A MICHELIN-starred chef has been forced to close his “spectacular” restaurant after just five months.
Victor Garvey’s namesake diner in St Pancras, North London, appears to have shut its doors for the final time this week after only opening in February.
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Victor Garvey at the Midland Grand has closed its doorsCredit: Victor Garvey Official
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The fine dining restaurant has closed after just five months
Staff at Victory Garvey at the Midland Grand – situated in the luxury St Pancras Renaissance Hotel – reportedly confirmed that the restaurant had closed.
Garvey had relaunched Irish chef Patrick Powell’s restaurant earlier this year alongside businessman Harry Handelsman, who owns the hotel.
Powell left the business in July last year.
And now the latest partnership with Garvey is understood to have come to an end, with the restaurant having closed on July 15.
The business’ website is currently down and guests are unable to make bookings.
It will come as a shock to many as the establishment – which seats 65 people – had received glowing reviews from food critics.
Praising the restaurant, The Times critic Giles Coren said: “Victor is doing fancy French now, and quite brilliantly, of course.”
Ahead of its opening, Garvey, who also runs Michelin-starred restaurant Sola in Soho, described the space as “one of the best dining rooms in the world”.
Speaking to The Caterer, he said: “I’m really excited. The idea for me is old world, new ideas.
“Rather than recreating old dishes I’m looking at the philosophy behind those old French dishes.
“These are all very traditional French things but we’re making it sexier, we’re making it lighter.
“One day Harry came to me and said that he wanted me to take over the Midland Grand Dining Room.
“He had been thinking a lot and said he wanted to have a Michelin star here and for it to be one of the best restaurants in the world and one of the best dining rooms in the world.
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“I thought – I’m pretty sure I can do that.”
A seven-course tasting menu at the fine dining location would cost diners £139 per person.
Dishes included lobster tempered in butter and served out of the shell with its own roe and spiced carrot.
Another popular menu item was the red tuna served with white peach, roasted leek and a green almond sorbet.
The hotel was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott and opened in 1873 next to St Pancras Station.
But it was closed in 1935 and relaunched as the Renaissance almost 80 years later.
Marcus Wareing went on to run the Gilbert Scott restaurant when the hotel reopened.
Now owned by Marriott, the hotel sits at the front of the busy St Pancras train station.
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A seven-course tasting menu at the fine dining location would cost diners £139 per personCredit: Alamy