Written and Photography by Saskia Damiao
Fancy a sweet treat in the middle of deadline season? Don't worry, we've got you covered...
The lead up to exams and deadlines can be stressful. Even more so when you are the only house mate who doesn’t do an academic degree (AKA stuck alone all the time). However, I managed to convince one. It took hours, days... more time than I should have dedicated to the task but I did it. It was the Friday before LSTV alumni weekend, where I spent way more money than I thought I would, and I drove the 45 minutes into Barnsley to get Dolly’s Desserts. Yes, I know, a long way for a dessert, but this was a TikTok dessert. I had already spent too much time wondering what this restaurant would be like, so I had to try it. The journey there was fine, but Google Maps was sending us on a wild one to get to the actual location. A 4- minute walk quickly turned into a nightmare. Also, if you have a car, make sure you park in this car park. £2 for 3 hours? Yes please! The restaurant is not in a noticeable location. It’s in the Market Kitchen at the back of the top floor. The way that Google wanted us to go was like flying between buildings.
We finally got there. No queue... my day is so much brighter already. Prices were magnificent, cheap, cheerful and bloody lovely. The staff were very friendly, inviting and overall excited that we travelled just to try their food. I ordered with my eyes (by that I mean enough to feed two), and we were given a little buzzer to collect. The Kitchen has multiple other restaurants. Thai, cheap English breakfasts, Pizza, Indian, the possibilities were endless. The selection was amazing, and everything looked delicious. As Dolly’s shares seating with all the other businesses, we finally found seating next to a lovely gentleman. The anticipation was eating away at us. We were about to dissipate from hunger... and the buzzer goes off to collect. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my house mate jump up so quickly, pushing past the oldies, we were both salivating for this meal.
My house mate plonks the tray in front of me. I don’t think I had ever seen such beauty until then. Every crevice of this waffle was immersed in sauce and toppings. I got the ‘Nutty Ferrero’ waffle at £6.99 with a scoop of Mango sorbet (because I can’t resist) for £2.50. My house mate got the ‘Krazy Kinder’ waffle for £6.80. Both were absolute beauties. We scranned it like we had never eaten before. After we were stuffed like it was Christmas day.
Overall, Dolly’s Desserts is just too good. I can’t even comprehend how something can be made so fresh and delicious for such a reasonable price. Before I went, I was hesitant about the experience, I had seen multiple reviews of it lacking toppings and not living up to expectations, but I genuinely cannot fault the restaurant at all. 5/5, 10/10, whatever scale you’d like it, Dolly’s Desserts is now my top dessert place. Barnsley was also, unexpectedly, a lovely town to visit. In fact, I found my Media Christmas Ball dress in a local shop! So go visit. Train, car, bus, get whatever transport you can to get there, I promise, you will not regret it.