Passion Art Cafe in Budaiya, Bahrain, encourages patrons' creativity by offering instruction in such activities as pottery in an art studio upstairs from the cafe. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes)
I was searching for something creative to fill my free time, with Bahrain’s early sunsets and dropping nighttime temperatures setting the mood for indoor pursuits.
What I found is a hybrid refuge — a cafe, an art studio, even a form of therapy. The moment I stepped through the doors of Passion Art Cafe and Studio, I felt the serenity that this unique spot in Bahrain seeks to provide.
The cafe sits tucked beneath the art studio, with an outdoor seating area that, unsurprisingly, remained empty on a cool day.
Stepping inside felt like entering a cozy living room and a charming backyard garden. The ceiling was adorned with cascading vines — plastic, but still enchanting — woven with delicate fairy lights that added a warm glow.
A whimsical creativity space at Passion Art Cafe in Budaiya, Bahrain, welcomes customers with cascading vines, fairy lights and purple balloons on Jan. 7, 2025. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes)
Clay items to paint are available at the Passion Art Cafe in Budaiya, Bahrain. Prices vary for the items, giving customers a range to consider when choosing what they want to decorate. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes)
A wall of acrylic paint is used for artistic creations by patrons at the Passion Art Cafe in Budaiya, Bahrain. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes)
The seating ranged from a plush couch to traditional tables, inviting guests to sip coffee while painting or indulging in a slice of their lemon poppy seed cake, which sat temptingly under a glass cloche.
That cake was extraordinary; it had the perfect balance of lemon and sugar, with a subtle hint of almond adding depth. Curls of candied lemon peel and a light dusting of poppy seeds adorned the top.
I paired it with saffron coffee, drawn by the spice’s deep connection to Middle Eastern culture and its unmistakable flavor. Saffron is delicate and can easily overwhelm if not handled carefully. In this case, it enhanced the coffee with grassy undertones and floral depth.
The result was beautifully balanced and I encourage anyone to try something saffron-flavored, whether a sweet or savory dish. You will either love it or hate it.
Upstairs from the cafe is a space designed for creativity, where visitors can take up activities like freestyle painting, ceramic painting or clay modeling, complete with 10 bright orange potter’s wheels.
Rustic charm meets creativity in the pottery corner at Passion Art Cafe in Budaiya, Bahrain. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes)
An employee at the Passion Art Cafe in Budaiya, Bahrain, demonstrates the delicate art of shaping clay, sharing techniques with cafe patrons Jan. 7, 2025. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes)
A pottery session at Passion Art Cafe in Budaiya, Bahrain, on Jan. 7, 2025, showcases the joy that patrons can find in creating something from scratch. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes)
At a glance they could be mistaken for 1970s pedicure stations. Each wheel is paired with a small wooden stool topped with a pillow for comfort.
This is where clay-throwing classes take place four times each week. Students are encouraged to channel their stress and negative emotions into the ball of French clay, symbolically throwing it away as they hurl it into the center of the potter’s wheel. The clay can be molded into bowls, vases and other creations.
Another studio section opens into a well-lit room with large tables draped in thick, paint-splattered plastic lining, bearing the smudges of years of creativity.
Passion Art Cafe in Budaiya, Bahrain, has a graffiti wall that customers can decorate. From bold Arabic calligraphy to vibrant splashes of color, the artwork stands as a testament to the creativity the cafe aims to inspire. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes)
My eyes were immediately drawn to a graffiti-covered wall at the back of the studio, a mesmerizing chaos, beautiful in its rawness. The clientele here paints on stretched canvases, sculpts clay models or embellishes premade pieces available for purchase.
The entry door is littered with sticky notes from customers that affirm the joy and inspiration they found here. Some messages, especially those from children, stand out with their unfiltered sincerity, hinting at moments of newfound confidence. A full-length mirror affixed to a pillar proclaims in glittering letters, “You look good.”
A full-length mirror in the studio at Bahrain's Passion Art Cafe is adorned with an affirming message to people creating art there. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes)
At the heart of Passion Art Cafe in Budaiya, Bahrain lies a wall of sticky notes and memories, where visitors pen affirmations, gratitude and artistic inspirations. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes)
Above, acrylic hummingbirds dangle from the ceiling. They reminded me of my mother and her reflections on hummingbirds from her years of birdwatching with the Audubon Society.
In some cultures, these tiny creatures symbolize healing, joy and lightness. Whether or not the birds were intentionally symbolic, they felt perfectly suited to the space.
The cafe and studio, which opened in April 2022, is owned by sisters Bayan and Mariam AlQassab. Mariam, an experienced painter, leads the art classes, while Bayan left her day job two years ago to team up.
An artist puts the final touches of paint on one of the plates available for purchase at the Passion Art Cafe in Budaiya, Bahrain. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes)
An artist teaches clay modeling to customers of Passion Art Cafe in Budaiya, Bahrain, on Jan. 7, 2025. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripe)
The sisters say their hope is that others are inspired to discover and embrace their own passions. Whether it’s for a birthday party, a date night, a team-building event or a casual outing, I highly recommend a visit to Passion Art Cafe.
The experience is refreshingly authentic — no frills, just the purity of art.
Passion Art Cafe and Studio
Location: Road 85, block 505, building 1709, Budaiya. Vision board, freestyle painting, couples’ art classes and flower arrangement workshops are held on the beach.
Cost: Varies based on activity from 5 BD to 25 BD
Hours: Sun.-Wed.: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thurs-Sat: 8 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Marassi Galleria Beach ‘Passion by the Beach’ Pop Ups: Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. through February 28.
Information: +973 3366 8199; @Passionart.bh on Instagram
