Quo Vadis

Founded back in 1926, this quintessential Soho sanctuary has been a stalwart of Soho’s bohemian frivolity for nearly a century, hosting everything from drinks parties to raucous banquets along the way.

Quo Vadis isn’t drifting quietly into old age, far from it in fact; a 2023 refurb has given the restaurant a new lease of life, doubling the size of the dining room and brightening the old brown-leather banquettes to a rather more fetching ruby red. Still, this isn’t a total reinvention of a classic - QV still has all the cosy, wood-panelled charm as in previous years, and the jewel-like stained glass windows remain too, though they’ve been lightened a touch. Perhaps most importantly of all, the exuberant Jeremy Lee remains steadfastly behind the stoves, gently ushering lovely plates into the dining room.

Lee’s cooking has always been a joyful celebration of the seasons, and it’s no different now as it ever was. Our meal starts in time-honoured QV tradition with oysters and mignonette, crisp salsify batons loaded with an indulgent pile of Parmesan, and the famous smoked eel and horseradish sandwich - built with generosity rather than stability in mind with four big, meaty chunks of eel balanced precariously inside.

There’s so much more to appreciate on the menu as well. Beautifully-cooked guinea fowl arrives with juices dripping onto a bed of polenta, which itself has both fluffy innards and a lovely crisp exterior. We were also rather enamoured by a salad of cuttlefish, fennel, monksbeard and three-cornered leek, which sounds innocuous on paper, but came together in perfect harmony thanks to meaty, tender cuttlefish and a nice hit of black pepper, made all the better by a glass of buttery Chardonnay.

Any gripes were minor, limited to a touch of overseasoning here and there. All is forgotten when a piece of lemon tart arrives with a spoon of creme fraiche on the side. Sweet, sharp and with a pleasing density and bronzed pastry casing, it’s an ideal end to proceedings. The surroundings may be new, but Quo Vadis is still a slice of old-school Soho that everyone should experience.

Once a brothel and a home to Karl Marx (though not at the same time), no restaurant embodies the frivolity of Soho quite like Quo Vadis. The restaurant has passed through various hands over the years - it was run in partnership by Marco Pierre White and Damien Hirst up until 2007, but since then has been under the watchful gaze of Sam and Eddie Hart, the brothers behind the phenomenally successful Barrafina restaurants, among others. 

One of the Hart Brothers' first moves was to bring in Jeremy Lee as head chef and in doing so, they kick-started a new era for the restaurant that has put it back on the map as one of London's most essential visits. Lee had built a reputation for pared-back British cooking at The Blueprint Cafe, and breathed new life into Quo Vadis with his rustic, generously-portioned British classics. Quo Vadis was right at the heart of an era where London fell back in love with classic British cooking. 

The old restaurant safekeeps a great deal of history, but it is bright and spacious with windows that look onto Dean Street and plush leather banquettes that remain comfortable for well over a two hour sitting. The restaurant is open to the public, but Quo Vadis has long been a private members club too, and you'll also find two bars and a litany of nooks and crannies hidden away in its labyrinthine passageways. 

The menu is seasonal, and sticks largely to great British and Mediterranean produce. Gentle, rustic dishes like rabbit with lardo, mustard, girolles, parsley and garlic, and griddled ox tongue with carrot, pumpkin beetroot and horseradish come and go on the menu alongside old favourites - Lee's famous smoked eel sandwich (served with plenty of fresh horseradish and pickled red onion) is always on the menu, as is a pie of the day. Cocktails are also excellent - Quo Vadis makes a famous negroni but arrive early to take advantage of a fantastic aperitivo selection.