The 29 year-old chef started his career working with Norman at Polpo in Soho before spending more than two years with Anthony Demetre at Wild Honey, as well as helping to set up Demetre’s pop-up at Tower 42.
His CV also includes time with Nuno Mendes at Chiltern Firehouse, and in Australia where he was part of the opening team for Andrew McConnell’s Melbourne restaurant Ricky & Pinky. Most recently, Diver was senior sous at Allegra restaurant working with head chef Patrick Powell
Trattoria Brutto, which is scheduled to open in September, is described as being a ‘lovingly detailed and textured tribute to the dining rooms of urban Tuscany’, particularly those of Florence and Siena. The restaurant will have a 70-cover dining room with space for an additional 10 people at the bar, and seating for a further 10 people outside.
Front of house will be overseen by general manager Monique Sierra who worked in many of the influential bars and restaurant of East Village in the late 90s and early noughties before moving to London in 2002 and spending 11 years working at casual dining group Giraffe. After a spell with Nude Coffee in 2015 she became group GM for Polpo.
Menu items will include classics such as vitello tonnato; panzanella; chicken liver toasts; lamb chops al cartoccio; and pappardelle with wild boar. Some rarer authentic Florentine hero dishes will also feature, such as peposo (beef stew); rosemary flatbread with broad bean purée; and lampredotto (spicy tripe in a crusty panino).
There will also be a range of salads made tableside.
Once it launches, Trattoria Brutto will be open from 8am for coffee, snacks, breakfast prosecco and freshly-baked pastries and sandwiches.