clay cafe

theclaycafe has long been one of those places where you could let your creative edge - or disability - shine. if you haven't been here in a while, you might not realize that they have changed location and up sized their operation - something a diehard fan might not appreciate. the cafe, however, is a place where you can have a tremendous amount of fun with friends and family while also enjoying a delicious meal throughout the day. i had their english breakfast, as well as their hot chocolate - which were both delicious. the presentation is perfect for the creative environment, and the quality of food matches. their prices are not excessive, and the service is relaxed, friendly and helpful. i highly recommend coming here.

if this review was based purely on the food, i would score it a 3. i had a cappuccino and a burger. the coffee is truth coffee and sadly i'm not a big fan, i find it a little overrated. my burger was good, not the best but it was tasty and satisfied the hunger after a few hours of fun. for me,claycafe was about being creative and having fun with friends. i love their concept and can't wait to go back. it's not somewhere i would go all the way out to eat but i will definitely go back in 3 weeks time when my salad bowl has been glazed to do some more painting and maybe have some cake and a milkshake.

lovely concept and food. had a wonderful time creating myclaybowel. owner/manger wasn’t too pleasant and made a unfriendly comment towards me right before i left. other than that, had a lovely time.

i had lunch at theclaycafe on a beautiful summers day a while ago and i love the concept of the place, being able to paint whilst eating.the margherita i had was good and the service not too bad either.

spent the morning at theclaycafe and had some breakfast as well. my partner opted for a full breakfast and i opted for a scrambled egg and mushroom croissant. both my partner and i agreed the breakfast was very tasty. others at our table opted for smashed avo on sourdough bread with salmon and a chicken and mayo sandwich. nabbed a piece of salmon to taste and was extremely fresh and tasty. the restaurant accommodates for halaal requirements.

nice grounds for moms and tots as there is a nice kiddies play area as well as a big open garden.

service was a bit off as our waitress got 2 orders wrong however this was rectified swiftly.

i felt like treating the ladies in my life to a creative afternoon so we made our to theclaycafe. it was really magical!

we found a nice table inside and the waitress explained the painting shindig to us. so we ordered and explored the store in search of something to paint.

i had the honeycomb milkshake and fries while everyone else got coffee and salads. everything was amazing!

my only qualm was the extremely inattentive staff, it was ridiculous. they would simply ignore us which was really upsetting.

a real must if you're feeling arty.

clay cafe is one of my favourite places in cape town! i have been before, but was lucky enough to be invited to a zomato meetup. besides from the delicious breakfast i was treated to (smashed avo with chilli and mint and perfectly poached eggs), we also experienced whatclaycafe is famous for: painting an object from their stunning array ofclayitems.

the setup is very organised and the new grounds are perfect for lazing on the lawn or letting your kids play. the restaurant grows their own herbs and some veggies, adding to their charm. will definitely be back!

enjoyed painting here but first we tried to book a table and they said only for 6 or more (we were 4) we were told we could just come on the day, but when we arrived it was full. we waited and eventually got a table. we ordered a drink and food which was okay but service was really slow and took forever. was also not informed that the place to collect was at the oldclaycafe so i drove to the new one only to be told to drive back to the old one with no apologies.

fantastic! i went to theclaycafe today as part of a zomato meet up and was simply blown away.. the location is absolutely picturesque, the quality of the clay, the service, the ethos of the owners and the back-story are all phenomenal, and they still try to keep up with the dynamic consumer market... the variety ofclaypieces to paint were up to date and trendy (not to mention dishwasher safe) and proved to be a very satisfying and fun family or adult experience- unlike similar such cafes. pro-tip: if you get a chance to be given a tour of theirclaymaking process, do go, its worth it!

their holistic, home-grown approach and surprisingly affordable service is simply not something to be missed.. you must pay this absolute gem a visit. as for the food itself, i had the crush avo and poached eggs breakfast and was very pleasantly surprised with the taste and quality of the dish i was served- great value for money all round.

i cannot believe it took me so long to visitclaycafe...i was lucky enough to be invited to a zomato foodie meetup this past weekend, and what an awesome experience it was! having relocated to new premises, mike, was kind enough to show us the process on how the moulds are made, before they reach the shelves. after choosing a piece, we all tried our hand at painting our object. not only is theclaycafe a place to tap into your creative side, but it's a great place for breakfast or brunch. to eat, i opted for the eggs benedict on sweet potato with salmon and i wasn't disappointed. the eggs were soft, the salmon was salty and the sweet potatoes added an awesome sweet finish to balance the dish, and great value for money too. i would recommend this place for a first date, a bachelorette/kitchen tea or an awesome family day out!

i would recommendclaycafe anyway, even for those in the nothern suburbs 😬 it's worth the drive!

not only will you have an amazing time being creative and painting something modern for your home, you also get to endulge is delicious food.claycafe has recently hired a new chef, who is super creative. i was so impressed with the eggs benedict on sweet potatoe!

i know that when i collect my item i will definitely bring staying for food and potentially paint something more 😉

i must say, i really loved all the pottery items to choose from, you might not be able to only do one!

what an awesome experience.claycafe has recently relocated to new premises in hout bay, and the space is beautiful. how does it work? read on, friends.

first, you choose what you want to paint. (i went for a pot for my latest succulent baby). next, you pick three colours and whatever stencils / stickers you're interested in. then you settle down at your table for a couple hours of creativity, whilst being served drinks and food. i mean, is there a better way to spend a saturday? 

i ordered the eggs benedict, as we were there around brunch time. it came with two perfectly poached eggs, velvety hollaindaise, curls of fresh salmon, all nestled on a bed of sweet potato. it was delicious, and it was only r65. nowhere else in cape town will you find that kind of food for that price. did i mention that they had almond milk for my rooibos cappuccino? #winning

the real cherry on top for me was finding out thatclaycafe is a family-run business. they make everything on site; right down to the clay. they provide amazing employment opportunities for the community and have been in business for 18 years. 

i can't wait to go fetch my creation in three weeks time. i'll probably paint something else while i'm there and then have to go back in another three weeks... and the cycle will continue...

updated review:

after my less than stellar experience a while back at theclaycafe last time, i was thrilled to be invited to a foodie meetup brunch by zomato. not only did i have the most wonderful morning there, but i am happy to say that theclaycafe has totally redeemed themselves in my eyes. 

when given a menu i was shocked (in a good way!) to see such reasonable prices. especially if you have a few kids, this means that an outing to theclaycafe need not break the budget. 
my breakfast, a salmon benedict, was delicious, and priced at only r65. yes, r65 for a salmon benedict -and a pretty good one too! served on pieces of sweet potato, i was skeptical at first, but wow! such a nice, unusual twist. also great for those unable to eat wheat or gluten. the best part? it kept me full for such a long time. the hollandiase was wonderful ; just wish there had been a bit more of it on the plate; so yummy!  their coffee is from truth so you know you're getting good quality! 

we were also treated to a tour of the premises and got to see how the bisques are made. they do it all from scratch: from making their own clay, to the moulds. everything is oven/microwave/ dishwasher friendly which is a win, too!  

can't wait to go collect my piece in 3 weeks times, and yes - i will be staying a little longer to make something new while i am there! 

as usual, thanks to the lovely james hobbs and nick mavridis of zomato for organizing such a lovely event! 

original review: 

it makes me so sad to have to write this, but the service atclaycafe leaves a lot to be desired. i don't know if it was because we had a booking for after lunch time, but we were not brought a menu at all, nor were we seen to by any of the waitstaff.
sure, we were quite happy painting our bisques- but if we had been given a menu we would have probably been tempted to get a slice of cake and some drinks.
i noticed that a few members of staff seemed to be more interested in having conversations with each other than tending to patrons.

on the way out , we decided to get some of their homemade ice cream. sadly upon tasting 2 flavours to help us decide- we were quite disappointed. the ice cream tastes very milky and is not pleasant at all , so we decided not to get any. such a pity to have this experience on such a hot day.
however, we had great fun painting , and the pizzas that passes us smelled amazing - so hopefully next time we will be met by more attentive staff!

recently visited theclaycafe in its new and beautiful location. such a stunning atmosphere from the minute you get out the car. we loved the experience of leisurely painting ourclayitems while enjoying a coffee (albeit mine was a little burnt?), and listening to the happy chatter amoung fellow patrons. excited to collect our goods after the 3-week wait and will certainly be back!

i always enjoy time spent at theclaycafe!
if you're not in the mood for the food menu, definitely try their chocolate cake - i almost can't leave this place without having a slice..