Highgate restaurant Fabrizio welcomes X Factor semi-finalists
When a restaurant’s regulars include Kinks legend Ray Davies, actress Billie Piper, and film star Tom Wilkinson, X Factor contestants may seem like small fry in comparison.
However, for fan Fabrizio Tolomeo, serving food to this year’s TV semi-finalists, host Dermot O’Leary, and a camera crew at his Highgate restaurant Fabrizio was a “dream come true”.
Mr Tolomeo thought it was a scam when he was sent an email informing him that the X Factor wanted to use his Brookfield Park eatery to film a pre-recorded scene for the live semi-final show two weeks ago.
But sure enough, semi-finalists Ben Haenow, Fleur East, Lauren Platt, and Andrea Faustini walked through the doors with host Mr O’Leary, to sit down for some of Fabrizio’s famous metre-long pizzas.
Mr Tolomeo hit it off best with fellow Italian native Mr Faustini, who told the owner that eating in the restaurant felt like he was “at home”.
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Naturally he rooted for either Mr Faustini or Ms East to win the competition overall before Mr Haenow claimed the crown on Saturday.
Mr Tolomeo said: “It was a dream come true! It was amazing, and a great party.
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“We are only a little restaurant but we always have good food.”