A new dessert restaurant has opened its doors with the help of grime artist Suspect OTB, Top Boy actor Ricky Smart and ex-TOWIE star Ricky Rayment.

%image(15305723, type="article-full", alt="Junaid Blinkhorne, Omar Malik, ex-TOWIE star Ricky Rayment, music artist Suspect OTB and Rahul Patel at The Belly opening on April 17")

Owner of Mr P’s Cornershop, Rahul Patel, unveiled his new restaurant The Belly on Easter Sunday with around 250 to 300 people in attendance.

The 31-year-old was joined by his partners; Cake Slice owner Omar Malik and Snack Attack owner Junaid Blinkhorne.

Rahul said: “The opening went really well.

“We were surprised to see the amount of people that came to support us again."

%image(15305726, type="article-full", alt="The Belly opened on April 17 after six months of renovations")

Musician Suspect and former TOWIE star Ricky officially opened the eatery by cutting the ribbon.

Well-known faces joined the celebrations throughout the day, including Ricky Smart, who plays Jason in Top Boy and Tik Tok stars J2Hundred, Pdotz and Dawud the Magician.

%image(15305728, type="article-full", alt="The Belly owner Rahul Patel and Top Boy actor Ricky Smart")

A fire breather was also on hand to provide entertainment and Backyard BBQ'z provided catering for the event, dishing out their much-loved burgers.

%image(15305731, type="article-full", alt="A fire breather provided entertainment throughout the day")

The “strenuous journey” to open up his latest business took six months, but Rahul said he and his partners have “enjoyed every moment of this adventure”.

He had previously promised to "light up Collier Row".

Customers have already claimed The Belly is the "best dessert shop in town".

%image(15305735, type="article-full", alt="Music artist Suspect OTB at The Belly opening on April 17")

The passionate entrepreneur said the customer reviews have been pleased with “how generous” portion sizes are and “how tasty the waffles and crepes are”.

He said a few people came back the same day to enjoy mocktails and milkshakes, which was “reassuring to see as a new business”.

%image(15305739, type="article-full", alt="The Belly opening was a success and saw hundreds of people stop by throughout the day, according to Rahul")

Rahul said his personal favourite on the menu is the kinder-my-belly waffle and bubble gum daiquiri, but the Red Bull mojitos help him get through the day.

%image(15305744, type="article-full", alt="One of Rahul's favourite drinks on offer at The Belly is a Red Bull mojito (pictured)")

Since opening, Rahul said there has been a “constant flow of customers”, but he hopes The Belly will become “even busier” once it opens across delivery platforms such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and JustEat.

%image(15305746, type="article-full", alt="Rahul said "the lighting is the centrepiece of the shop"")

Its current opening hours are seven days a week from 12 noon to 12 midnight, but Rahul said the timings may be adjusted in the future.

%image(15305748, type="article-full", alt="The Belly opened on April 17")