This cosy rabbit hole, style-inspired by Alice in Wonderland, is bursting with creative energy and solves that pesky problem of the empty kitchen cabinet. With the chance to paint, mould and even go for a spin on the potter’s wheel, Wonderland Ceramics is the perfect place to develop a new skill and to escape from reality in true Mad Hatter style.

The Venue

This fairy-tale hideaway, lost amidst the generic fronts of Victoria Park Road, is a haven for the work-weary and the bored. With its themed décor, the impressive tea party mural is enough to get those creative juices flowing. And if not, there are plenty of upturned teapot and top hat lampshades dangling from the ceiling to keep your eyes inspired. As soon as you’re through the door, things will feel immediately familiar; with a black and white chess board floor, red chairs and elegant calligraphy along the top of the walls, you’ll be wondering if you’re late, or if you’re mad, or if you really are in Wonderland.

With a snug room on the ground floor and a private room downstairs for booked events, this venue caters for all occasions and is available for large groups, it's absolutely perfect for team building and hen parties. You can bring your own booze too for those on a budget! (Corkage applies). 

I'm not crazy. My reality is just different from yours. Be more Cheshire Cat and join the tea party.

The Atmosphere

Attracting a diverse range of customers, from young mums pressing painted baby feet onto salt and pepper shakers, to the hipster types on quirky work outings, spilling alcohol on their clay and creating abstract interpretations of The Plate, this venue strikes a chord with a range of people. Anyone who has already done every pub in the vicinity of the office or has exhausted the coffee shop experience will love this chance to make and do.

The great visuals and attention to detail keep the atmosphere vibrant and when the friendly owner tucks you in at the table, handing out tools and instructions, you can’t help but relax as you pound out the weeks’ pressures into pleasantly malleable clay. A fun, quirky place with a creative buzz, this is the perfect bar to exorcise those stress demons from the brain.

Tranquility in a tea cup - let your creativity sail the open waters in a bar that inspires imagination.

Food and Drinks

Served frozen in those famous Wonderland corked glass bottles, the cocktails at this venue are just as irresistible as those dangerous potions from the cautionary tale, and could equally result in your head through the roof. The Caipirinha, a Brazilian cocktail containing cachaça, fruit juices and lime, is particularly popular, with a zesty flavour and a good kick. Beer is also served all evening if cocktails are not your tipple and at less than £20 for a bottle of wine, you'll definitely manage to get merry, one way or another.

Soft drinks, hot drinks and small plates of food are also on the menu for those brunching lunching munching occasions. Slurp your frothy cappuccino with a delicious Nutella pancake on those early Sunday mornings, when you really should be in bed. Or later in the day, try one of a range of savoury pancakes, with daredevil toppings such as salmon and cream (on a pancake?! Outrageous!) The leek quiche is particular creamy, flavourful and delicious all round, and for £4, it's reasonably priced as well. Just try not to eat too much clay. Or spill too much pastry into your sculpture. (It does happen…)

Waiter there's a chessboard in my salad! Gorgeously imaginative food presentation is all part of the parcel at Wonderland Ceramics.

Summary

Let’s ditch the work suits and the beer pints and get creative (and not to mention, messy). Don’t be a teapot when you can be a lampshade. It’s time to drink from mugs with wonky handles, triangular rims and an overall unhelpful lopsidedness – because where’s the fun in a china mug that functions just like any other?