An Italian Madonna called her “favourite” has been crowned the second-best local restaurant in the UK.
Cantina Caruso in Margate was praised by judges of the Good Food Guide’s annual list for its “unfiddly, big-flavoured food” and was also named the best restaurant in the South East.
The judges said: “Cantina Caruso is Margate’s typically cool answer to the problem of where to eat if you have no reservation.
“An Italian deli by day, it transforms at weekends into a walk-in wine bar with a brief menu of small(ish) plates.
“It’s the kind of unfiddly, big-flavoured food that we all like to eat, seen at its proudest in a dish of local squid and peas or the extraordinary aubergine parmigiana.
“No wonder Cantina is an all-year-round local hit.”
The small-plate venue and wine shop was visited by the Queen of Pop earlier this year, after she described it as her “favourite little Italian”.
She refused to reveal its name, saying she feared it would become overrun – but internet sleuths soon worked out she was referring to the tiny Broad Street restaurant.
Owners Simona Di Dio and Harry Ryder also have the intimate Bottega Caruso next door, which KentOnline visited in February.
The couple call it “a neighbourhood hang out”, where they serve a “small plate of something delicious” and seating is informal.
Along with taking the second spot overall, it was also crowned the best in the South East, while La Locanda Italian in Gisburn, Lancashire, topped the list.
Meanwhile, other Kent venues making an appearance include Sierra Leonean restaurant Shwen Shwen in Sevenoaks, which ranked ninth.
Mori Mori, a Japanese restaurant in Margate, ranked 48th, while Fifteen Square Metres in Broadstairs came 60th.
Franc in Canterbury ranked 61st, while Bar Ingo in Broadstairs was placed 64th.
Head of reviews and listings at the Good Food Guide Chloë Hamilton said of this year’s list: “In the face of adversity, creativity has flourished in unusual and unlikely places.
“It has been hugely rewarding to see how these tiny operations are offering outstanding quality in a way that so clearly strikes a chord with the local crowd.
“Arrive with an open mind and a good appetite and you’ll be brilliantly rewarded.”
For the second consecutive year, business technology platform Square has been a partner with the listing and its head of international marketing Lizzie Barclay said: “The incredible businesses on this list have all the ingredients that make independent hospitality so special – the passion, the personal touch, and the community.
“Square supports hospitality businesses like these across the UK with the tools that help restaurateurs to operate efficiently, freeing them up to focus on doing what they love.”
