Victor Garvey's latest restaurant Mater1a opens in Notting Hill

Somewhat quietly, as first spotted by industry newsletter Propel, Victor Garvey, the chef behind SOLA, has opened his latest restaurant in Notting Hill.

Called Materia Prima (but also listed as Mater1a), the restaurant is one that's focused on seasonal produce and "simplicity" and the chef describes it as "my own little world that I’d like to personally invite people into, one service at a time." Taking inspiration from Japan in particular, there are multiple options for tasting menus (starting at £99) and some of the signature dishes on the menu include:

• Chawanmushi of bouchot mussels with finger-lime, coriander root and green curry.
• Gyoza of langoustine, duck liver and preserved fig with black truffle and aged black rice vinegar.
• Duck wing stuffed with wind-dried sausage, black-trumpet mushrooms and koji rice, glazed in ume-plum tare.

There's also a DJ at every dinner service and it does look like a lot of work has gone into the design. 

The chef has come under a lot of pressure in the past year. First, his restaurant at The Midland Grand closed after just a few months (it's now the new Hawksmoor) and an in-depth piece in The Times examined the chef's previous issues with bankruptcy. Despite that, the recent crowdfunder for Mater1a was started but then removed, and it appears the project was completed with private finding.