A TOWN centre’s new luxury dessert bar will open next month and Lancashire Telegraph readers have been given an exclusive look at its interior.

Haute Dolci, Church Street, Blackburn, will open on June 5 to coincide with the Eid festival celebrating the end of the month-long Muslim fast of Ramadan.

As interior designers put the finishing touches to its high-quality fit-out the chain’s bosses have provided pictures of the eaterie’s interior.

They have spent eight months converting the former El Greco coffee bar in the historic listed Waterloo Pavilions.

Cllr Phil Riley, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s regeneration boss, hopes that it will breathe new life into Church Street.

The first customers will be those who successfully find one of a series of golden keys hidden round the town centre near local landmarks.

Clues will be available on the Haute Dolci social media pages - @hautedolci (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or Snapchat (Mr Dolci) each day. More will be available to be won in social media competitions.

After two weeks the doors will open to the general public.

Haute Dolci will offer a range of desserts including brownies, crepes, fruit sundaes and waffles, as well as creamy shakes, sparkling fruit sorbet floats and mocktails.

With space for 100 diners, the restaurant will feature a dessert and drinks bar complete with ice cream and patisserie display cabinets.

Project director Hamzah Alli said: “We are extremely excited to finally open our doors to the public of Blackburn. It has been a fantastic project to work on.

“It will be a huge anchor in the town’s food and beverage offering. Haute Dolci will create 35 jobs in the heart of Blackburn as well as an exciting new location for locals to indulge in new decadent desserts in a five star fit-out.”

Cllr Riley said: “The interior looks really high-quality. Haute Dolci will be a major asset to Blackburn and I look forward to it dramatically increasing footfall in Church Street.”

Waterloo Pavilions is a 1835 grade-II listed building.

The premises were home to El Greco from 2011, formerly Mr Moustacas in Lord Square, until it closed in 2017.

Haute Dolci will be the third dessert bar in the town centre following Heavenly Desserts at Sudell Cross and Kaspas on Preston New Road.