Dolce House

The Verdict

Dolce House is the kind of place that makes your dentist huddle under the stairs and weep. A frosted sugar temple, dedicated to the gods of all things sweet and moreish. One minute you’re cruising the sleepy backstreets of McKinnon, the next you’re sitting at a table stuffing house-made brownies and artisan gelato into our gob.

Dolce built its local rep on the back of some seriously good gelato, served in overwhelming stacks the size of the average head. All the usual suspect flavours are there, but look out for surprise specials like the Red Velvet Gelato, ribboned with raspberry coulis and covered with crumbled up Red Velvet cake.

Not content with pushing the boundaries of the average waffle cone, Dolce have branched out into a range of Wonka-style cakes, brownies, tarts and specialty desserts. Believe us when we say, this is the shit Masterchef challenges are made of. Tumblers piped with mousse and lemon curd, topped with a ginger snap. Unicorn freakshakes beyond your wildest dreams. House-made brownies, studded with Oreo chunks Reece’s Pieces and M & Ms. Decadent lemon tarts, dusted with freeze-dried raspberries and paired with blood orange sorbet. The list goes on.

And the pièce de résistance? The completely OTT ‘House of Spin’: a rotating timber board featuring four gnarly waffles, three scoops of artisan gelato, a wodge of cookie dough, several brownies, Ferrero crunch & Ferrero rice bubbles, macadamia crunch, extra marshmallows, piped meringues, fresh strawberries and banana. Oh yeah, and a side of melted chocolate sauce, maple syrup and Nutella, because life’s too short. It serves 2-4 hungry adults, or one absolute legend.

The best thing about Dolce is how unexpected it is. As suburbs go, Mckinnon isn’t exactly Melbourne food royalty, and Dolce isn’t even on a heaving restaurant strip. It’s a suburban gem in the truest sense. Tiny, boutique, and absolutely delicious. Secret’s out. 

Image credit: Dolce House