Lola's Dessert Bar

Lola’s Dessert Bar is a sweet-focused stop at 38 Somerset Street in Makhanda, Eastern Cape. Located within Opposite the Arch, a retail and business hub in a restored 1830s building, the bar brings a playful dessert concept to a central setting on the corner of Somerset Street and High Street.

The menu is centred on scoops and decadent desserts, making Lola’s a natural choice for a dedicated sweet treat, a casual dessert break or a simple pause during a visit to the surrounding businesses. The offering is presented with a sense of fun rather than formality, with quirky touches and a little sass shaping the character of the space.

As part of Opposite the Arch, Lola’s sits alongside a collection of food, coffee, retail, wellness and professional businesses. The hub is within walking distance of Rhodes University, St Andrew’s College, DSG and the Law Courts, giving the dessert bar a convenient position for visitors moving through central Makhanda. Its location also makes it easy to combine a dessert stop with browsing the hub’s shops or visiting one of the other businesses in the building.

Lola’s suits dessert lovers looking for ice cream-style scoops and rich sweet creations in an informal setting. The atmosphere is more light-hearted than traditional, with the venue’s quirky identity reflected in its approach to treats and surroundings. It can work for a quick individual indulgence, a relaxed catch-up over something sweet or a family-friendly dessert outing, while the central location provides a straightforward meeting point in town.

The bar forms part of a larger destination rather than standing alone, so the setting has a mix of food, retail and everyday services around it. That combination gives Lola’s a social, accessible feel and places it within one of Makhanda’s restored historic buildings. For visitors seeking a dessert-led experience with personality, Lola’s offers scoops and decadent treats in a setting that keeps sweetness at the centre.