Beautiful place. Awesome people!! After procrastinating for a long time about getting another tattoo, on the recommendation of a friend, I called into Lovecraft. I met with both the owner, Christian and the guy who would become my artist, Ricky Waite. I showed them what I was looking to get and booked an appointment for 3-4 weeks later. Long story short, Ricky came up with a design that far exceeded my original expectations. Could not be happier with the result. I will definitely be back. I'm already working on the next design. And Ricky will definitely be the one to make it a reality. Thank you to all at Lovecraft. You guys are amazing. !!!! read more

They took the time to ensure we liked the tattoo they created, willing to spend the time placing the stencil in various spots. The final tattoo was gorgeous! read more

Lovecraft Tattoo - Wrist being tatted - Tattoo Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

This place sucks. The artists are not reliable, don't return emails and fail to follow up. I'm owed a touch-up and the artist totally ghosted me. Owner didn't do jack to rectify or make any offers. Stay away! read more

The 1 star is for the friendly staff. I had a terrible experience here. NIXIE IS A FRAUD. I paid $800 for a hideous dark blob on my arm. DO NOT get tattooed by this person. I'm going to have to spend thousands to get this lasered off. read more

One guy working...on a client. Took my info, never heard anything. Sent an email, nothing. Oh well

A cut above most tattoo shops. The shop is clean and the artists are friendly and professional. They have procedures to maintain sterile instruments and to keep their clients safe from infection. I highly recommend Laura, an artist that works with a Fairfield Plastic Surgeon that does reconstruction after mastectomy. read more

Guyyyyys! This is an awesome tattoo shop with awesome artists. I was there basically 8 hours with Nixie but I was treated like family! The shop is warm and friendly and clean. Nixie made laying there for 8 hours getting injected with ink a breeze. She absolutely cares about her clients. The owner was there as well and he checked in on the progress constantly and ensured I was cared for. Highly recommend!! 5 freaking stars read more

I came here for my first tattoo. I emailed in early fall and was scheduled for late January, so you know they're good if you have to book that far in advance! I've wanted this particular tattoo for several years, and have gone on several consults but never felt comfortable with the artist. Immediately after arriving in Lovecraft, I knew I'd found the right place. There are gorgeous illustrations all over the walls; even the throw pillows are intricately designed. I could definitely see Mayan and insect influences in the work. Even though I had only a basic idea of the design, Laura helped me put it together and did the tattoo right then and there. She was very warm and reassuring, and made sure I was 100% sure about the placement before moving forward. It helps that she's a great artist and very professional. It took a little over an hour, and Laura made me feel comfortable by talking through the tattoo. The end result is beautiful and intricate-- Laura added some etchings to the whale that weren't in the original image, and what started as an afterthought (the whale) turned into the focal point. read more

How is it possible that no one's written about Lovecraft yet!? I have been fans of Christian, Cass and Luis since '99. Having formed their own shop five years ago, they are regularly putting out intricate beautiful work. Some that I'm very proud to feature! The shop's moved away from Amity and as of yet, I haven't visited the new digs. Happily, they are becoming steadily known for being the best tattoo artists in a town known for tattoo artists. read more

Lovecraft Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

I am extremely happy with my recent work. Would most definitely recommend Charlotte, to everyone and will be back to see her in a few months for more.....thank you! read more

Lovecraft Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

I was 15 when I got my first tattoo*. I went to a sketchfest place because neither of us knew any better and, thankfully, didn't suffer any sort of negative consequences**. Fast forward five-ish years. It was time for some new ink, but I had no clue where to go. Thankfully, a few of my coworkers at the time had gotten work done by Laura and Christian, and suggested that I should, too. Laura is AMAZING. She's super friendly, patient, and welcoming. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I haven't been to the new location, like many other reviewers have stated, but cleanliness, sterility, and comfort are never ever ever concerns that you need to have when you're talking about these guys. I plan on getting another tattoo come Fall, and I will be leaving New York City and going back to Lovecraft. If you think the idea of LEAVING pretty much the tattoo capital of the world to get inked in some random little city in Connecticut is batshit crazy, you need to meet and get inked by Laura. ______ * Let the record show that my mother doesn't always make the best decisions. **...besides the fact that I have a tribal band around my ankle. read more

Updated to say since writing my initial review, I've been to the space in Hamden. Much like I had guessed its clean and bright. Staff is always amazing. For my last tattoo I had two sessions. A four hour outline (with a bit of coloring) and a very long 6 hour coloring session for a giant rib/side tattoo. Again I had the work done by the lovely Laura whose talent can only be understood by sitting in her chair. Not only is she incredibly talented, but also patient and focused. Again, I'd like to mention the talent of everyone at the shop. I've since moved back to NY but will continue to treck up to Hamden for any future work. read more

Christian tattooed my cat Remy's name on me shortly after he passed away in May 2015. I LOVE the tattoo 2 1/2 years later, as I expected to. I remember Christian being so kind when I told him about Remy, and he shared that he and the other artists are animal lovers, too. I am considering getting another tattoo soon and I will definitely be returning to Lovecraft! (I had my first rib tattoo done by a different shop. Then my friend recommended Lovecraft to me.) Was just browsing their work again and I figured they deserved a review!! read more

Lovecraft Tattoo - Simple but perfect. Right where Remy used to sleep - Tattoo Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

My boyfriend went to Lou with a concept (he wanted a pirate map on his arm) and Lou created a work of art that stayed true to the original concept while surpassing anything my boyfriend could have imagined. People are always complimenting him on the precision and beauty of his sleeve. Even now that we live in California we still prefer Lovecraft to any other tattoo place that we've found. The cost of a cross-country trip is well worth it for the high quality work that comes from the artists here. read more

I went to Laura last July to enhance a boring tattoo I had. She did an AMAZING job!! I would recommend them to everyone and plan to go back this summer to get more work done...hopefully :) read more

Back in May 2014, I came here with a very basic concept of a gnome tattoo I wanted. The staff of Lovecraft were very helpful with helping me figure out exactly what I wanted by presenting me with two books about gnomes ("Gnomes" by Wil Huygen and "Secrets of the Gnomes" by Wil Huygen), much to my delight. Bronwyn made that concept come to life. I now have a handsome little gnome forever sitting on my ankle. I would definitely come back again. read more

Amazing place. Laura did my tattoo and I couldn't be happier with it. A very welcoming environment. Chris and Laura were so kind and talked to me the entire time. 100% recommend. read more

Lovecraft Tattoo - Deer - Tattoo Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

This place right here get a five star in every way for my work that I have done I am very pleased over the years they're very attentive very sweet very friendly very accommodating great pricing great artists sometimes they're so busy with certain artists are booked in advance but there's always someone that could take you sooner than others I recommend this to anyone who's getting your first tattoo who is doing a cover up anything you should go to this shop called Lovecraft. The name fits perfectly. read more

Love my tattoo! I think it's beautiful and have received so many compliments. Would definitely recommend! read more

Lovecraft Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

First time at Lovecraft tonight, my sister & I are more than pleased! Charlotte is AMAZING, she made sure we were happy & that everything was perfect! I will definitely be going back, and will def recommend Lovecraft & Charlotte to all my friends!!! read more

I'm absolutely thrilled with Laura's work! I was a little nervous about going in with a tie-dye design and was nervous that it wouldn't translate the way I wanted it to into the design I had in mind. I'm glad I trusted my instincts because the tie-dye came out wonderfully! The space was clean and bright and Laura had lots of things to look at (which is key for me, since I don't do very well with sitting still for long periods of time)! read more

I highly recommend this place if you plan on getting a tattoo whether it's your first, or tenth. The tattoo artists are extremely professional, intelligent, and creative. The place is a perfect combination of clean, comfortable and interesting. I can't imagine a better tattoo place. The only downside is that it's caught on so you may have to wait a while, but in this case, it's worth it to be patient. read more

Luis is an artist in the truest sense of the word. He did tattoos for my wife and I today that look almost not real. That is a compliment. They are perfect and exactly what we wanted. The work is bad ass and would recommend him and his shop to anyone. Good value for perfect work. read more

I was looking to get a 3/4 sleeve after my wedding and had been asking friends and reading online reviews of various shops in CT and MA. A recommendation from a friend's wife lead me to Lovecraft, where I decided that I wanted Laura to create and implement her design. I had my final appointment with her this past Saturday and am beyond thrilled with her work. I would recommend her to anyone looking to get work done, and although I now live in Boston, will make the drive to Hamden when I want more work done. read more

My Niece recommended Rick to me for my design. As a first timer I was a little scared but he made me feel really comfortable and he turned my artwork into a something that I completely adore. Can't wait for the next one. I will be back. The shop is really clean and the rooms are private. I didn't want to be out on an open floor and the shop is perfect for that. Outstanding work! read more

My husband and I were looking for a great tattoo shop several years back, and this is definitely the one!! We absolutely love the shop and everyone is really friendly. We get tattooed by Laura, and her artwork is absolutely amazing. I highly recommend her and the shop if you are finding a great place to get tattooed! read more

Boom. This place is the "da bomb" as the kids say. I have gone to the shop many times and each visit overcasts the previous in every way possible! Laura is the "bomb digity" and always super prophesh. The last time I dropped in they bought me coffee and let me request shop wide music to which I was eager to play the latest Eagles remaster that I had on CD in my car. They were totally cool with it and by the end of my session everyone was flat out rocking out. They are clean, cool, accommodating and really into the Eagles now (thanks to me). I dont habe a picture of my work as my flip phone isn't the best, but I have attached a schweet pic of Dave Navarro, cause he knows his stuff, and though his work doesn't really reflect the show musically or artistically I still think he's pretty "banging". read more

I had a wonderful experience with this tattoo shop. The atmosphere is relaxing and quiet, the staff and artists are respectful and accommodating. I was feeling uneasy as I usually do before I get tattooed but that tenseness melted away before the artist had even started. I really cannot stress enough how nice it was to not be in a noisy stressful environment like many tattoo shops tend to be while being worked on. My tattoo came out better than I had imagined it to, it was a fix up and add on to a tattoo done elsewhere. It turns out you CAN polish a turd. Thankyou Rick. This is lovely! read more

Amazing! The entire team there is 100% talent. All work is original. The crew there is epic

I chose Lovecraft because the style of tattoo I was looking for was very specific and when I looked through Laura's portfolio, I could tell she would understand what I was looking for, and I was right. It was a half sleeve, so pretty serious, and Laura was incredible... she really understood the style I wanted and went through several re-draws of the design to make sure it was perfect. During the tattoo, I actually had a great time - how often do you hear that? Everyone in the studio was awesome, they even offered to pick up soup for my boyfriend and I when they went out for lunch! Laura was great, fun to chat with and did a fantastic job! read more

I've had Laura design and do two tattoos now and I just love this place! Really comfortable and friendly to walk into and the art is amazing. She drew what I wanted just right. This last time took a little over two hours and the time flew by just chatting. Cant wait to go back! read more

Lovecraft Tattoo - Bison skull tattoo with mallard feather - Tattoo Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

I couldn't be more thrilled with my tattoo. As an artist myself, I painstakingly searched for the right artist. Laura is amazing. Not only is she an extremely talented artist, but she is very warm and sweet. I get constant compliments on how beautiful my ink is. I will be back again. I can't imagine going anywhere else. Thanks guys. read more

I've been tattooed by almost everyone at Lovecraft and will never go anywhere else. The space is clean and inviting. The art they produce is amazing. Theyre all talented and professional people and I highly suggest this shop! read more

I've been going to lovecraft since about 2012 my brother first got his sleeve done there and a few friends and cousins had been there as well. The place is amazing, I go to Laura for my last two tattoos and each time ive left with higher expectations then i could have ever hoped for. About 2 years ago she did a koi fish that she had helped me create and incorporated the colors and everything i wanted to a T. I just recently started my other side piece 12 hibiscus flowers that are not even finished yet and is already my favorite tattoo, i asked her to put a watercolor blended effect in the flowers instead of solid colors and it looks amazing! All of her work is amazing and you can tell she loves what she does. I have not worked with anyone else here but have heard nothing but amazing things about all of their work. You will not be disappointed if you go here, super professional, clean, and quiet. read more

My first impression upon walking into this shop I was impressed with how friendly everyone was. It really actually feels like they are a family. The artists here all work together showing their work and gathering opinions from eachother. I felt like they are a close-knit family. This really made me feel more comfortable and easier to talk to everyone there. Some shops the artists are grumpy and just want to get you in and out but these artists take their time and give you their honest opinions to ensure that the customer is satisfied and gets what they want. My artist was Charlotte Epright. Extremely talented young artist that's friendly and very easy to talk to. She gave me feedback on what I requested and offered ideas to improve it beyond what I had even imagined. My tattoo was the ship Serenity from the TV show Firefly. She far exceeded my expectations with this tattoo and it has become my favorite tattoo that I have to date. Not only did she give me her opinions throughout each session she even gathered the other artist's opinions. I was impressed with her professionalism while still maintaining an extremely friendly attitude. Not many artists like to talk during sessions but she kept a conversation and I actually felt like I gained a friend through all of this. It was by far the best tattoo experience I've ever had and I plan on going to her for many more tattoos to come. If you are looking for a very reasonably priced tattoo with an unbelievably talented artist that makes you feel at home then I would recommend making an appt with charlotte. She is not as booked up as the other artists at this shop so I would get your appt as soon as possible because she is only going to get more and more popular and in my opinion be able to rival any of the other crazy expensive artists in Connecticut. She also charged me what I felt was a very reasonable price for the tattoo. All in all I would give her and this shop more than 5 stars if possible read more

I got my first tattoo done here yesterday. From the moment I walked in the door, I knew it was the right place for me. The environment was clean and relaxing. The artist that did my tattoo was a breath of fresh air. He made the entire experience hassle free and easy as ever. The tattoo I got was pretty small, so he was able to complete it on the spot in under 20 minutes. I would highly recommend this shop to anyone who wants to get a tattoo to their specific liking and have a genuinely great experience doing it. The prices are also very reasonable, and these artists know what they're doing! read more

This place is amazing. The best bunch of proffessional artists in the biz that ive found, yes i said artists, these guys shy away from any advertising, conventions, or magazines. They truly see tattooing as an artform and treat it as such. They only do original work and are very reasonably priced. Each has a private room and pays extra detai to cleanliness and quality of both their shop and machines. I highly reccomend this shop and its artists, Christian has done pretty much all my work and i will never go to anyone else. Other than being an amazing group of artists they are really friendly good quality people that are fun to talk to and hangout with. Their website doesnt truly showcase the quality of their work but they dont update it that often since the shop is really busy..Expect a good month or so for an appointment, sometimes longer. Lets just say i drive 4-1/2 hours just to get there and its worth it. read more

I had my first tattoo done here in December of 2011. Christian was my tattoo artist and did the most amazing job. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. His honesty and expertise was greatly appreciated. I wanted a tattoo on my wrist with script symbolic of my struggle with my illness. Christian guided me to have it done a little lower than the wrist because of the way it would wear as I got older. I am very glad he was honest and didnt just do the tattoo to get me out of the door. I had given him a print out of the script I wanted, and he transformed the script into a beautiful, feminine version of what I had brougt in. Before he started tattooing, he put the transfer on my wrist. He removed it a couple of times and had me move my arm different ways and got several opinions on its placement. He made sure it was perfectly aligned and repeated the transfer until he was confident it was right where it needed to be. Talk about dedication! I've heard horror stories from friends about getting boched tattoo jobs from other places where the artist didnt even care if it was aligned properly! He was extremely personable and talked with me the entire time. He even stopped to get me some water and a lollipop as I was experiencing low blood sugar from not eating all day. Not many artists would stop what they are doing to be compassionate like that. I really can't stress enough how clean the shop was. Everything was covered in sterile packaging and covering. Christian opened a new needle for the tattoo gun right before we started mine and changed the needle half way though to another new one. Although my tattoo was small, it was his cautiousness of bein sanitary that put me at ease as well. Throughout my tattoo he had cleaned the gun a few times and even re-wrapped the table in new sterile covering. The entire staff was friendly and just as clean! One of the artists dropped a pen on the floor while writing out something for a customer and threw it away to get a new one out of the box. When my mother asked him why he didnt just wipe it off, he said you can never be too careful. The best part about this staff is that they are dedicated to creating art, not profit. My mother asked Christian to do a tattoo for her of snake skin in the form of a bangle. Christian told her that he would rather have another artist do it, since he knew the other artist would do that certain pattern better, since he is a snake handler. It's not very often that someone will give up a tattoo job for the benefit of the customer. The honesty and incredible talent as well as the welcoming vibe of the staff is what is keeping me coming back for more. I plan on getting a second tattoo at LoveCraft in dedication of my Grandfather who passed seven years ago this summer. I can't stress how much I recommend LoveCraft to anyone looking for a beautiful tattoo. read more