At MATER1A, Victor Garvey Invites You Into His World. With Sola being one of London’s most compelling dining rooms, earning its Michelin star in 2021 and cementing Garvey’s reputation for precision and polish, I knew I was in for a treat when attending this new opening. But MATER1A feels different. With just 16 seats it’s both more intimate and more daring!
Victor Garvey has opened MATER1A (Materia Prima means “raw material”) in the prime location of Notting Hill offering two tasting menus which showcase the cooking of the food he truly loves. Having now eaten there myself, I can say this isn’t just a concept that sounds good on paper. It works beautifully.
From the moment you walk in, it’s clear this isn’t a conventional restaurant. Before reaching the dining room, guests pass through a corridor displaying key ingredients from the menu (some of which I have never heard of or tried). Shine Muscat grapes, Tatami Iwashi and other treasures are amongst the exciting display. You’re invited to look closely, to touch and to smell. It’s totally immersive and a such thoughtfully unique way of slowing you down and tuning into your senses. By the time I reached my table, I felt curious not to mention hungry!
The dining room itself is intimate and features beautiful hand-carved wooden panelling, marble-topped tables and soft pools of light from the designer lampshades. Through an open kitchen window, you see the chefs at work but more importantly, Victor can see his guests. Throughout the evening he moves through the room welcoming guests into his new home and explaining the menu and its carefully sourced ingredients. You could call the menu a culinary autobiography shaped by Garvey’s years in Japan and his extensive experience from working in restaurants across America and Europe.
I loved the fact the menu isn’t available beforehand and you open it when seated at your table. Some dishes were entirely new to me with combinations you wouldn’t have expected and ingredients you don’t encounter often. This is exactly what made it so exciting!
What struck me most was how ingredient-led everything felt. Nothing was overworked. The “material” truly does lead. True foodies will have heard of the renowned Mr Tanaka’s tuna and treated simply enough to let its quality speak for itself, the tuna dish was one of my favourites from the whole experience. And because the menu will continually evolve, there’s a sense that what you’re eating exists in that moment. It’s like an ever changing expression of where Victor is creatively.
Supporting Victor and keeping the kitchen running to the highest standards is Head Chef Kaming Pang. Formerly sous chef at Sola and originally from Tokyo, he brings a seamless balance of Eastern flavour and Western technique. The precision in the kitchen is evident in every plate (these pictures don’t even do it justice!).
Service is warm without ever being intrusive and not in any way pretentious. The whole atmosphere is the kind that makes you relax into the experience and really soak it all up. Head Sommelier Christian Vega’s, pairings feel thoughtful and confident, enhancing rather than overshadowing the food. We started with sparkling wine which was from a local London vineyard, enjoyed generous glasses of both white and red wine and ended with a gorgeous port. With each glass poured, we were shown the bottle and given a brief history of the wines journey.
At the back of the room sits a discreet DJ and his booth where he spins a soundtrack that shifts with the evening’s mood. It sounds unusual for a fine dining space but somehow it really works. It adds personality and reminds you this is not about rigid tradition, it’s about expression.
Downstairs, Kamakura offers an entirely separate izakaya experience, run by husband-and-wife duo Sakiko and Yuya. The whisky and sake list alone is reason enough to return.
I left not just impressed but energised. MATER1A has confidence, creativity and genuine hospitality which are an asset to the London food scene and I can whole heartedly say, it’s not simply a place to dine, it’s a place to discover.
Review and Images by Zoe Laing @_zozogram_
Feature image supplied
