Bitter Root Pottery

I took a pottery wheel vase class. Had a great time in class. The teacher was so patient and gave us a lot of helpful individualized feedback. After we made our vases, you pick a color and they paint it for you. You are not allowed to paint/glaze it yourself. I’m slightly disappointed in the final product, as it had fingerprint marks or the glaze was not fully painted. Just a little more attention to detail and I would’ve been satisfied. I’m left with a product that doesn’t look neat and I paid nearly $100 for it.

We attended the pottery class on October 5, and today, on December 15, we received a message about picking up our order. However, the bowl we received was broken. I paid $200 for this, and frankly, I’m appalled. As the provider of the service, it is your responsibility to ensure the product is properly completed and usable. When you are present during the process and see that something has gone wrong, it should only take a minute to correct, especially before finalizing the piece. Instead, I was given a cracked bowl after two and a half months of waiting. This is completely unacceptable, and I’m left with a defective item that is unusable. This would make for a terrible gift—perhaps for someone who eats cereal without milk, but that’s not the point. I expect this issue to be addressed immediately. If it is not, I will be sharing my negative experience with my audience on social media, as this level of service is completely unprofessional.

We actually had a class booked with a different studio that got canceled unexpectedly, but I’m so glad it brought us to bitter root instead. Bitter Root is a beautiful space with inviting energy and an excellent instructor, Chanté who truly made the experience. For the adult wheel class you get two hours to learn all the necessary basics and tips to success with plenty of one-on-one guidance to bring your piece to life. We have done an adult wheel class before and it was not nearly as informative, fun or successful as this one - which I can only attribute to Chanté’s teaching style. 10/10 would come back again. Thanks for such a great experience and reminding me of my love for pottery!

I was really looking forward to this pottery class with two friends, but it turned out to be a disappointing experience. We specifically booked and paid extra for an evening rooftop class, but when we arrived, it was held indoors on their top floor — no rooftop, no view, and no communication ahead of time about the change.(see picture on how small the room area was) Sure it may "just be $10" for the outside rooftop area, but it was still extra and it adds up. We weren’t even able to step outside and look around. The instructor was also not very encouraging or helpful. He spent about 30 minutes demonstrating the entire process while we just sat and watched — then told us to go ahead and make it ourselves. He then proceeds to continue to just walk around the class and point out our errors rather than teach us how to fix them so we can have a functional piece. As beginners, it was overwhelming to try and remember everything without any real guidance. Instead of giving helpful tips, he mostly pointed out what not to do after we had already made a mistake, or just said something wasn’t possible without explaining why. With only 5 people total in the class, there was really no excuse for the lack of support. He had no sort of energy or enthusiasm which made our whole experience uneventful. We recently picked up our piece after 2.5/3 months (which btw we had 0 communication for that they were going to need more than 7-9 weeks). One of my friends piece was glazed and shiny while our other 2 pieces were dull and seemed like it was just painted over last minute. We are genuinely upset when we saw the finished product. Overall, the experience didn’t match the price point at all. It felt misleading and underwhelming, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to others looking for a fun or beginner-friendly pottery class. There are better, faster, and cheaper pottery studios that i would recommend to visit instead.

This was a new experience for me and I can say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The staff were friendly and educational throughout the pottery making process. The aesthetic and views here are beautiful. I took this as a solo class and made friends along the way. It’s definitely worth a visit if you are in town. Bonus points for the street name being that of my late Grandmother 💛

Wonderful experience with Bitter Root Pottery. My best friend and I did a last minute beginner adult class with Haley and we had a blast! Great price, easy to follow, and a lot of fun! Highly recommend for a new activity, beginner friendly! You get a little messy but thats the best part, brings out the kid in all of us!

The two hour class was perfect amount of time for a beginner to get acquainted with the basics of pottery. The instructor was exceptional, providing clear and detailed instructions throughout the session. Even though many of us had never touched clay before, the instructor's guidance made it easy to follow along and create something with our own hands.The rooftop setting added a unique and calming ambiance to the class.

Awesome community of potters! Tons of wheels and cool romantic roof top area with more wheels and a Koi pond and great views! If you have $200 / mo it's a great relaxing get away and place to find like minded people.

Have been eyeing this place for a while and finally went and had such a fun time! Perfect for a date with your partner or with friends, that brings you back to your childhood excitement doing arts and crafts. I would recommend the 5th floor 'Baroque' penthouse location - the fresh air and beautiful sunny rooftop views are worth the extra cost in my opinion. Other tips: bring sunglasses just in case, and wear clothes that you wouldn't mind getting a little clay on (washes out easily though) or shorts. I was considering booking the private 'for 2' experience, but ended up booking the standard class - these classes do not fill up that quickly, so it ended up being an extremely personalized experience anyway (only 4 people total in our session). Our instructor was AMAZING - great teacher, friendly, personable. We were complete beginners, so it was great to see a demonstration and then have her walk us through each step. I struggled at a few points, and the instructor helped me as needed to ensure we all ended up with a final product. This was a really really fun experience, and I can't wait to get my bowl back!

This was my first time doing pottery and I've always wanted to experience it. Came for Mother's Day and had a great time! The staff was amazing, the view from the outside class was superb as it was a bright and sunny day, and the experience surpassed my expectations. Definitely recommend anyone interested in a pottery outing to visit Bitter Root Pottery. It will not disappoint! It's a great date spot too!

My gf & I went here for a private "penthouse" balcony pottery lesson. It was an amazing experience! Not only was the private lesson area extremely beautiful and comfy, our instruction (Camilla) was so patient and helpful! We were able to choose between a bowl, matcha bowl, and vase -- we picked the vase and both were able to craft one without prior experience. It was $95 per person, with the option to purchase a charcuterie board through one of their 3rd party partners. Would highly recommend!

An amazing experience overall! It can be a little pricey and we wanted to do it with the outdoor view but it ended up being really cold so we ended up doing our pottery indoors. It was such a fun experience to do with my family and we all came out learning more about pottery before we went in. It can be a challenging activity but overall so much fun. Everyone was welcoming and nice. I think our instructor was a bit tired so not very chatty or excited but he was helpful.

Don't let your long nails stop you from taking a class. I really enjoyed the experience. The instructor was patient and helpful. I can't wait to get my bowl back.

Such a beautiful place, I have been there once a year or two ago and they only had the ground floor but now they have the entire top floor with patio with a gorgeous view, you can even bring your own wine. The instructor was very helpful, however I'd suggest him doing the class step by step with students instead of talking about each step separately. That made the first 30 mins of the class very boring.

A very beautiful location for rooftop ceramics with a view of Hollywood! This location is spacious with many classes indoors and outdoors. The 5th floor penthouse pottery class is $95 (gratuity included). It's pricey but worth the experience. Maddie was our instructor and she was amazing! Loved her fun personality. She did a great job teaching our beginner's bowl class and was helpful throughout the whole experience. The class started off slow and did feel rushed towards the end. It does take about 2 months to pick up your finish pieces. Overall, it was a memorable and fun pottery class!

Too many great things to say about this experience!! I booked a class for a rooftop view and pottery class with friends. We arrived 15 minutes early and took this very cool Vintage old elevator up To the top! This place is massive, tons of space inside and out to accommodate large groups. The views of La are beautiful, I loved the koi pond especially. The man that taught our class was so patient and fantastic at explaining, and helping us along! I really loved creating a bowl and my 2 friends were so impressed they've each gone back! It takes a couple months to have them fire your piece with the glaze etc. you can choose which glaze you'd like and decorate it a bit as well. Super fun, be sure to wear something you don't care about getting clay on! It does wash out, but it won't while you're sitting there. Highly suggest you do the rooftop option, fantastic for groups, dates, celebrations etc! So much fun and I can't wait to return again. Located right across from the grove, there's a parking lot and street parking. Well worth the price for the piece you make, take home and use again and again! You can sign up for a membership and come and go as you please. They do call and txt when tour piece is ready for pickup!

We had the best date night on the bitter root rooftop! It's definitely pricy but so fun for a new experience. I wish I could remember our instructors name but she was so funny and did a great job teaching! The views and vibe are top notch. It took about 5 weeks for our bowls to be completed but they turned out great! You get to choose a glaze and they apply it for you post firing in the kiln. I wish they had other classes where you could make a different project, I would love to go again!

Get there early to ensure you snag parking. There is parking in the back but it was all taken and I ended up getting lucky with metered parking right in front. I say get there early since this location is in a busy area and you don't want to be flustered with catching up since the teacher instructs the whole class in the beginning. Our instructor, Megan, went through a very detailed intro and guided our group through the whole class. I'm so thankful for her patience, humor, and assistance in fixing my bowl. I would definitely take this class again! Tips: it can get messy so wear something you don't care too much about. They give you an apron but clay got all over my shoes and pants but it was fairly easy to get out.

I've been wanting to do a pottery class FOREVER. i came here yesterday for the 11 am class (adults and kids). The location is nice, tucked away and lots of parking. very simple and straight to the point when you come in for your class. I reserved 3 spots for my friends and I ($70 each). the instructor was clear, and extremely helpful the entire time. She did a step by step for us all to watch and then did it again for us as we were making our bowls. I was in awe of how well everyone in the class did considering it was everyone's first time. the bowls came out amazing! You get to pick your color and come back in 4-6 weeks to pick them up. So excited to see them! Will be back for more classes here, I'm a fan!!!

We LOVED this pottery class! My husband and I try to do a wheel throwing class every once in a while and this might have been our favorite one yet. Being outside, overlooking city lights with the cool studio setting was really amazing. Our teacher was so kind, informative, and funny - she made the experience really enjoyable. My only comment was we went very slowly but hey it's a beginner class so that's to be expected! We would definitely return and we hope to pick up our bowls shortly!

The most beautiful location, it was perfect for a girls day! Our teacher was very patient and helpful. We will definitely be back!

Such a fun way to enjoy an afternoon alone, with friends or with your kids. Taylor, the instructor was helpful, sweet and patient (it's not as easy to throw pottery as it looks). The atmosphere was relaxing and inviting - no stress, just a good time. We can hardly wait to see our finished products and look forward to making some more masterpieces.

I took my mom here for mother's day and it was SO fun. The instructor was so nice and patient with everyone. The weather was perfect and the outdoor area was beautiful.

I was really disappointed with my experience at bitter pottery. I took my daughter, hoping for a nostalgic outing, as we've enjoyed pottery classes together in the past. Unfortunately, this class was overcrowded, and we felt crammed together. The instructor treated us like children giving overly simplistic and repetitive instructions. She spent too much time explaining a tool we hardly used. Additionally I was unaware that we wouldn't be able to return to finish painting our projects after they were fired and glazed, which was a major letdown since we're both artists. It doesn't make sense to have someone else paint what we created. To make matters worse it's been a month and we're still waiting for our pieces. I reached out to the Beverly Hills location and was told it would take 6 to 8 weeks before we could pick them up-- painted by someone else. I won't be returning, and I hope this helps anyone looking for the experience I had in mind.

Went here with my best friend & we had the best time! 10/10 recommend. Our teacher was Jaime & she was so patient & truly made the class comfortable! Also, they let you borrow tripods so you can record yourself which i thought was super cool!

I purchased the baby foot/ hand imprint in late March and was promised to have it to me in 4 weeks. I told them that I will be out of the state at the end of April so I needed this before then. She took two set of imprints and said will use the one that comes out the best. Two months later, I finally got the foot imprint shipped to me and both look horrible and cracked. I'm so disappointed. The store manager already called and apologized and said that she will credit me for it, but that just doesn't make me feel better. I really wanted to love this and keep it forever, but now it's ruined. So disappointing.

This studio is just so BEAUTIFUL! Stunning view! The experts that lead the class are truly great at what they do and can fix any mistake you make with your clay.

Soooo fun. This is an LA landmark! It's actually located in Liberace's old house. The status is super kind and they do an incredible job. Have a birthday party there or a company event. They will make it excellent for you.

Really cute place. Our instructor was very helpful and friendly. Helped us every step of the way. We did the penthouse class. Would come back again.

I love supporting small local businesses and this is it!! I have recommended it to everybody because it felt like such an incredible experience. If it wasn't so expensive, I would have picked it up as a hobby. The teacher was really nice and helped me make my piece.

This was my 2nd time going and I was disappointed. Went on a Sunday adult beginners class, instructor was very bland and seemed like she didn't want to work. I mean it's a Sunday I get it but... instructions weren't good. Yeah not too pleased. 1st time was great a few years back, this time not so good.

2 hours of pure giggling and laughter's. Laugh at myself and others. Funny when they said " we don't guarantee your pot will come out alright." Life has no guarantee, just bite down our teeth and suck it up like a sponge. Really nice space inside, lots of studio and abundance street parking. Leave your house earlier, drive easy and save gas. Instructor was kind, fun and very organized. I was all relaxed and introducing ourselves to others until she said, " don't worry if your clay flied off the table." OH MY LORD, this will happened? I did RYH to get rescued a few times. Be back next month to pick up my bowl after they glazed it. Before you leave, clean up all the tools. And choose the color write down your info. Then walk across the street to get a burger from Burger She Wrote lol lol

I had rain as an instructor , they were very great and patient with the whole class. They also even helped a student start a new bowl when the bowl collapsed. I was a Very fun class I would definitely come back.

I had a great experience!! Sethra was absolutely fantastic! He was very patient and informative. I truly love that he didn't make us feel bad about doing a terrible job with our clay. He always made a way out of a mess... thank you for the great experience.

The class itself was fun, especially if you pick the outdoor version with the great view of LA. But it's been 3 months and we still don't have our pottery with very little communication from their team. Not sure we'll ever get it at this point!

Went here today for the beginner class. It was a ton of fun. The instructor was very knowledgeable and helpful. Had a great time!!

I booked classes here for two of my friend's birthdays. We were a group of 6, and had SO much fun! The instructor (tall guy instructor who I forget the name of) was so nice, funny, and patient with us. One of my friend was struggling and he didn't hesitate to help and encouraged him throughout the process. 2 hours really flew by so fast and it was easy to create the bowls thanks to his assistance. It was my first time & would highly recommend trying it out at bitter root ! I can't wait to pick up the glazed bowl (if it makes it through).

Elias was absolutely amazing!!! He was the best!!! (Although the front receptionist was somewhat unpleasant) We went once before and the instructor lacked passion also but Elias was full of spunk, kindness and patience and made it such a fun and informative experience. He was even nice enough to show us the new upstairs portion they had and it was GORGEOUS! Thank you Elias for the class we will be back!

This place is a really great date idea and it's so fun! However, the process of getting your pottery back is a little annoying. I understand the volume of work they need to complete and that's totally fine. But when you go to pick up your items, its like no one works there. Me and my boyfriend took the class on the 5th floor penthouse and when we went to go pick it up, it took a solid 10 minutes just for someone to walk into the room. The communication within the building is horrible and I had to call the front office just to tell them its been nearly 15 minutes and theres no employees in sight. Once you make it upstairs you're greeted with a table to sign in/sign out your creations and a door that reads 'staff only'. So you're basically just trapped up there unless by some miracle an employee is at the front desk OR you feel like completely ignoring the sign and walking around the actual class spaces. There's a dinky bell that reads "ring for assistance" but after taking a class it's quite obvious how little help that is when trying to grab someone's attention in that massive penthouse area. I'd genuinely give the class a 5/5 as our instructor was so kind and helpful. Created a perfect stress free and playful environment and made sure we were all content with our "works of art" but unfortunately the pick up situation and overall lackadaisical front end service ruins the bit quite a lot.

At first glance you think it's beautiful so you sign up for the crazy $220 membership. But soon you find all the issues wrong with this place. They are super stuck up, overpriced and in general just not worth it.

I booked the class to surprise my daughter for her 20th birthday and was so glad that I did. The studio is beautiful and the staff super friendly from the moment of arrival until we left. It's such a comfortable welcoming atmosphere! Our instructor, Madison, was awesome! She was informative, encouraging, super sweet and clearly passionate about her craft. She guided us through the process, sharing some design ideas and tips which totally added to the whole experience. Thank you Madison! I'm super excited to see our finished products and even more excited that I'll have them forever! I can't say enough, it's truly an amazing experience!

My friends and I came on a Saturday late afternoon and the class filled up quick. Each class is about 10-12 people and since we heard that it is first come first served, we arrived 30min before class started. To our surprise, the class filled up really quick and 2 people were turned away because the class was full. Our instructor, Kelly, was very friendly and patient throughout the process. The class started off by having everyone introduce themselves and share our experiences with clay, if any. Then we circled around the table and Kelly introduced each of the tools we'll be using and what it is for. We then grabbed our tools and headed over to the wheels. She first demonstrated step by step on how to make a bowl and then it was our turn. She would jump in here and there to help us but it was on us for the most part. Remember, slow and steady is the key! Once we finished molding and decorating, we cleaned up our space to how we found it. Then the cool part was choosing the color glaze. They have tons of colors but for our class, we were only given about 20 choices to choose from. We were told that we'll receive a call within 3-4 weeks to pick up our glazed pottery. The whole class from start to finish was exactly 2 hours. For $50 each, it is on the pricey side but nonetheless it was a great experience. I recommend to dress comfortably and wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty. Oh and also, cut your nails. It's more difficult to work with clay when you have long nails.

You come here to learn. You come here to have fun on your first day. I walked out knowing my instructor is not friendly at all. I was in distress already trying to find parking for 20 minutes and being late but I walked in with a good mood cause I've been wanting to try this for awhile. When I got confused on a hand placement his response was condescending as if I should really understand what he's telling me. Not understanding for awhile frustrated him. I was stressed from not knowing what I'm doing wrong as he's repeating it over and over. No good vibes, No gratitude , no fun.... just IMPATIENT. I just wanted to make my bowl and leave. $95 included "gratuity". Gratuity should be earned. Honestly I wish him the best if he was actually dealing with something. But then again, we all are.

The setting was gorgeous and the view spectacular. The place itself is actually really nice. My friends and I had fun and laughed and giggled a ton but the staff were all rude to us and we couldn't understand why. It was so bizarre. The attitude was of sheer annoyance at us. All but one of us had never done wheel before so we needed a lot help but it seemed like the instructor was impatient and overwhelmed. I suggest asking for a second instructor during a class of over 4 people. I'd go again but be more specific about levels

We still had fun despite the instructor being so rude and unhelpful! He was so impatient with us! He could have tried to have fun with us as we were a fun group! I think he hates his job!

So my girlfriend was recommended to go here by another friend of hers... last night they took a class and were to be taught to make a bowl by one of their pro instructors. The class is normally $70 which is pretty reasonable... IF you're actually being taught. My girlfriend (who was never told in any prior correspondence she wasn't able to) recorded herself making the bowl in Timelapse... The instructor told her to put her phone away and that "phones aren't allowed in her class" My girlfriend was really excited about recording herself (and no one else) and out of spite for having her phone out, the woman named Amaka, refused to help / teach her and offered to give my girlfriend a pre made Bowl to take home since the one she was making was nothing more than a blob. Talk about a waste of money and a totally unprofessional "teacher." Well she sucks and I'd recommend that no one should ever take her class! Ease up on the power trip Amaka... this is supposed to be an enjoyable pastime / hobby!

This is one of the best activities my wife and I have done in LA. We did our session with Meagan and she is such an amazing teacher. She is very helpful to every one of her students and made the activity so enjoyable. Also watching the sunset from the rooftop was such a nice bonus. 5 stars!!!

Fun experience but rudest employees! Our instructor was mean and cold. Even the women who checked us in gave attitude when we hadn't even been there yet

Admit it, ever since you've seen the movie "Ghost" you've wanted to try throwing a wheel with clay. Or maybe it's just me? As soon as I read that Bitter Root Ceramics offered an intro ceramics class at their studio in Los Angeles near The Grove, I signed up. Bitter Root offers regular intro classes during the week, which is what I took. But they also offer special classes around themes, such as with Valentine's Day where they had 2-hour classes (starting at 2 PM, 4 PM, 6 PM, 8 PM and a "Ghost" late-night special at 10 PM). The Valentine's beginner classes utilized the wheel and included an assortment of chocolates, cheeses, fruits and crackers with complimentary wine or champagne for $150 per couple. Whatever class you decide to choose, it's important to dress comfortably and get ready to get dirty! But you'll need to keep your shirts on -- you know, this isn't the movie "Ghost." Speaking of which, our shirts were covered with clay by the end. But they use special clay that rinses out of clothes so no need to worry too much. Whew!

Fun date night activity! Signed up for a two hour beginners class where we learned basics of open wheel pottery. Got step by step instructions on how to build a nice bowl. Overall a good experience and excited to see what the finished product is going to look like (takes 4-6 weeks to receive your clay creation after being baked in their oven)

I paid for a private session for my husbands birthday and it was really nice. The teacher was very attentive and responsive to questions and encouraging while we were working our clay. Even when things started getting wonky with my husbands she tried valiantly to redeem the situation but ultimately had to let him trash it and start over. She quickly got him back to a place where he could make the piece his own and end the session on a high note. Sadly due to covid we may have to wait something like eight weeks to get our glazed pieces back but hopefully both of our pieces will make it out the milk in one piece so we can collect. While we were there a young girl came in for a pick up and they found that her piece never made it back. It was unfortunate but not unheard of.. hopefully I'll be able to update with our finished pieces!

Had so much fun making pottery for the first time! Michael was so patient, playful, helpful, and an amazing teacher! Can't wait to come back again soon :)

My second time throwing pottery. Natalie my instructor is extremely knowledgeable and has an amazing personality. Between the instructor and the environment you can't find a better place to have this experience.

It was my first time taking a pottery class and it was so much fun! staff was very kind and helpful throughout the whole process ! a fun activity for all!

This experience was the PERFECT way to celebrate our anniversary. We love a good hands on activity/experience and our time at Bitter Root Pottery was a 10/10. We booked the penthouse because we've seen videos and pictures of the area and we're excited to be outside in the beautiful weather making pottery. When we got there, however, we were told the class would be in the west wing (one of the indoor rooms - there are 2) instead of outside, as we envisioned based on the pictures on their website. We didn't know that was a potential as we didn't see it stated anywhere online or when we purchase the tickets (could be we overlooked it). My smart partner, however, ended up asking if we could upgrade to a private class and do it in the outdoor area. The manager, Noelani, was so kind and accommodating and ended up teaching us herself. The private experience was AMAZING. Super hands on (literally lol) and Noelani gave us amazing tips and was super patient and helpful as we attempted to throw clay for the first time ever. Heads up, it's so much more physical than I anticipated and you really use your body to help shape the clay with your hands. Super cool and such a fun experience. We can't wait to get our pieces back in 4-5 weeks and will definitely be back!

Had the best time with the best instructor Avia! So fun and so professional and we both ended our private class with beautiful bowls!! Highly recommend this place and Avia!

Had a lovely experience taking a private lesson. The problem has been post-lesson. My boyfriend and I each made a bowl we were really proud of. We were told we'd get a call when the bowls were ready to be picked up, but it's been 12 weeks (twice as long as we were told it would take) and haven't heard a thing. They aren't taking any calls. I emailed using the contact form on the website, but they didn't respond. We want our bowls :( Update: Increased my 1 star to a 3 because after posting this review, they did call me to let me know our bowls were ready to pickup. They did gaslight me and say that my phone number was disconnected (it wasn't), but I am looking forward to pick-up.