An Absolute Must-Visit – Clay Café Paarl, at the iconic Groot Parys Farm

Words: Crush

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If you’ve visited Clay Café at one of its various locations, you’ll know that producing a piece of ceramic art, with your personal stamp of creativity on it, is super fun and rewarding. The good news for those in the Winelands is that Clay Café Paarl opened in March 2023 – the much-loved ceramic painting experience is on offer from the historic and gorgeous Groot Parys Estate.

Visit Clay Café Paarl

Clay Café at Groot Parys looks over vineyards across Paarl to the Drakenstein mountain range, Paarl Rock and the landmark Paarl Monument. The setting is simply breathtaking and the decision was made within minutes of arriving on site in 2021, that this would be the perfect venue for another Clay Café. The Cape Dutch-influenced architecture of the farm’s 1709 Manor House building brings a sense of tradition and grandeur to the café, which perfectly suits its location.

A team of artisans and contractors spent nine months transforming this grand old lady, bringing her back to her former glory in such a way that families and friends who visit are enchanted by her elegance and energy. The spacious building, with gorgeous brickwork, an expansive garden and gorgeous details make it ideal for a special celebration, or just an afternoon of fun with your besties. Book your next event at Cay Café Paarl – it’s a super idea for a fuss-free birthday party, bridal or baby shower.

Patrons are sure to keep coming back for more entertainment, painting, playing and great food!

Chris Irving (founder), his son Michael and partner, Jade Bradburn, have partnered with well-known culinary consultant, cookbook author and publisher, Tamsin Snyman, to bring her global hospitality experience and expertise to the Clay Café Paarl.

“We have taken our collective experience from the groups’ other restaurants and adapted our offering and created a style of food and service to suit our new Paarl and Winelands clientele,” says Snyman.

But what if I’m not artistic?

The beauty of the Clay Café experience is that no special skills are required, plus there are loads of tricks and tools to help you along. Possibly the most agonising part is choosing what you want to paint from the 180 already-made ceramic items available! Don’t get stuck here too long though, as you also have to choose colours from the rainbow of options on offer, as well as any stencils or tools you want to use.

If you aren’t a natural artiste, it can help to do some research before – use Pinterest for inspo, it’s awash with fabulous ideas that will help get the creative juices flowing. Once you start painting, let your instinct guide you and let your inner artist come out. Don’t get hung up on perfection; the point is to have fun and create something memorable, be it your ceramic piece or the memories made with friends – hopefully both.

Trust your gut, paint with abandon and enjoy every moment of the experience!

In between painting your masterpiece, be sure to indulge in delicious, casual, easy-eating food and drinks from the varied menu. Choose from pizzas, burgers, gourmet sandwiches, charcuterie, cheeseboards and more.

If painting with littlies, they can pop off and make use of several play areas around the property, which will keep them entertained between painting, eating and drinking.

Where Else Can I Paint?

Clay Café has been a household brand for over two decades and is anticipated to be a huge hit in the Cape Winelands, northern suburbs and the Boland region with the latest location in Paarl. The ceramic painting business started in 1999 in the heart of Hout Bay; the concept merges art, food and good company to create one-of-a-kind creative moments. This is something special for the whole family to enjoy. Over the last couple of years, the Clay Café group has expanded into three key locations in Cape Town and has another five cafés in Johannesburg and Pretoria.