For the easiest experience, make a reservation the day before over the phone. It's a small shop and seats are limited to ~16 people at full capacity. Even if some seats *are* open, most chairs will be used as spacers for the comfort of guests. You get 2 hours to paint and it takes 5 weeks to process. The owner is inflexible and abrasive but it's a local shop, not Disneyland. Total price adds up quickly when you get multiple pieces to paint. I've painted pieces over the years, and still regularly use them. This is a reliable establishment to make something nice for yourself or a loved one. It'd be better if they took online reservations through a third party. Few people would be comfortable giving their card details over the phone to a stranger. It's common sense not to. Maybe another kiln would be helpful, too. read more

We've been looking forward to painting at the Clay Cafe and it turned out to be such a great and relaxing experience. They had a great selection of clay pieces and they give you two hours to paint at our own pace. It felt nice to unplug for a bit, enjoy the little things, and just exist in our own creative bubble for awhile. We can't wait to see how our finished pieces turn out. read more

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My partner and I have been visiting Clay Cafe since 2022, and it was our go-to date spot before we moved off island. At one point, we were probably going once a month! The staff have always been kind, helpful, patient, and fun to talk to. We truly miss going, and we even made a point to visit during a recent trip to Honolulu. I highly recommend making reservations in advance, as they can be pretty busy. A reservation also locks you in for at least 2 hours of painting time! Just give them a call, pay a small deposit, and book your time. Heads-up: they can be busy with customers during the day, so leave a voicemail and they get back to you pretty quickly! Since they are a small business, you may need to wait anywhere between 4-6 weeks for your pieces. Plan in advance to get them before you need them! The staff always makes sure we have a great time when we go. read more

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If you're ever in a mood to paint, I highly recommend Clay Cafe. The pieces are already premade and they have a lot of cute items. First off, make sure you have a reservation ahead of time as they are limited on tables. We saw a family get turned down when they tried to walk in. Anyways, we were given clear instructions on how it works. We can pick as many pieces as we'd like to paint as long as we can complete it within the 2-hour timeframe we're given. The prices are listed on the bottom of the piece. I ended up choosing 3 medium pieces: a shark, smores, and a mug. We pay for the items before we paint. Mine came out to $100ish. And we got coffee as this is part cafe. It was very nice and relaxing. After we were done, we left everything and will be receiving a call to pick up our finished pieces approx 5 weeks. It'll be worth the wait. I'm excited. read more

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Customer service is horrible. Main employee (who may be owner) rude. She would walk around and when asked questions would curt. If people went to the counter she acted like we were bothering her. Prices are not consistently priced; price tag on shelf has one price and price on item had a lower price. I asked for the lower price to be honored; was told no. When I said other places would do that, I was told to bad. I worked at the place that they bought their ceramics from and managed the store for years so I know about customer service and how the place works. So I asked a clarifying question about how the paint works; she aid "that's what it says so what's the problem?" Everything about this place was horrible! If wasn't with my daughter & her best friend, I would have left! read more

Make your reservations! They also require a down payment over the phone to hold the spot. It's a 2 hour limit which goes fast. Picking the piece you want, the colors, the brushes and listening to the instructions. It is very pricy i paid $70 for a drink a cup and a small fish for me and my daughter. Waited about 5 and half weeks before getting the pieces back. I did have fun and do plan on coming back. read more

Clay Café - Glazed cup - Cafes Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We love this place for our date nights. We have been coming here since 2016. The staff is so helpful in explaining about how to paint and if you want extra help on special techniques, you just have to ask. There are so many cute clay pieces to choose from and a rainbow of color paints. I would suggest calling in advance for reservations as this is a very popular activity. There is a lot of free parking and you can order drinks at the cafe. The best part of it is that you get to keep your creation forever. I love looking back on my pieces and remembering the fun we had making it and the people I painted with. Everyone from babies(make a footprint plate), children, teens, adults to kupuna can definitely have a great time painting a masterpiece and creating cherished memories. Mahalo to the staff for always taking care of us. read more

Clay Café - Cafes Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I used to frequent this place when they were at Ward Warehouse. My son even had one of his birthday parties there. I have so many of their glazed pieces sitting around. It was a nice surprise when they popped up at McCully Shopping Center. It was my first time at this new location. They seem to have their steady stream of regulars coming in. All the clay pieces are already made. You buy the piece that you want and you get to glaze it. They have all different color glazes and the workers will teach you different glazing techniques. They had some really cute pieces. They had plates and mugs. What I really want is one of the boxes for my trinkets. I was on my way to dinner and stopped by. I will be back. read more

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Super cute, kids had fun. My daughter and her besties got together for her birthday. Lots of colors to chose from, nice that they have smoothies and snacks to order while you paint. Super nice staff and helpful! read more

Clay Café - Excited to see how these will turn out - Cafes Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We had the best time for my birthday! Making a reservation was so easy and staff were so helpful! The options and colors were plenty

If you have creative kids, this is a nice place to bond with them. Reserve your seating, come and pick from a wide variety of clay pieces, paint it and then you'd have to wait which can take weeks. My daughters and I did a couple sessions and this just takes me back to elementary school! You make a masterpiece, paint it and it goes in the kiln and makes it all shiny and when you bring it home your parents would have to guess what it is! No guessing at Clay Cafe- read more

Really amazing selection of paints and tools to choose from. The owners are very kind and helpful in assisting you create the artwork you imagine. They gave many helpful tips. Can't wait to see it when there is a cafe attached read more

I am here multiple times a month. I LOVE this place ! Their customer service is ALWAYS amazing. Such a cute little place to come with your other half, kids or friends. Truly fun for all ages. Tip: while they do take walk ins it's best to call and make a reservation. Especially for weekend slots. The location is small so there aren't lots of seats but if you call ahead of time they will work on accommodating your needs !! read more

Super fun and great activity for both kids and adults. Had a fun time painting but a little issue with communicating with the staff. Overall fun but not the most welcoming environment. Really great if you like to sit down and enjoy your own time. read more

It's been a little over a year since we last visited & not much has changed! We brought my youngest sister who was visiting to paint & she had so much fun. She loved picking her piece and deciding on colors. My only advice is, if you plan to paint you get inspiration prior to visiting so that doesn't cut into your painting time. I wish I had a bit more time to add more to the paint I just painted. read more

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Clay cafe is my friends and my go-to spot! We love coming here and are frequent visitors. They have a pseudo-membership where you get $5 off each time you visit! They have a wide range of ceramic choices and colors. The only thing is they don't have large bowls anymore, which is a bummer but aside from that, it's great. Reservations is a must - this place gets packed and reservation times are not flexible for last minute changes. Chae who works there is helpful, friendly, and attentive! read more

Clay Café - Mugs and bowls - Cafes Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Such a cute little place for a date! Who wouldn't want to pick a piece of pottery & just go ham with all the different paints?! Best part, you get to keep it too! read more

Clay Café - Cafes Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Celebrating an anniversary that is traditionally "Pottery" as a gift. I figured this would be a cute way to celebrate. Making a reservation requires a $25 payment to hold your spot. Upin arrival, you select your piece and pay for the item before you paint it. The prices are listed on the bottom of the ceramic piece. It is a bit pricey; however, it covers the cost for painting, coating, and baking. They also offer drinks such as Teas, Coffee, and Smoothies for purchase. Although we did enjoy our time, I can't see having enough time to complete a larger piece within the 3 hours given. It took us some time to select a piece, then another chunk of time to make the purchase before painting. Also, had we known the time frame for the pieces to be completed, maybe we wouldn't have selected a Halloween themed piece as they said it could take 6 weeks. Otherwise, it was a cute way to spend the time. I will probably take my adult children here one day as a family event. Oh, the $25 fee will go towards your purchase. So 2 pieces medium in size, and 2 drinks costs $60+ (after the $25 deduction). The space is small, so please be considerate towards other patrons there. read more

Clay Cafe is located in McCully Shopping Center- on the second floor. So many choices and they are so helpful in trying to do different artistic techniques. We have been coming to Clay Cafe from their Ward Center location. I'm so glad that they are still open. Even during the Pandemic they made it possible for use to still get crafty and paint. You can still get "pieces to go". They have their website and request for time to pack your paints and supplies. This is such an amazing idea. Some of the staff have been with Donna for a while. We really appreciate Aimee and Shae. They remember me and my girlie from when we used to come since 2009!! We love them!! read more

I used to love Clay Cafe at it's old location but honestly it has just gotten way too expensive. I will say that the service is great and they do also have a great selection and organization. I'm mostly upset that items will take 5 weeks to fire. That is just way too long in my opinion. read more

Clay Café - Cafes Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

It's been challenging to do stuff during COVID, and my friend told me about her experience here and I decided to try it out! I called to make a reservation and put a twenty five dollar deposit (it goes towards your purchase at time of visit). When I got there with my party, I noticed tables were socially distanced and we were mandated to use masks (hey I don't mind especially when we can go somewhere safely to do something fun). What's cool about this place is you get to pick your own ceramic piece to decorate and prices include all the paint you want and two hours of time. After you paint, you leave your pieces to be glazed and baked and they will call you to pick it up. I believe the prices are fair when you think about what's included. Most pieces were in the twenty to forty dollars range but I also saw some five dollar pieces. There is a huge variety to choose from, plates, mugs, figurines, animals, containers etc. I chose a mug, my daughter chose a Disney princess figurine, my mom chose a spoon holder, and hubby chose a elephant figurine. We got down and busy choosing our colors and painting. There are color swatches next to each bottle of paint so you don't have to guess your colors which I appreciated. Staff is available to assist if needed and two hours was enough time for us to paint. At the end, you leave your pieces there and wait for the call for pick up. I haven't gotten our pieces back yet, but I'm eagerly awaiting to see our finished products. I see on their website you can buy and paint at home but I wanted to take my daughter out to do something fun and safe. I'm happy to have experienced the Clay cafe. I will be back to take my niece and nephew when they come to Oahu. read more

Clay Café - Clay painting fun! - Cafes Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I called Clay Cafe on a whim this past Saturday to ask if they required reservations. Although it's not required, it's recommended as they slot guests into 2 hour painting time frames. Back in the Ward days, I had gone to Clay Cafe once and remember sitting there for hours on end because I'm artistically inept. But with a 2 hour slot, I was forced to just pick colors and commit to a theme. On the same day I called, they had an opening for 2. Parking was easy as we came mid afternoon and there was a lot of parking stalls open. However the traffic on McCully street was horrendous! So plan accordingly and try to arrive on time as there are reservations throughout the day. The cafe was petite, clean, had a good amount of items to select from. I was a little surprised by the cost of the items.... But it is 2023 and everyone needs to make a living somehow. My mug was roughly $29 and my partners small bowl (for our cat) was about $22. To make a reservation, they do take a $25 deposit that is applied to your balance. It is NON REFUNDABLE but can be transferred to a new appointment if you're able to reschedule in an appropriate amount of time. No shows and cancellations = no refunds or credits. There was a nice selection of paint, however, I thought the original location had more paints and items to decorate. But again, new location, new space, it is what it is. The cafe menu for beverages was more expansive that I thought it'd be. I was surprised by the selection of cold beverages, hot beverages, smoothies, and sodas. There are instructions given to you before the start of your appointment and sample binders to look at ideas and inspiration. Overall it was a great usage of 2 hours of my day and I can say the cafe is quite popular as it was almost fully booked when we came in. So make sure to call in for reservations! Pieces are ready to pick up in 4-5 weeks and they'll give you a call when it's ready. read more

Perfect indoor activity! They did a great job of distancing the tables for health and safety during the pandemic. The staff were really kind. You can call ahead and make reservations. Also have to provide credit card at the time but that amount gets used when purchasing items to paint upon approval. Chose a whale mug and spent about ~2 hours painting. Lots of color options and you can spend time painting multiple layers as recommended for better colors after the baking process. There were a lot of families and children. If your kid can sit quietly and paint this is an excellent option for a family outing or even a birthday party! read more

Clay Café - Painting a mug! - Cafes Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Go online, pick out your paints and the pottery pieces and pick them up from the store than go back home and paint away your stress. I've done a few of these pick and paint ceramics in California but always felt rushed to finish the paint job. Finally Clay Cafe has made it possible to just take as long as you want method at home. I absolutely loved painting them at home while watching a movie and taking my sweet time layering on the paints. I enjoy the pastels on my matcha cups it's just so happy and cute. The speckled paint I believe it's called paparazzi was my favorite, I mixed it with the other colors and it's adorable. I'm not sure how they will do in the dishwasher but they will reglaze it for you if you have any cracking on the clear coat I believe. I'm not sure though. Anyways, hand wash to be safe and keep them looking tip top! Help them out by ordering your ceramic to paint at home! read more

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I think you get 2 hours to paint your clay pieces, and they let us stay for a little longer because some of us weren't done yet, which I thought was very nice of them. The workers were informative, explained how to use the glaze properly and what to do. There's a lot of different clay pieces and colors to choose from! One thing I didn't like was the toasted marshmallow drink. It had a lot of burnt marshmallow inside that ruined the entire taste, and I couldn't finish it. We painted our clay on October 6th and my friend had only one call from them sometime in November (which my friend had missed because it was a number unknown to her). It was an overall good experience, a bit pricey though. read more

Clay Café - Before - Cafes Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We were greeted with a full explanation of how the experience in decorating our pots would go. Very helpful staff. We had a time limit and it was enough to finish our projects. We were called when our items were fired and complete several weeks later and were pleased and happy with the outcome. Highly recommend as a family activity! read more

Love this place!! They have so many things you can paint and many different colors. The people that work there (Shae?) Are so friendly and helpful. Definitely coming back soon! read more

We LOVE this place & go when we can. My 12yo daughter enjoys choosing different pieces to print and even made gifts for friends. She often wants to bring friends & create works of art with others & it's a great environment to do just that! It's definitely best to make a reservation & go to the reservation prepared because the 2 hours go by super fast! I've had to return on a couple different occasions because I didn't finish but the staff has been super accommodating... Thank you Speaking of the staff, they are the best & will help with whatever you may need, even if you are new to ceramics. I love the examples & variety of techniques you can learn to do if you see something you like. They also offer a variety of drinks for purchase while you are working & they are yummy. Thumbs up for anyone who loves art! I find the environment highly relaxing & stress relieving . Highly recommended read more

Clay Café - Cafes Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I love this place! I've been going here since they opened in ward! Every time I go to clay cafe I always feel like I'm a kid again. This place is very clean and they have so many choices of potteries and they always have a wide colors choices. they also have small snacks and drinks as well. Next time I go there I will definitely try their drinks service is amazing as well. If it's your time there, they will go through a fast introduction on what to do. read more

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Clear policy and reservation was easy to understand and the staff has super great attitude. Attitude mean everything in business industry.

Clay Café is located on the second floor in McCully Shopping Center. As a heads-up, you must RSVP for a time via phone and pay a deposit of $25. Then, you get to choose which pre-made pottery (plates, mugs, animals, etc.) you want to paint with and pay for the item. Afterward, you can paint to your heart desires! They have a huge selection of different products and paint to use, and by deciding which paint you would like to use, look at the colored tiles. If you see 3 different rows of colors on the same tile, it will show you how many coats and layers of the paint it will look like on your clay. If you use too much, paint you will be charged $5! The reservation last until the next person RSVPs the table you are assigned to. What's really nice is that whoever made the deposit, it goes towards your purchase at the time of the visit and is a really nice way to relax. I would definitely recommend visiting and our clay pieces will be done within 4-5 weeks at the moment. More information at https://claycafehawaii.com/ read more

Wanting to beat the summer heat and do some activities in doors? This is the perfect place. I don't know what has taken me so long to do a review I find myself here on most of my daughters breaks from school. I'm not into letting my kid have electronics all the time after all I grew up in the era of no cell phones and lived in the moment. Raising her she had limited access with her electronics (iPad, game consoles, phone) This enhanced her arts and writing skills. She absolutely loves coming here since they were at the Aina Haina location. I personally don't have an artistic bone in my body but there are so many examples here that will give you ideas. The staff is so friendly and willing to help. Last time I was here with my niece I wanted to do a swirls of colors and one of the staff patiently taught me how to do the bubble art and stayed with me till I was ready to take over on my own. They have a large clay selection to select from and tons of colors to paint with. All supplies are provided- brushes, napkins etc. I recommend calling and reserving a time space is limited to 3 tables. Currently located in the McCully shopping center 2nd floor. They now offer beverages coffees, teas while you let your creative juices flow. read more

Clay Café - Cafes Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Totally LOVE this place! The staff is so awesome helpful, patient and so warm and welcoming! They make the two hours even more fun!!! Fun for all ages and all genders! Clay Café is this cute small store front space with lots of ceramics to choose from in all price ranges. It's simple to do and the workers are always around to ask questions if you not sure or best yet they can make suggestions on how to make your ceramic piece even more pretty and amazing!!! For example like to make dots, they have a special tool to make the perfect dots rather than trying to paint with your brush. Love it!!! Paint selection is beyond the colors of the rainbow so much different shades and color ideas! Clay café is available for parties- Birthday, Girls Night Out, Work Team Building activity, Baby Shower and probably what party or celebration you can think of. Definitely a place to make some great memories with friends and family, heck even strangers you meet doing ceramic too! Totally recommend checking this place out if you are reading this far into the review!!! It's worth the price and time spent! Who knows maybe I will see you there!! Happy Dance!! read more

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The experience was fun and the drinks were nice, however one of the staff members made this place a 4/5 to a 2/5. She was extremely difficult to communicate with and had this really passive aggressive attitude towards me and my friends. She was just as rude as she was on the phone and sounded like she absolutely hated her job. I don't want to come back just because she made such a fun activity to an uncomfortable one. If you are looking for a welcoming and friendly experience, this is definitely not the place. read more

LOVE THIS PLACE! We came here for date night and had a blast. It was my second visit here and will definitely keep coming back. Shay provided us with awesome service, very friendly, and knowledgeable. When you visit, be sure to order a lava flow too - it's bomb! Can't wait to visit again! read more

Clay Café - Painting in progress. Chopstick bowl and monstera mug. - Cafes Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Clay Cafe can now be found in the McCully Shopping Center. Before this location, it was at the Ward Warehouse. At McCully Shopping Center, it's upstairs. I read from other reviewers that it's good to make a reservation so I did for Sunday morning. They open at 10 so I made it for 10. We were the first ones there,but as the morning went on, there were many walk ins. I'm glad that I made a reservation beforehand. The steps to Clay Cafe is that you find a piece that you want to paint and then you go to the counter to pay. They have all kinds of things to paint. I wanted to give my daughter a bank so I found a duck piggy bank. They had different kinds of banks like a hippo, three bears, and even snoopy. There also plates, bowls, mugs, figurine pieces, clocks, and containers. My mom and sister had a hard time deciding what they wanted. My sister wanted a plate but she not really good at drawing and didn't really have an idea. So she took a really long time to decide. But then she found several binders full of stencils. So she got her plate and found a stencil to draw her design on her plate. My mom found a dog figurine and my other sister got a mug. After you decide and pay for your piece, they introduce you to their paint wall. There all shades of colors and each tile shows what it looks like for one coat, two coats, and three coats of paint. They also have shimmering paint. In addition to the variety of paint, they also have a wide selection of paintbrushes. They have the wide brushes for those large surfaces and then they have those really thin brushes for the part you really want to add detail to. Painting really relaxes you. It really was a good experience and I can't wait to see the final product. They said that it will take 7-10 days to finish since they have to fire it up. read more

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We created an after-school activity for the kids during this covid period that required everyone to wear mask. The staff was so nice and understanding of our 8 toddlers and we all enjoyed this first time here that we would definitely do this again and will share the experience with others. All of us with kids are trying to find educational and positive activities for our kids so I am happy to add this to the list. All of the prices are on the bottom of each piece that range from $5 and up. We were provided 2 hours to complete our clay pieces which was a perfect amount of time. We were able to help ourselves to the paints if our children needed more. read more

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Ooh so fun, don't go solo... There were families of 4 with teenagers, a mother with young ones, and a few one adult with a child customers. I got this as a birthday certificate so finally went with my little sweetie. They take reservations and walk-ins are welcomed too. It's a nice leisurely way to let your creative artistic genius come to life. But first you listen to a spiel by one of the workers ie how many coats of glaze to use, books available for ideas and the fine tip vs huge bottles that you carefully pour into your individual palette. There are so many items to choose from to paint. The price is on the bottom. I saw tiny cupcakes for $10, a little mermaid for $26, a leaf bowl for $27. The large ones are WAY more pricier. There also are beverages for purchase which you can enjoy while you paint. There are many completed pieces on the walls to spark your fancy. Look at what other people are doing. I saw a teenager using a sponge (so much faster)so I did that for the first coat vs a brush which needs some tedious concentration. Even a 5 year old can have fun and want to make more than one. Just watching them choose their color combinations is fascinating. There are free lollipops on the counter- what's not to love about an outing like this? You will get a phone call between 7-10 days letting you know your fired pieces are done and ready for pick up. read more

Clay Café - Cafes Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

MAKE A RESERVATION!! This is something I wish they would encourage a lot more openly. It's in teeny tiny print on their website on the way bottom. You NEED to reserve we saw 2 groups come in during our time hoping to come and paint but they were turned away (we were in the same boat 2 weeks ago so I made this appt in advance for Valentine's Day with my bf). Ultimately this place is very small, only 4/5 open tables. They play nice calm old hit songs that we all sang softly to ourselves. The prices are a bit high and right now the wait for your pieces will take 5 weeks!! That's kind of a bummer for paying almost $80 but I guess it'll be a fun surprise next month. Ultimately I think this is a once in a few years thing to do and a fun date night to do. My heart box was $30 and my boyfriend's dragon mug was $48. Their brushes are kind of really bad and I would maybe suggest if you need a small detail brush maybe go get your own and bring it! I had a lot of trouble. You get 2 hours and the thing is you need to go over everything 3x and that takes so much work and time so try going in with an open mind to a simple design since mine took up 2 hours and it was literally just flowers (I am a newbie so understandably so I took forever maybe?). Ultimately come here once in a great time. Never got to try their drinks since we were gonna get a nice dinner after! Ultimately pricey but fun to do once in a blue moon! read more

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Super helpful staff, tons of affordable pieces and a ton of selections! I love all the inspiration pieces they have. 2 hours was not enough time for me - I wanted to stay and make more! My new obsession. read more