The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
British culinary staples have always stripped back the fuss and left the fat. Great humble food with all the flavour and none of the snobbery. Homegrown favourites of golden pastry, hearty meats, sandwiches, and mellifluous mash are essentials in the British cooking canon. But where do these modest dishes belong in the often-arrogant world of fine dining? The answer lies in the heart of London’s Soho district, the great British restaurant and self-proclaimed ‘Great Dame of Dean Street’ – Quo Vadis. Whose Latin translation “Where are you going?” houses a playful rhetoric. Of course, the answer is “Here”.
Exclusive Soho members club, restaurant, and private dining venue Quo Vadis serves up the best of British fare. Local seasonal ingredients, a master chef, sociable atmosphere, and iconic location make for a stand out in the Soho dining scene. The menu, boasting iconic smoked eel sandwiches, a surplus of lavish pies and chocolate desserts – comfort and style incarnate. All conjured up within the intimate and bright space of a centuries old London structure. Complete with hints to its art-deco history and Soho’s ceaselessly trendy visage. Quo Vadis is an uncontentious delight, a British culinary triumph.
Quo Vadis is run by the restauranteur brothers of famed tapas marvel Barrafina – Sam, James, and Eddie Hart. Having swapped out patatas bravas for mash, and small plates for hearty stomach fillers, the Barrafina boys have plated up something with a British heart. But without trusted and adored Scottish chef proprietor Jeremy Lee at the kitchen’s wheel, Quo Vadis would not be the successful, great British restaurant it has become.
An eccentric history encrusts Quo Vadis’ simple yet sumptuous gastronomy. Built in the 1730’s and a restaurant since 1926, 26-29 Dean Street has been in a constant state of flux. Reincarnating itself with wild abandon. From a red-light brothel to the home of Karl Marx and restaurant to celebrity chef Marco Pierre-White. Quo Vadis is anything but the status quo of London eateries. Arguably at the height of its success as a dining establishment under the hands of Lee and the Harts. It would seem as though the building is destined to continue its notorious legacy. Eclectic customers, guests, and lodgers have been and will always be a constant sustenance to this quirky haunt. Making it an essential destination to locals and tourists alike in search of scrubbed up proper British grub.
Lee’s food has been acclaimed ever since his culinary aperture that lasted almost two decades as head chef at The Blueprint Café. Taking with him to Quo Vadis in 2012; masterful skill and a specific style rooted in loud British classics that aim to fill as well as thrill. Not forgetting the precision and flourish of French culinary techniques mixed in that makes Quo such an unforgettable epicurean delight.
One cannot praise Lee without praising his crowning dish, the – now iconic – smoked eel sandwich. Two richly fried sourdough slices bookend an expertly filleted portion of smoked umami eel, creamy Dijon mustard and horseradish paired delightfully with a tart serving of pickled red onion. Patrons have rightly heralded it one of the best sandwiches in London. Jeremy’s everchanging a la carte menu also includes a fan favourite ‘pie of the day’. British basic doesn’t do these pies justice, they are oozing with flavour and capped with perfectly preened pastry. Another signature includes lovely fish dishes of monkfish or hake, marinated lovingly in tomato or greens and laden with seasonal vegetables galore. The generous portions at Quo Vadis are comfortably at odds with the diminutive size of the restaurant. All heart and no fuss at this great British restaurant.
The joyous art deco flare and furnishings of the 1920’s are equally as vivid at Quo Vadis a whole century later. Glowing all day long through amber and bottle green stained-glass windows. The colours reflected softly back in slim floral arrangements that trim the restaurants open booth seating. Enclosing white clothed tables modestly lain in traditional British silverware that ensures the focus remains on Lee’s food. The atmosphere is further heightened alongside Spritely and magnetic John Broadley illustrations blessing the menus and interiors. Confident artistry keeping the creative energy and heritage of ‘the Great Dame of Dean Street’ alive and kicking.
Patrons travel far and wide to visit the restaurant but the historic building houses more than just scrumptious British dishes. As an exclusive private members club welcoming the vivacious epicureans and socialites of London’s elite, Quo Vadis has a distinctively timeless feel. Self-proclaimed ‘fine little Soho bolthole’, the members club offers exclusivity and escapism. The private members dining and lounge rooms serve cold and hot refreshments all-day, including carafes of wine and ample martinis. Alongside its own private dining restaurant serving Lee’s sought-after dishes. All with the relaxing and convivial ambience of an intimate gathering, friends and family are welcome and stirring conversation is assured. Perks of the members club include fitness classes, private dining experiences with renowned chefs, artists exhibitions and even ‘in conversation with…’ celebrated public figures. Previous guests have included actor Hugh Bonneville and author and podcaster Elizabeth Day.
The private dining rooms on the second floor each offers a specific mood. The Blue room is relaxed, draped in petrol blue velvet and wooden furnishings, accented by modest bouquets of lipstick rouje, and oozing with retro-chic. The Marx room – named for Quo’s former tenant – is painted a gorgeous Ritzy pistachio green that stresses elegance, the larger of the two can take a standing capacity of 70. The rooms offer everything from breakfasts to weddings or work conferences. Catering to any size crowd with all the conviviality and personality of the intimate restaurant below.
The Great Dame of Dean Street remains powerful and prestigious – without having to powder her nose. Her rhetorical questioning is completely unnecessary. Everyone is going to Quo Vadis for a humble fine dining experience under the dependable hands of chef Jeremy Lee. With all the opulence of a bygone era, the modernity of Soho, and the comfort of a classic British dish. Great British culinary triumph Quo Vadis is the answer.
