scrobble.life
Urban Exploration

Tales of the Urban Explorer: Lakeside Restaurant

“Jeez.. I wish they would just fuck off”, I muttered to @anidiotexplorers with a frown.

A family with two small kids aged around seven to nine were milling around the perimeter of 'Lakeside Restaurant', a former Bengali eatery just outside Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

24_IMG_0253_24.jpg

...'what could they possibly desire from this wretched place: a stale insect ridden Jalfrezi, or a Vindaloo covered in the finest green mold?'...

Fucking people, they don't half get in our way when it comes to exploring.

25_IMG_0254_25.jpg

We breezed past the astonished looking family looking for a way in, regardless of the odd looks we are now accustomed to and short of scaling the rickety 'herras' fencing came to a blank.

'Lakeside Restaurant' has been visited by everyone, even small babies fresh and crinkly from the womb solo it, so there was no way we were giving up so easily.

Said family, intent on watching us for entertainment, appeared disappointed when we fell back with our tails between our legs..

...'the show was over, they had given up'...

Ha.. but that's an advanced tactic to make nosey bastards piss off more quickly, and piss off they did.

Lakeside Restaurant offered a buffet-style dining and takeaway service until its closure in early 2011. The reasons for its closure are not documented. It has sat unused since them, decaying more with each passing year.

Approaching from the rear, it was still an awkward entrance for such a derpy looking shithole, but we got in without any scrapes or bruises via an upper doorway and up a ropey-looking stairway.

1_IMG_0229_1.jpg

Entering a large room, overlooking the lake (which looked to me more like a dirty swamp), and with fabulous views of the local crocodiles, we gaped aghast.

The windows are now non-existent, but may have been closed permanently when 'Lakeside Restaurant' was open and doing business.

Unless you want to share your tasty Madras with a swarm of biting, buzzing insects, that is?

2_IMG_0230_2.jpg

£7.95 for all you can eat; it takes me back to when food was affordable and eating out was a more regular occurrence. Now it's more like £50+ for a decent meal for two unless you eat at those cheap-arse Hungry Horse outlets.

3_IMG_0231_3.jpg

A handy business card, should I have taken one in case I wanted a take-out? So tempting.., that flavoursome Korma could be delivered right to my door.

4_IMG_0232_4.jpg

Why do twats have to spoil the view with terrible cock scrawls, and never mind the remnants of an illegal ganja farm?

5_IMG_0233_5.jpg

No doubt some of the old cannabis plants were here once, some in the loft perhaps, with the looks of this.

6_IMG_0234_6.jpg

'Lakeside Restaurant' does not open until 5.30 pm on Sundays. That explains the lack of staff taking orders. It was starting to make sense.

7_IMG_0235_7.jpg

£13.55 for the most expensive item on the menu, and considering 'Lakeside Restaurant' went bust in 2011, that does seem rather cheap.

8_IMG_0236_8.jpg

'High Class', it claims. Who am I to dispute that?

9_IMG_0237_9.jpg

Having entered via the aforementioned stairs, this time it was a descent to see what was on offer below.

10_IMG_0238_10.jpg

Yes, more wankers…, we have seen it all before.

11_IMG_0239_11.jpg

Can I take your order, sir?

12_IMG_0240_12.jpg

Coca-Cola Enterprises is affiliated with Coca-Cola. I wanted to check as they are using the official logo brand.

13_IMG_0241_13.jpg

Best quality rustic ingredients, don't they look just yum?

14_IMG_0242_14.jpg

Did the ex-shoe owner lose it because he ate too much? I do wonder.

15_IMG_0243_15.jpg

A poor attempt at prohibiting access. While it may be a little awkward, even fatty me can bypass this with relative ease.

16_IMG_0244_16.jpg

Very nice, but maybe a little unfinished. I recognise the style and it's not 'Trench'.

17_IMG_0245_17.jpg

With the looks of things, the entrance to ‘Lakeside Restaurant’. When your seating is ready, the main section is likely up the stairs so you can gaze over the swam.., er lake.

18_IMG_0246_18.jpg

Even if I wanted to get close to the front door, the sheer amount of broken tiles was making such an aspiration a little difficult.

19_IMG_0247_19.jpg

The remains of 'Lakeside Restaurant's furniture? We had to climb over all this shit just to see if anything was interesting on the far side.

20_IMG_0248_20.jpg

More of the bloody stuff was all we found. The chairs and tables were smashed to pieces.

21_IMG_0249_21.jpg

Now, why would you have something like this in a Bengali restaurant? For mixing the ingredients with drilled pieces of human brain matter? I should stop watching ‘Driller Killer’.

22_IMG_0250_22.jpg

The flavoursome aromas that came from these grills once would have been overwhelming. For the record, most Brits love Indian food, and there's little doubt 'Lakeside Restaurant' would have been popular once.

If you ask me if it smelt like a dead decaying sheep’s arse, I would respond with, ‘I don’t remember’ and I do tend to remember when it’s particularly pungent.

23_IMG_0251_23.jpg

Entering derelict kitchens can be a major health hazard, but any such deadly aromas had long since vacated.

Having found no better escape route, we had to backtrack to the upper areas and try our luck with the partially collapsing stairs once more.

26_IMG_0256_26.jpg

Fortune was with us again, and off we went to the next terrible explore.

RedLine.png

Do you like posting your Urbex content and photography for FREE on Facebook and YouTube? I like to get some form of reward for my work and every time I create I do just that. Take a look at The Urbex Community on HIVE.

If you want to keep creating for FREE then ignore what you are reading. If you want to be like me and gain something other than BUGGER ALL for your work then click here and learn about posting on the HIVE blockchain.

My Urban Exploration Tales can be found directly on the internet via my Website: 'Tales of the Urban Explorer'.

RedLine.png

TalesLogo.JPG

RedLine.png

CurieCurator.jpg

RedLine.png

Drooling Maniac.JPG

If you found this article so invigorating that you are now a positively googly-eyed, drooling lunatic with dripping saliva or even if you liked it just a bit, then please upvote, comment, rehive, engage me or all of these things.

Comments · 34

  • @melfascinates77(52)· 383d

    Hi @slobberchops newbie here. Nice to meet you. Cheers to me as a new hiveans. Congratulations @slobberchops on your posts. Job well done. Happy hustling.

  • @hive-lu(65)· 383d

    Hello slobberchops!

    It's nice to let you know that your article won 🥇 place. Your post is among the best articles voted 7 days ago by the @hive-lu | King Lucoin Curator by heruvim1978

    You and your curator receive 0.0209 Lu (Lucoin) investment token and a 20.49% share of the reward from Daily Report 749. Additionally, you can also receive a unique LUGOLD token for taking 1st place. All you need to do is reblog this report of the day with your winnings.

    2.png


    Invest in the Lu token (Lucoin) and get paid. With 50 Lu in your wallet, you also become the curator of the @hive-lu which follows your upvote. Buy Lu on the Hive-Engine exchange | World of Lu created by @szejq

    If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP or to resume write a word START

  • @hivebuzz(74)· 384d

    Congratulations @slobberchops! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)

    You distributed more than 175000 upvotes.
    Your next target is to reach 180000 upvotes.

    You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP

  • @dewamke44(62)· 386d

    It's very crowded, I hope there are very old things, interesting

  • @patif2025(72)· 388d

    There’s something haunting yet fascinating about places like this. Your photos really capture the silent stories hidden in the peeling walls and broken windows. It’s as if the building still holds whispers of laughter, conversations, and life that once filled it.

    It’s sad to think how many places like this are left to decay, slowly being vandalized and stripped away piece by piece, instead of being given a second life. With a bit of care and vision, they could be transformed into something beautiful again, preserving their history while creating new memories. Your post really made me reflect on that. 🏚📸✨

  • @thermoplastic(74)· 389d

    In a couple of the photos I see a fire extinguisher. Would be interesting when it was last inspected and charged, or if some vandals had used it just for fun.

    More so interesting would be who actually owns the property and pays taxes on it! Where I lived in Canada, and now in Austria, there are tax penalties to pay for unused properties, particularly unsightly premises. Example: Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

    In Vienna, where I live now, this is a answer I received from Microsoft Copilot: "Vacancy Penalties: Vienna has explored and implemented penalties for long-term vacant or derelict buildings, especially when they contribute to urban decay or housing shortages. These penalties can take the form of: Increased property tax rates, Administrative fines for failing to maintain the property, Potential legal action if the property poses safety or health risks" I had seen quite a few news reports where the city expropriated properties in certain areas after lenghty legal battles.

  • @redditposh(88)· 390d
    This post has been shared on Reddit by @dkkfrodo through the [HivePosh](https://hiveposh.com/) initiative.
  • @dankorox(56)· 390d

    OMG. My dream is to buy a property like this and turn it into something beautiful again. Maybe one day the earnings from posting on here will help me get there ;-)

  • @pumpkinsandcats(65)· 390d

    Love it how wherever there is graffiti, there is a high chance there is a phallic drawing near it. It's like we can't help it!

    Shame about it being left to ruin though

  • @itsmary18(66)· 390d

    A little bit dangerous because as I see that place was abandoned. Just take care.

  • @midnightspen(61)· 390d

    Looks like a cozy lakeside dining adventure—urban exploring meets peaceful waterside vibes!

  • @pocketrocket(66)· 390d

    After seeing those photos, all I want to order in this messy restaurant is a throw up bag !LOLZ

  • @zekepickleman(79)· 390d

    Haha patented cock scrawls and arseholery! I was thinking the menu didn't look half bad and now all I can think of is "decaying sheep’s arse" which doesn't help the appetite.

  • @iamlovelykate(72)· 390d

    I’ve never done urbex but reading your post low-key made me want to try it—minus the bugs and creepy smells haha. Kinda feels like playing real-life horror game with a side of mystery.

  • @alohaed(68)· 390d

    Urban exploration, is perhaps unintentionally a catalogue of the various styles of phallic graffiti.

    If you were a PHD candidate for anthropology, you would have the makings for a dissertation.

  • @marilui91(66)· 391d

    What a dreadful place. When you visit these places, there is always something new to discover; tell me about the rude writings and drawings on the walls.

  • @papilloncharity(83)· 391d

    Wow! You scored a sordid mess this time :)

  • @pizzabot(60)· 391d

    PIZZA!

    $PIZZA slices delivered: @jlinaresp(9/15) tipped @slobberchops

    Come get MOONed!

  • @discovery-it(69)· 391d

    This post was shared and voted inside the discord by the curators team of discovery-it
    Join our Community and follow our Curation Trail
    Discovery-it is also a Witness, vote for us here
    Delegate to us for passive income. Check our 80% fee-back Program
  • @jlinaresp(80)· 391d

    What a place full of scenes full of elements to build your always excellent photos... And I piss myself with laughter reading some of your funny barbarities written in this post! 🤣👍... As always, a very good work ton enjoy @slobberchops friend!!!!...

    !discovery 30 !PIZZA

    image.png

    Wow, this looks so much better than that banana stuck with ducktape and a wooden palette that I saw recently sold as art! 😕

  • @videoaddiction(72)· 391d

    The difference between what 'Lakeside Restaurant' was and what it is now is really noticeable. It definitely makes you think about how fast things can shift.

  • @whosee(73)· 391d

    Your writing always feels like part documentary, part dark comedy—and that’s what makes these explores so damn enjoyable to follow. There’s this mix of decay, nostalgia, and utter absurdity (like that lone business card or the shoe mystery) that you narrate with sharp wit and just enough self-awareness. Even when you’re wading through trash and graffiti, there’s still something oddly cinematic about it all.

  • @sugarfix(58)· 391d

    So you've given us the real estate blurb - what are you selling it for?

  • @meesterboom(81)· 391d

    The lake looking like a dirty swamp might have hastened it's demise 🤣

    Bet they used that skanky mixer for the nans!

  • @robertoasl(63)· 391d

    📸🌿 ¡Qué maravilla de fotos y relato! Entre ruinas y curry imaginario, esta exploración tiene magia decadente y humor afilado. 🕰️🍛 Gracias por compartir esta joya urbana. 🚧✨

  • @seattlea(77)· 391d

    Lakeside restaurant, was there really a lake right next to it? The prices do seem really cheap. We spend around $100 when we go to our local Indian restaurant and it is just a small local family place with no pretense of being by the lake or "High Class" :)

  • @bozz(83)· 391d

    Most of our all you can eat buffet places were already on the decline before Covid and then that came and totally trashed them. The few exceptions are Golden Corral and the majority of Chinese places that are still around. They might have had better luck if they had shifted to growing weed!

  • @cositav(73)· 391d

    It looks quite spacious, the restaurant must have been exceptional at the time. In your country, they have some obsession with penises very similar to my students, it is the favorite figure To draw on walls or wherever they can think of.

    Maybe the family with children was there to take photos and upload them to Facebook. Regards.

  • @evileddy(57)· 391d

    "EAT AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE" gave me Twilight Zone vibes!

  • @beerlover(65)· 391d


    Hey @slobberchops, here is a little bit of BEER from @joanstewart for you. Enjoy it!

    We love your support by voting @detlev.witness on HIVE .

  • @joanstewart(75)· 391d

    Sounds like a scenic spot when bugs not in season, banged up now it's a mess. Perhaps food was enticing once upon a time at a reasonable price. Another a gonna place ticked off on your books.

    !BEER

  • @bilalber(58)· 391d

    No matter how much fun you always give us with your photos of your exploration of abandoned places, there is always one thing in common: the immoral writings on the walls, doors and windows left by idiots.

  • @iamhug(67)· 391d

    Cool travel at Lakeside Restaurant sounds like a story of adventure mixed with laid-back dining vibes 🌊🍴 Exploring urban edges by the lake must be pretty epic.

  • @worldmappin(81)· 391d
    Congratulations, your post has been added to The WorldMapPin Map! 🎉



    You can check out this post and your own profile on the map. Be part of the Worldmappin Community and join our Discord Channel to get in touch with other travelers, ask questions or just be updated on our latest features.