Agree that the items are outrageously expensive (especially since you can find the same for a fraction of the price elsewhere), but I've come to realize that we're really paying for the experience, materials and time spent at the store. I chose a small sushi plate ($38) and ended up spending 3 hours choosing the colors, chatting and painting. The employees mostly leave you be (which I appreciate) and are super knowledgeable about the process if you have any questions. After you're done, drop off the item with the employee to fire up your items and you should get a call around 3-5 days later. Overall a pleasant experience and place to hangout and chill with your buddies. read more

CeramiCafe - Sushi plate (astrobot) was $38 - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - San Diego, California

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I was able to participate in their new event series. They kicked it off with "One Wicked Party". I thought it would be really cool to attend since the movie will be in theaters pretty soon. When I arrived, it looks like the event was going on during regular business hours open to the public and not private which made it difficult to tell who was participating in the actual event. Since it was my first time there, I thought the staff would give me a brief rundown after checking in and paying... instead, I was left to figure it out until I finally had to ask what's the protocol here. That rubbed me the wrong way! I also noticed the staff had their friends there too and it was a distraction instead of staff being attentive to customers especially new ones. Another staff came in a bit later and started to interact with us and provided the information I wanted to hear from the very start. She seemed more seasoned than the other staff I encountered earlier. She really turned things around and this event ended up to be not bad at all. She actually saved this review from being a 1-star. read more

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Walked in to CeramiCafe on a Saturday night! It wasn't crowded and we found a nice table for our party of 4. The staff were all friendly and helpful. The workspaces and glaze area were not as clean as I've seen at other spaces but it worked nonetheless. The selection of pottery was just okay as they had a lot of seasonal items still (holiday, halloween etc). I wanted to paint a plain mug but they didn't have any drink ware so I opted for this plain bowl. The bowl was about the size of a small rice or soup bowl but priced at $39. I know this includes the glaze and firing process but wow it's pricey! For larger or more intricate products it easily went up to $50-$60. read more

CeramiCafe - $39 plain bowl - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - San Diego, California

Much better than Color Me Mine. The atmosphere was more welcoming, the staff were genuinely friendly and helpful, and the overall experience felt much more organized. There was a great selection to choose from, and everything was clean and well maintained. It was an enjoyable experience from start to finish, and I never felt rushed. I'll definitely be coming back and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun pottery-painting experience. read more

Included before painting, after painting, and after the finished glazing process. Highly recommend this place! My boyfriend and I are beginners, but this place made it SO easy to paint your creation. Stamps and stencils are provided, but we found using it to be more difficult than just free handing it. Plenty of paint options, and unlimited time to work on your project. The color does come out differently after glazing like the signs mention, so be mindful when picking out your colors. Our creations were also ready for pick up after just a couple of days. Definitely planning on returning when we have an artistic craving read more

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Came here for a Wicked theme event, and at 1st was rather disappointed in what I saw vs what was advertised. The entrance was all decked out, but once entered my excitement lessen as everything else that was stated wasn't really there. My friend was extremely disappointed as no one dressed up and she was all decked out. It wasn't til I think the owner or manager Ariel arrived that things changed. She was super friendly, explained the best way to paint your ceramics to get the best results. She put on the Wicked movie, brought out more Wicked inspired items and just seemed to bring out the fun. We did "Wicked" trivia and that actually liven up the other staff and got them into the spirit as well. In the end the evening actually ended up being fun. So huge thanks to Ariel, making this event worth while. They also offer up other regular events like a sip n paint that sounded fun on Wednesdays....so I may be back to check it out. read more

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This was a fun experience, the space is a little cramped so for smaller kids it can be a little tough to keep them in their space. The selection of pieces to paint was good with a range of small to very large things. The staff was helpful as well. The price was higher than I expected, and maybe that's me having the wrong expectation for something like this but it was ~$40 a piece for bowls and mugs. read more

First time here, met 4 other ladies. We were absolutely shocked at the prices of the items to pick and paint. We almost left but decided to stay and pick cheaper items to paint. For a butterfly on a small base, maybe 5-6 inches tall, was $59!!! Be prepared to easily spend $50-150 per person to just sit and paint. After painting, they do glaze and fire it but it's definitely more than I'd ever pay again. I can buy crafts at Michael's for way less money and gloss it myself. They didn't have many paint brushes to choose from, I think 4, and the fan brushes didn't work well. The color ceramic plates used to put the paint on were very very small so we constantly had to keep filling them. I can think of better ways to spend $60-100. On a positive note... if you don't care about better brushes or how much you're spending, then it was a clean environment, staff was friendly, and the kids that were there looked like they were having fun and there's no time limit so you don't have to rush. read more

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I went to the wicked party event at this studio and it was amazing! It was my first time there and I will definitely be back! There were lots of decorations, prizes, and the staff were so sweet and attentive to everyone! The manager is the sweetest person ever and made the event even more fun! They have another event early December that I will definitely go to and tell all my friends about! read more

CeramiCafe - Ceramicafe Wicked night! - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - San Diego, California

I advise strongly against relying on Ceramicafe for parties if your children are 7 and younger. The cupcake party experience was supposed to make parties stress-free for parents. The reality was just the opposite. It was a very challenging and stressful party. In theory, Ceramicafe's cupcake party was supposed to keep a group of children busy for 1.5 hours. The problem was that Ceramicafe only allowed the children to paint small pieces that did not occupy them for more than 20 minutes. Conversations with staff led me to believe that this is a common occurrence with parties of younger children. Staff provided coloring sheets, which again failed to keep them busy for more than 5 minutes. There were several things that Ceramicafe could have done to make the experience better for us: 1) Ceramicafe could have given the children larger pieces to work with or to give us the option ahead of time of purchasing larger pieces, which would have kept the kids occupied for longer; 2) Ceramicafe could have allowed select parents to attend or supervise (Ceramicafe repeatedly told me not to have the other parents attend and hover, which I can also understand); 3) Ceramicafe could have advised me that this was not an appropriate activity for smaller children. I was left to think of ways to keep a group of bored children entertained and inside for an hour, all the while trying to keep them away from the wall of unpainted ceramics. At $27/head plus tip, this was not worth the expense or time. I hope that other parents learn from my experience and go elsewhere. I do want to point out that the staff assisting us were helpful and kind and tried their best. I think the staff should have given more instruction to the children about painting more coats of paint, but even such an instruction would have only kept them occupied for another two minutes. **Update: After I posted this review, the owner reached out immediately to address my concerns and offer a credit. I appreciate it. I also want to clarify that I think Ceramicafe is a fine place to spend an afternoon with your child, but that the party model needs much improvement. It sounds like the owner may consider some changes in the future. read more

My friends and I came for a fun girlsnight and had such a great time! The selection was excellent, and the outdoor area was a perfect spot to spend the evening. A huge highlight was Jorge, who went out of his way to answer all our questions and made sure we had everything we needed. He really elevated the whole experience. Thank you, Jorge! read more

Such a fun activity with lots of variety in ceramics and paint colors. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and the location and parking are very convenient. It's definitely a little pricey but worth it overall! read more

What a fun time!!! This event was everything and more! They played the Wicked movie, had 3 rounds of trivia, and everyone won something! I haven't had that much fun in forever! I'm so glad my friends and I went! I can't wait for their next event!!! We will definitely come back!! The manager Ariel was amazing too and made the event even more fun. 10/10 the best event CeramiCafe hosted!!! We'll be back thank you so much!! read more

CeramiCafe - Friends painting - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - San Diego, California

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So much fun for kids and adults. Pick a piece off the shelf, picks some paint and enjoy. It's so relaxing. Pro Tip: Write down the color number(s) just in case you don't finish and need to come back another day to finish painting. Staff are nice and helpful. Gentleman (owner?) that stocks the shelves is super friendly. Once done painting, turn in and they'll call you once glazing done. read more

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We went there and did a group event for ceramic paining. Quite expansive. The awful experience comes when try to pick it up. The owner claims a friend of mine picked it up "everything" altogether. I don't understand how could that happen as they have my name written down for my paining. I don't think that is the case but agreed to check with my friend. After confirming no one picked up mine, I came back a second time. This time the owner finally found a bag for our group, but cannot find mine. Refuse to do anything, and waste my time/money and two trips there. Very disappointing. For sure won't go there again. read more

We went in while they were open. The staff was in the back and we could hear them talking but whenever we would call out they wouldn't respond, stop moving and talking and never came out to ring us up. We waited 20 minutes and nobody came out. read more

We came here for a birthday party, the kiddos got to pick from a variety of items to paint, lots of color options. There was an employee assigned to the party to assist the kiddos get paint, etc. Cupcakes and lemonade were included. In my opinion it might not be worth the cost for 6 year olds... most just wanted to paint one coat and move on to the next piece ..they were probably most excited about the gum ball machine by the front door read more

CeramiCafe - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place is so cute! Came here for a girls day with my family and had a great time. Unlike other competitors they don't charge a studio fee and you can come back if you don't finish same day. They have a great selection of ceramics and it's nice to be able to get up and get your own paint instead of someone bringing it to you. The girls that work here are all kind and patient. Haven't received my piece yet (I'm not the best with anything artsy) but I'm sure it will look great! read more

CeramiCafe - Large selection of things to paint - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - San Diego, California

Was here for a team building activity and really had a good time. We were able to have the place to ourselves (about 30 people) and bring in food/drinks. The staff was helpful and provided tips for making the product successful. There's a variety of paints, brushes, tools etc. Slight negative was the price of each of the pieces were rather high- we had a budget of $50 and it was challenging to find something. I haven't received my final product yet but fingers crossed it will be awesome! read more

Good customer service and nice vibes, but prices for the pieces did tend to get pricey and it was more than I had expected for just a simple mug, I don't think I'd come back without the discounts . read more

The prices have definitely gone up, I recalled them not being so steep when I had gone in the past, but I also am not surprised as prices tend to trend upward for many places. I was pleased with how fast they glazed and baked the art we made. I think we did art on a Friday evening and by Monday we were advised the art was ready. That's pretty impressive! The staff are typically very young adults, they're kind, and answered any questions we may have had. They let us know the prices of the art we picked out and gave us a time frame of when to pick up the finished work. If I could change one or two things, I would request that maybe the brushes be refreshed a bit more often, they definitely have massive wear and tear because of the popularity of this shop. Those used-up brushes likely need a restock, but I also understand that some people don't care... The other thing I would request is for them to have a bit more items like plates and such at a bit more reasonable prices, just because I think it would drive more business and allow more kinds of people to make art there. read more

CeramiCafe is just the sweetest lil Covid-safe spot to bring your child during these crazy times. First off, everything is open and airy. We chose our piece, cleaned our hands before selecting paints, then got our art on right outside on their little patio. We were the only patrons there on a weekday morning, and it was fun having the space to ourselves. My son chose out a tiny piece, and I was pleasantly surprised by the price - $5! Considering it gave us something new to do one afternoon plus they fire the item to a perfect shiny finish, the price can't be beat. We will be back with friends, one day! For now, this will be a fun activity to throw in the mix during Covid. read more

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A fun ceramic cafe to choose your own piece and paint it to your heart's content. Great for a date night/day, girl's day, children's party, etc. So many different types of ceramic options to choose from. It does quickly get expensive as the average size piece is $35-$45. Once you choose your piece, pick your colors, and find a table to paint at. Many ideas around the shop with some finished pieces for inspiration. The cafe always seems busy, so it does take the staff a few days to fire the pieces (placed in the kiln). Usually you can pick it up later in about 5-7 days. Staff is friendly and they keep the cafe clean! read more

Clean, organized, and lots of choices. I came here during the holidays with a child I babysit & we had so much fun choosing and personalizing our pottery. I love that the paint area shows what the paint will look like after it's fired in the kiln. The turn around time was so quick, which surprised me because we came the week before Christmas! It took about 4 days until my pottery was ready to pick up. read more

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We absolutely love CermiCafe and it is a favorite spot for my daughter and me to have one on one time. We have done countless projects here over the years, and their new location is bright and airy. The staff is usually pretty helpful and the music is usually enjoyable, and it's nice that you can bring in outside food and drinks if you want. My favorite part is that there is no studio fee, so if you're working on a piece that can't be finished in one sitting, you can keep coming back to work on it without an extra charge. This means that the pieces themselves are a little more pricey, but not having that time pressure makes it well worth it. My only complaint is that I wish it were closer to my home! read more

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**Make sure to do 3+ coats of paint!** An adorable, kid-friendly place to hang out and take home a cute (and often useful!) craft. There was a large variety of designs -- from animals to mugs to plant pots -- to choose from. Prices are written on the bottom of each item and generally range from around $10-$50 for small to medium-sized items. Large items can cost more. After painting your item, they'll glaze it within 5-7 days and call you when it's ready for pickup. Tips for those painting: try to get an even coat of paint across your whole item, thin patches will show. Do 3-4 coats of paint to ensure an opaque color. The square brushes work best for applying color evenly. Minus 2 stars for the blemishes on my piece (see below), but plus one star for how helpful and understanding the staff was when addressing it. First, there were several thin cracks in the bottom of my pot. When I asked the staff about it, they said it shouldn't be too much of an issue, but offered me a 20% discount. The cracks were noticeable in the final product, after glazing, but did not appear to affect the sturdiness of the pot. My piece was also chipped in the kiln, so it took around 10 days to glaze, and it came with a chip about an inch wide. They let me know this when they called and offered a full refund or store credit. I didn't mind the physical flaws in my finished piece considering the generous discounts they provided, but something to watch out for if you do care! read more

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Adorable place to spend time with friends! The concept is so cute of choosing a ceramic piece and painting it. You can really be creative in choosing the colors and design, and the environment is so nice especially with friends. The only frustrating part was that I never received any call or message that my piece was ready to be returned to me, and only until one month later did I finally decide to go in to check what was going on. My piece was ready for me but I wish I had received a call or text to let me know. Otherwise, CeramiCafe is a cute place to hangout. read more

CeramiCafe - Inside CeramiCafe - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - San Diego, California

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I brought my grandaughter here on a date . It is a lovely place and the staff are friendly. It is pricey but worth the fun. read more

CeramiCafe - She made a cup for her daddy - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - San Diego, California

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Haven't been to this place in quite some time. Inflation has definitely taken a toll on this place but so has everywhere else. Nice environment. Easy to make table reservations but not necessary. Lots of paint colors to choose from. If I had to give feedback it would be to lower the cost of the more simple pieces like mugs, or small bowls and plates. Price wise be ready to spend at least $30 for a project. But other than the somewhat pricey pieces, still a super fun activity to do once in a while. Turnaround time for my experience was exactly 1 week. read more

CeramiCafe - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - San Diego, California

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Parking: Lot, open, free, difficult on weekends *Pro Tip: Bring your own pencil. the graphite will burn off your pottery. I came here for my niece's birthday. It was a small party of three but I did see that people had a birthday party going. A little chaotic but as expected. I really appreciate the variety of colors and pottery they offered. There was a lot of freedom in using the materials. They have a small area with all the glaze, brushes, and sponges. I would come back read more

Such a gem and fun place to go and relax. Little wine, you can bring from next door. Little quiet time just painting ceramics. Customer service is not always the friendliest and I found myself having to call past the 7 days to pick up our ceramics. It had been ready with no updates. Wish they had more variety on their pieces. We had a very large party of 10 and they were able to accommodate us same day. read more

We hosted our daughters birthday party here last year and sadly due to covid no party this year. However I still took my daughter here so she could paint an item of her choice. Natalia helped us and she was just wonderful. Everything is moderately priced and after you finish painting pick up is within a couple days. We are looking forward to having a party here next year!! They make it so easy. They set up the table, entertain the kids, grab them paint, they will even blow up balloons if you bring them! We ordered pizza from the nearby dominos and we brought our own cake. They even cut it for us and helped me serve it too! At the end of the party the staff cleans up everything and even loads all the gifts into your trunk! Easy peasy! No stress for the parents I highly recommend! read more

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My daughter loved celebrating her birthday at CeramiCafe. The staff was so nice and helpful. We made a reservation and they held a table for our group. We'll definitely be back again. The kids can't wait to see their finished crafts next week after they come out of the kiln. Thank you to all the friendly staff. read more

My family and I had a great time at Ceramicafe! Ariel, the manager, was fantastic--she surprised the kids with cupcakes and made sure we were well taken care of throughout our visit. She was so kind and attentive. I feel a little bad that we didn't leave a tip, but next time we're planning a birthday party, I'll definitely be requesting Ariel. She's amazing! read more

Awesome atmosphere nice staff ok prices. Lots of kids. Con. One bathroom with one sink read more

There are many choices of ceramic to choose from. Since it was my first time, I wanted to paint on something simple. I ended up choosing the 6in by 6in tile which costed ~$15. Inspired by Adventure Time, I painted my 4 favorite characters. There's A LOT of paint to choose from and they have all the colors you need. You can use as much paint as you want. They also have a variety of paint brushes to get right type of stroke. After you finish painting, you need to pick it up in a week so they can fire the ceramic. Overall, it was really relaxing and I would definitely come again. Pro tips: 1) Use a pencil to sketch your drawing first. They have pencils there but you should bring your own eraser. 2) Paint the lighter colors first. It's harder to paint over dark colors so do lights first then dark. 3) Paint AT LEAST 3 layers because the firing process will make the paint faint if you only do 1 layer. 4) Take your time and have fun! read more

CeramiCafe - 6x6 Tile - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - San Diego, California

I realized I've been to this place so many times over the years (even as they moved to a new location) and I've neglected to write a review - so here goes! Love, love, LOVE this place! It's a fun thing to do with your friends or by yourself. Whether you want to do something like paint a mug or a plant pot with a few colors, or if you want to get super detailed in painting a bowl or plate with some intricate design you find on the web, you will enjoy the creative experience. I'm a creative sort and love lots of color, so I tend to think up my own stuff and get caught up in the craziness of detail! But don't worry, if you're not creative you can just look around at the items people are working on or the items the cafe keeps on display to give you some ideas and get those creative juices flowing! The BEST part: They charge you for the item, not the time. Meaning you pay for a ceramic item and can spend as many hours there as needed to paint it the way you like before submitting it to the kiln (so if it takes you multiple visits, that's quite all right!). Other similar places I have visited charge less for the ceramic item, but then there is a "studio fee" every time you come in. I like CeramiCafe's way much better! And I love the staff - they are always energetic and enthusiastic guys and gals more than willing to help you with tips for your creation. TIP #1: If you're like me and you don't typically finish painting your item in one sitting, make sure you mark down the paint color numbers you are using on your project in your cell phone. That way when you come back to continue working on it, you don't have to try to guess at which paint colors to grab again (especially if you don't come back for a while)! TIP #2: You can use a dry erase marker on any item that has been through the kiln. Therefore, consider the fact that you can write something on your item and later erase it to write something new. I painted a little container to save money in and I write the goal I'm saving for on it. When I reach that goal, I erase it and write a new goal on the container. Lastly, people often question how the colors will look based on the number of layers they paint. I'm posting pictures to show the last item I made (a chip/veggie and dip plate) with the paint colors pre-kiln firing and then the paint colors post-kiln firing. I painted 3 layers of the speckled paint colors in a rainbow fashion so you can the variety of colors offered. And the base paint I used was a white-speckled rainbow color. read more

CeramiCafe - Chip/Veggie & Dip plate having painted 3 layers of the speckled paints. Before and after kiln firing to show the pre/post color difference. - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place was great! We got the Groupon and made reservations for an outdoor table. When we arrived there were a couple little girl birthday parties, but we had our table reserved outside so we can paint without masks on. They had many different colors and paint brushes to choose from. This really allowed for our creativity to come to the forefront. When you're done painting, you bring your ceramic masterpiece to the counter and let the ladies know. They advise if takes up to five days until it's ready to pick up. This is such a wonderful and fun idea for dates, kids, or even just some alone time. Get the Groupon and go! read more

Wonderful place! We really enjoyed our time there and you can order food to be brought over to you! The only downside is that it's usually packed!! read more

A great way to spend time with your child if they like to paint. It is a bit pricey tho. I like the freedom of being able to choose which paint you can use. My kids and I had a good time spending the day painting here. read more