Michelin-starred chef 'shuts down restaurant' in 'the finest dining room in London' after just six months
Victor Garvey at the Midland Grand, based out of the St Pancras London hotel near the famous train station of the same name, only opened in February.
But it now appears to have served its last diners, after stopping taking bookings and staff telling The Caterer it closed its doors on July 15.
The eponymous American chef had only just replaced Irish cook Patrick Powell's The Midland Grand Dining Room in the five-star hotel's 65-seater dining room.
It came after he won his Michelin star, the highest culinary gong, in 2021, for his Californian restaurant SOLA in the capital's Soho area, which opened in 2019.
It is as yet unclear why the restaurant appears to have closed without warning, with the website down and guests unable to make bookings.
Mr Garvey, working out of what is widely considered one of London's most opulent dining spaces, charged an eye-watering £139 for a seven-course tasting menu.
There was also an even more lavish 14-course tasting experience, alongside the normal a la carte menu, The Standard reports.
Dishes included red tuna, with white peach, roasted leek and a green almond sorbet - as well as a lobster served out of its shell with its own roe, along with spiced carrot.
The two businesses that have most recently occupied the restaurant space were called after the building's original name - The Midland Grand Hotel.
The Grade I-listed Gothic revival building in central London is one of the most iconic sights in the capital - with a restaurant space equally as impressive.
Upon taking over the historic dining room earlier this year, Mr Garvey said: 'A dining room of this stature deserves a menu that matches its grandeur.'
Calling the space 'one of the best dining rooms in the world', he described the menu as 'honouring the foundations of classical French cuisine while embracing modernity'.
When the restaurant launched, he told The Caterer: 'A chef only gets an opportunity like this, where they are offered a big dining room, once or twice in their life.
'It happened to Joël Robuchon, to Alain Ducasse, all the big guys, and I'm very excited.'
He had explained the menu as a reinvention of traditional French dishes: 'We're making it sexier, we're making it lighter.'
Mr Garvey described being approached by St Pancras London hotelier Harry Handlesman to take over the space.
'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', he explained.
'I thought - I'm pretty sure I can do that.'
The restaurant's adjoining Gothic Bar currently remains open.
The apparent closure of Victor Garvey at the Midland Grand will be a shock to food lovers across the capital, after it received glowing reviews from the country's top critics.
Giles Coren said: 'Victor is doing fancy French now, and quite brilliantly, of course.'
The chef's predecessor Mr Powell was behind the room's relaunch in April 2023 but he left just over a year later, in July 2024.
He said at the time: 'The time has come for me to move on and I am hugely excited for the future and my next chapter.'
Mr Powell also left his restaurant Allegra, in London's Stratford area, at the same time, which he also worked on with St Pancras London hotelier Harry Handlesman.
The Irish chef is currently working as culinary director at French and New York-inspired restaurant One Club Row in the capital's Shoreditch area.
The building is more than 150 years old, with several hotels having been run out of it over the years.
The Midland Grand Hotel was designed by English architect Sir Gilbert Scott - also behind the Albert Memorial in London's Kensington area - and built in 1873.
But it shut down in 1935 and was nearly demolished in the sixties - before it was reopened as The Renaissance in 2011, after being used as railway offices.
The restaurant was relaunched as The Gilbert Scott and run by British celebrity chef and MasterChef: The Professionals judge Marcus Wareing until the pandemic.
The building is now known as the St Pancras London Autograph Collection hotel and managed by Marriott International.
But the name change came only last month, when Marriott transferred the hotel from its Renaissance brand to its Autograph Collection.
The dining space appears to have closed only just over a month after this rebrand.
Renaissance hotels aim to give guests 'curious, unique and local experiences', according to the brand's website - while Autograph ones offer a distinctive interior.
As part of the rebrand, the hotel's 254 rooms and suites have been undergoing extensive renovation since January.
Marriott boss Sandra Schulze-Potgieter explained at the time: 'St Pancras London is exactly the kind of property Autograph Collection was created to celebrate - rich in character, rooted in place, and full of story.
'This new chapter brings that story to life in a way that feels both intentional and unforgettable.'
Mr Garvey was born in New York to an American father and French-Spanish mother, moving to Barcelona aged six.
He has worked in restaurants across Spain and in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Tokyo and Copenhagen before arriving in London.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
Sacha Baron Cohen calls his body transformation a ‘mid-life crisis'
Sacha Baron Cohen has unveiled a significant body transformation for his role as Mephisto in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The 53-year-old actor debuted his new physique on the cover of Men's Fitness UK, prompting speculation about its authenticity. Cohen confirmed his transformation was real, attributing it to a combination of Ozempic, private chefs, and personal trainers, jokingly calling it his 'mid-life crisis.' He sought advice from Matthew McConaughey, who recommended his trainer Alfonso Moretti, who initially described Cohen's body as 'like a ruler'. Cohen portrayed Mephisto in the season finale of Ironheart, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has confirmed he will reprise the role in future MCU projects.
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Ozzy Osbourne is seen just two days before his death in a final heartwarming video having breakfast with his family
Ozzy Osbourne was seen spending time with his family in a sweet final video shared just two days before his death aged 76. The music legend died on Tuesday just weeks after he took to the stage for his final show with Black Sabbath, with his family confirming the sad news in a statement. Ozzy's daughter Kelly Osbourne, 40, shared the video with fans on her Instagram Story on July 20, just two days before the singer died. In the clip, Ozzy was sat at a kitchen table using his tablet while spending time with his youngest daughter and her two-year-old son Sidney. The trio were enjoying breakfast together while reading the newspapers, including the Daily Mail which was spread out on the table. Kelly said: 'Good morning', before panning the camera to her father who was wearing a pair of headphones as she said, 'Dadda, say good morning'. Ozzy leaned forward and replied, 'Good morning'. Ozzy passed away on Tuesday, just weeks after he took to the stage for a final performance with his band in Villa Park, Birmingham. The Osbourne family said in a statement: 'It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. 'He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.'Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.' Ozzy was born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham in 1948, and dropped out of school at the age of 15. After serving two months in prison for burglary, he decided to pursue his love of music and by 1970 Black Sabbath had gained a huge following in the US and UK with the release of their first album. Ozzy quit the band in 1978 and divorced his first wife Thelma Mayfair, who he had two children with, four years later, amid his ongoing substance abuse problems. He went on to marry second wife Sharon Osbourne, who helped him transform into a successful solo artist and the couple had three children together. In the clip, Ozzy was sat at a kitchen table using his tablet while spending time with his youngest daughter and her two-year-old son Sidney over breakfast Ozzy gained a whole new audience of fans with the family's reality TV show The Osbournes in 2001. He is survived by his wife Sharon and his five children, Jessica, Louis, Aimee, Kelly and Jack. The Black Sabbath legend had been suffering from Parkinson's disease since 2003 and had undergone seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal surgery in September 2023. His health battle began more than two decade ago, when in 2003, he broke his neck after falling off a quad bike leading to some extensive back surgery and metal rods being put down his spine. The British musician was diagnosed with a mild form of Parkinson's disease in 2003, however he only went public with the condition in 2020. However, Ozzy previously said that his biggest struggles were due to a fall which he suffered in 2019 which caused metal rods in his back to dislodge. The rods had been put there following a quad bike accident at his Buckinghamshire home in 2003. He told Rolling Stone UK magazine: 'The second surgery went drastically wrong and virtually left me crippled. 'I thought I'd be up and running after the second and third, but with the last one they put a f*ing rod in my spine. 'They found a tumour in one of the vertebrae, so they had to dig all that out too. It's pretty rough, man, and my balance is all f*ed up.' The illness led to him cancelling a string of tour dates while he recovered, including postponing the UK and European legs of his No More Tours 2. Ahead of his final live performance in July 2025, which was a benefit concert in Birmingham, Ozzy gave an update on his health status and state of mind. Speaking on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard, he said: 'You know what, I go on about the way I can't walk and I can't do this, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all of my complaining, I'm still alive.' He continued: 'I may be moaning about how I can't walk as well but as I look down the road, there's people that didn't do half as much as me, and they didn't make it.' 'I'm trying to get back on my feet.' Host Billy Morrison added: 'Ozzy, you are so much better than you were just a year ago.' He replied: 'Yeah, but the recovery is very slow. That f***ing surgeon. Plus the Parkinson's. When you get up in the morning, you just jump outta bed. Oh I have to balance myself, you know? But you know, I'm not dead, as you say. I'm still actively doing things.' Also ahead of the gig, Ozzy's wife Sharon revealed: 'Ozzy's working with his therapist every single day. He's doing really well, actually. Ozzy's number one thing in life is his fans, so he's working hard to be ready for them, to make this show the perfect way to end things.'
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
How Elton John became showbiz's go-to peacemaker: Music legend has helped stars including Meghan Markle, Ed Sheeran and Anastasia before acting as mediator in godson Brooklyn Beckham's family feud
Given he's been in showbusiness for more than 60 years, it's to be expected that Elton John has amassed a fair share of famous friends. And while he's already known for this generous nature, the music legend has never shied away from offering his help to other industry names with a fair array of public, and private struggles. Elton, 78, boasts famous pals including Ed Sheeran, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and he has openly shared his attempts to support them through various woes. He has previously detailed how he regularly 'calls and supports' others who are battling addiction, having been clean and sober himself for three decades. More recently, Elton showed his unlikely role as a mediator in his godson Brooklyn Beckham 's feud with his family, with sources claiming he 'said his piece' on the matter during a swanky lunch with the chef and his wife Nicola Peltz. Not all stars have been welcoming of Elton's attempts to help, with the singer himself admitting he wished he could have done more to help the late George Michael, who battled drug addiction for many years. It remains to be seen whether Elton's attempts to help Brooklyn will be in vain, with sources previously saying he's staying firmly neutral on the Beckham family row, but there is no shortage of other times when the star has assisted his famous pals... Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Since their marriage in 2018, Elton had been a close confidant for the Duke and Duchess Of Sussex, having been a close friend of Prince Harry's late mother Diana. Throughout the years, Elton has reportedly made an effort to speak to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex 'every day' and is 'very protective of them both'. This was evident when he defended the royal couple from backlash after they used his private jet to travel with their son Archie, then three months, to the singer's summer house in Nice, France. The move came as Harry and Meghan came under fire for their use of private jets, having been outspoken on environmental issues in recent months. The Rocket Man singer addressed the 'distorted and malicious account' of the Duke and Duchess's holiday in the press, writing on X: 'Harry's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, was one of my dearest friends. 'I feel a profound sense of obligation to protect Harry and his family from the unnecessary press intrusion that contributed to Diana's untimely death.' Elton also claimed he had ensured Prince Harry and Meghan's flight to and from the French Riviera last week were carbon neutral by making the 'appropriate contribution' to a carbon footprint fund. Harry and Meghan showed how grateful they were for Elton's loyalty by recording a special video for his goodbye concert in 2023. 'Thank you for being the friend that you were to my mum,' the Prince said in the touching video tribute. 'Thank you for being our friend, thank you for being a friend to our kids and thank you for entertaining people right around the world. We love you.' Ed Sheeran Elton and Ed's friendship goes back to the earliest days of the singer's rise to fame. In 2015, Ed revealed that Elton was one of the first famous people to congratulate him on his success. Ed wrote in his book Ed Sheeran: A Visual Journey: 'I'd probably had about seven missed calls before I got a text from my manager saying: 'Pick up your phone! It's Elton!' 'It was just mad, because I grew up listening to Elton John 's music. He was ringing to say congratulations, which was cool.' Elton has also deemed the chart-topper his 'close friend', when he presented him with the coveted Global Success award via video link at the BRITs in February. Four years ago, Ed and Elton joined forces to release a Christmas single together, and at the time The A Team hitmaker said his pal phones him every single day. Ed noted that he and Elton had always been in regular contact, but he turned to his friend for comfort after the death of his pal, producer Michael Gudinski. He told the New Zealand Herald: 'I say this to people and they think I'm lying or exaggerating, but Elton calls me every single day. 'He used to ring me about once a month – well, we do it on FaceTime via iPad because neither of us has a phone. Then when Lyra was born it became more like weekly – he's a dad as well and he'd check in. 'But then when Michael died he rang me the day after and I just broke down and cried. 'And from that day – I spoke to him this morning, yesterday – no word of a lie, every single day he's rung me. Whether it's a half-hour chat or two minutes, he always checks up on me.' Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz Elton had been a longtime friend of the Beckham family, with footballer David even fondly referring to him as Uncle. This close bond has continued for Brooklyn, who is Elton's godson, and the musician has been honing his unlikely role as peacemaker, by sharing his thoughts on the chef's ongoing feud with his family. The Tiny Dancer hitmaker invited Brooklyn and his wife Nicola out for lunch at a swanky beach club in St Tropez, with sources claiming he 'briefly' spoke about the family's feud in the hope Brooklyn would patch things up with his parents Speaking about Elton's attempts to play peacekeeper in the row, a source said: 'Elton is the showbiz equivalent of Switzerland. He's utterly neutral in this row.' 'Elton of old may have relished in taking sides - in this case his young godson, Brooklyn - but two years off his 80th birthday, he's a man who has seen and done it all. He just wants everyone to be happy. 'There is no side-taking as such; he simply adores his godson, and really has a laugh with Nicola who he thinks has a great sense of humour. He wants to look after them in his role as 'spiritual adviser' as a godfather, it's a role he takes seriously. 'Elton and David think the situation is terribly sad, and has gently suggested to all involved that life is short - to patch things up.' The source added Elton is 'adamant he doesn't want to stick his nose in' the feud, he just simply 'wants peace'. George Michael Prior to his death in 2016, George had been a legendary collaborator of Elton's, with the pair famously taking to the stage for a performance of Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me in 1991, which enjoyed huge chart success. Elton previously opened up about how he tried to help George many times during his battle with drug addiction. He told Channel 4 News: 'I tried to put my arms around him. I tried to help, but you can't help people who don't want to help themselves. 'I've learnt that as an addict and I'm 28 years clean and sober. When people told me when I was using that I was doing the wrong thing I was so angry and I just told them to go away or I actually used stronger language than that.' 'So, I understand George, you know when I said a couple of things, and he did a whole page interview… saying I should shut up and I understood what his reaction was.' George had previously shared his upset at Elton's attempts to reach out, after the singer said in a 2004 interview with Heat Magazine he was in a 'strange place.' The Faith star hit back in an open letter in the same publication, writing: 'Contrary to the public's impression, we have spoken rarely in the last 10 years, and what would probably surprise most people is that we have never discussed my private life. Ever. 'So, we never became genuinely close, which is very sad. And to this day, most of what Elton thinks he knows about my life is pretty much limited to the gossip he hears on what you would call the ''gay grapevine.'' After Elton hit back by telling George to 'lighten up', the 80s icon laughed it off the following year, saying: 'Oh God, yeah! I wish I could lighten up. I spent my whole life wishing I could lighten up, you know.' The pair patched things up in later years, and posed for a snap together at the Elton John AIDS Foundation party at the Royal Opera House in London in 2011. Anastasia Referring to Elton as her 'fairy godfather,' pop legend Anastasia has previously shown her appreciation for the hitmaker. The I'm Still Standing singer has been a vocal supporter of Anastacia's career from the beginning, and duetted with her on Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) at Madison Square Garden in 2000. Speaking to Attitude in 2017, she said: 'He's my fairy godfather; literally that's what I call him. 'He keeps pumping out lovely children that I envy and the Christmas cards keep getting cuter and cuter. I'm excited to see them actually.' Anastasia added that after beating breast cancer following a double mastectomy in 2017, she was looking forward to sharing her 'new boobs' with him. 'Hopefully while I'm in town there'll be a moment I can share my new boobs with him,' she said. 'I have to show him, because he gets to see. Not that he's really caring, but I flashed him my other ones so he has to see these ones too. He has to see the new set.' Others battling addiction Having himself been sober for 34 years, Elton has openly shared how he tries to help others that he knows have battled addiction. In his 2019 memoir Me, Elton admitted he's become a 'celebrity helper' of sorts for others stars who are battling addiction. He shared that he previously helped actor Rufus Wain into rehab after he was 'taking so much crystal meth that, at one stage, he'd gone temporarily blind', and has also acted as rapper Eminem's Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor. He wrote: 'I suppose because I was a high-profile addict who turned his life around very publicly, I became someone that my peers looked to if they had a problem.' Elton added it's 'become a bit of a running joke — Elton always springing into action whenever a pop star has an issue with drink or drugs — but I don't mind at all.' In an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2021, he said that there are several people that have struggled with addiction, that he rings up to show his support. He said: 'I just ring them up and offer them my support basically… there's been two or three recently, one young and one old and they're doing ok, doing really well. I'm a recovering alcoholic. '[You learn to] pass the message on and help people when you can. You call them up and give them some support. That's what happened to me... people were so kind to me.' However, like George, not all names have been as willing to accept Elton's help with Dionee Warwick asking him to help her niece once, the late Whitney Houston, but she never got back to him. Elton had also expressed concerns to music icon Billy Joel over his alcohol use, but he was quickly dismissed as judgemental.
