Clay Cafe Hout Bay | Child-friendly Restaurant & Ceramic Painting — Restaurant in Western Cape

Clay Cafe Hout Bay

Missing Order and Poor Customer Service Order Date: 18 December 2024

Dear Manager,

I want to express my extreme disappointment and frustration with the service I received from your establishment. On 18 December 2024, I visited your cafe with my son to celebrate his birthday, accompanied by 15 other children. We painted our items, which were supposed to be ready for collection within 5 weeks.

However, when I followed up at the 5-week mark, I was informed that the order was not ready. Despite numerous subsequent follow-ups between weeks 5 and 9 up until Wednesday 19th February 2025, I was consistently told that you would "get back to me." The lack of communication and updates on my order was appalling.

To make matters worse, when I finally expressed my outrage and disappointment, I was informed that my order had been lost or broken. The staff claimed they were unsure of the status, stating it was either in the firing process or packaged with someone else's item. The proposed solutions were either a refund for the 1 missing piece or requiring my 6-year-old son to recreate the piece and go through the entire process again alone. Please note we live atleast 1 hour drive from this place.

This experience was particularly disappointing, as the entire day was planned for my son's celebration. Collecting all 15 items from the other children, in addition to my son's missing item, would be challenging as he would be the only child getting absolutely nothing , no fault of ours.

Within the two days of me escalating my frustration, the manager attempted to shift the blame onto me, suggesting:

We could have taken the item home with us, which is impossible.

I failed to write the order number underneath the item, which is incorrect, as the item was tracked from the start and appeared on my receipt and taken by the waiter Bright.

The waiter suggested they could quickly paint something new, which defeats the purpose of my son's initial visit.

As a customer, I expect a certain level of service and accountability. The fact that you lost my item and are now placing the burden on me to bring my child back is unacceptable. I urge you to take immediate action to rectify this situation and provide a suitable solution that benefits both me and my child.

Considering I have four children of similar ages, it was convenient to bring them all at once in December. Now, requiring my 6-year-old son to recreate the piece would necessitate bringing all the children back, causing further inconvenience.

I hope you take my complaint seriously and improve your customer service and order management...

I recently had the pleasure of visiting The Clay Cafe in Hout Bay for a farewell to a colleague, and it was truly an exceptional experience. From the moment we walked through the doors, we were greeted by the friendly staff, who made us feel welcome and attended to our every need.

The Clay Cafe boasts a delightful and inviting atmosphere, making it the perfect venue for a farewell event. The interior is beautifully decorated, with tasteful accents and a cozy ambiance that creates a warm and comfortable setting. The attention to detail is remarkable, from the charming platters that adorned our tables to the carefully arranged seating arrangements, adding an elegant touch to our gathering.

One of the aspects that sets The Clay Cafe apart is its dedication to providing a memorable experience for all guests. The spacious layout allowed us to have a private area for our farewell event, ensuring that we had a designated space for our group to gather and celebrate our colleague. The staff was attentive and accommodating, ensuring that everything ran smoothly and that we had everything we needed.

In terms of convenience, The Clay Cafe has taken several measures to ensure a hassle-free experience. They have clear signage throughout the establishment, making it easy to navigate and find what you need. The staff are knowledgeable and readily available to assist with any queries or concerns. While I couldn't find specific information about their opening and closing times on their website or social media, I recommend contacting them directly for the most up-to-date information.

I also highly recommend exploring The Clay Cafe's online presence. Their website is well-designed and informative, offering details about their services, events, and workshops. Additionally, their social media accounts, such as Instagram and Facebook, showcase stunning visuals of the cafe and the incredible artwork created by their customers. It's a great way to get a glimpse of the creative atmosphere and the range of pottery options available.

To conclude, The Clay Cafe in Hout Bay is a remarkable destination for hosting a farewell event. The attentive staff, inviting ambiance, and attention to detail make it an excellent choice for creating memorable moments. While I suggest contacting them directly for specific opening and closing times, the overall experience is truly worth it. I wholeheartedly recommend The Clay Cafe and look forward to...

The clay sculpture painting is truly a unique experience in Cape Town that my family love.

We've been there twice now and both times we had a great time. Not all of us are naturally artistic, but none the less have great fun creating a memorable piece that I can keep forever on my bookshelf. My wife painted a serving plate which is awesome as we can actually get practical use out of some of the options. I was pleased to see young and old, men and women all enjoy the experience.

They operate on reservations, but both times we were promptly assisted as walk-ins when a table opened up. They've got a secure kids play area with jumping castles and some exciting, unordinary kids playground equipment while you wait (or if your kids need a little break between painting you can let them run around).

Its a tranquil experience taking a stroll around in their beautiful garden area, having a look inside the warehouse with all the complete sculptures and walking about seeing what other great ideas/art, other patrons have created.

The first time we went (over a year ago) we only had dessert but were disappointed in both items. This time round, we were ecstatic to hear that they have a completely separate Halaal Menu and many more options for us to choose from. I can't comment on the meals, but the desert we had this time was better... still a 4/5 in my books though.

Unfortunately, the only disadvantage to this experience, is that you have to head back again in about 3 weeks to go fetch the baked product. It's totally worth it though as they have to heat the sculpture which transforms your art into a glossy, colourful, solid masterpiece (see attached pics for before and after the baking process is done).

The Clay Cafe has become an activity I look forward to indulging in over and over again in the future. The Cafe show many improvements since our last visit, boasting their success and popularity and as you can tell, a highly recommended activity...