issue is with how they cut the bottom, it looks very careless. It is on the bottom, so I'm thankful it won't be seen. Overall, I will leave them a three for the experience. It was fun, but wish I could've done the glazing myself and they should ask if you want to take your own bowl off of the wheel, that way I would be responsible for whatever happened to it. read more

Bitter Root Pottery - Bottom of bowl - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I thought this place would be better. I wanted the experience to be fun but everyone was so serious that every time my friend and I laughed, we felt like the instructor was getting pissed. They also did a horrible job glazing. I got my bowl back and the glaze was all drippy and they didn't even out all the air bubble holes like they said they would before glazing. read more

Brought my bestie here for her birthday and it was so much fun! We did the adult 2 hour workshop and enjoyed it!

Such a great place with fun and friendly staff!! Teach you everything as you go and help you along the way. And you get to pick your own color for your piece at the end! read more

I had a wonderful beginners afternoon class on the 5th floor with Natalie. She did a full demo to show us where we were going to go from start to finish, then we began on our own bowls. Natalie was patient, helpful, and funny, and did a great job explaining everything and showing us how to make adjustments for each step that would improve our bowls. I found working with the wheel to be meditative and relaxing! I will have to consider joining as a member to do more long-term. Afterwards, you rinse your station (easy peasy, the clay dissolves quickly in water), pick a glaze color for your bowl, and wait to hear from them in a few weeks to come pick it up. I had a great time, and will definitely take other people. Thanks, Natalie! read more