Madonna labelled it ‘heaven’ on a recent visit, but the cost of living is hitting the seaside town hard
Not many chefs working in small, family-run restaurants expect global megastars to turn up for dinner and to design them a menu from scratch.
But that’s what happened to Simona Di Dio last weekend, when she cooked dishes inspired by her Italian grandmother’s recipes for Madonna, who sat on the single wooden dining table in their cosy, candlelit Italian restaurant in Margate’s old town.
“It was really informal and really lovely, and relaxed. It was really special and she was really nice,” said Di Dio.
She said it was “mind-blowing” to think that she would one day cook her richly flavoured bean and kale stew or an unusual Neapolitan beef shin pasta for one of the world’s most famous musicians, though she acknowledged: “Margate is always full of opportunities.”
