Quo Vadis Coup

It is a rare occasion when all the resto-biz sideliners are whole heartedly in agreement. A lifetime’s sniping from cover can result in a certain sourness of outlook, but everyone who is anyone seems delighted by Jeremy Lee’s  triumphant return to Soho. What’s more you can spot the Hart brothers (with whom Jeremy has gone into partnership at the re-energised Quo Vadis) because they are the ones with wide grins as they work the room shaking hands in what is now their busy and buzzy restaurant. During his sixteen year stint looking out at Tower Bridge Jeremy Lee’s cooking has always impressed, now it can be enjoyed in a great deal handier location.

Quo Vadis is an iconic restaurant, it opened in 1926 as “Leoni’s Quo Vadis” and was the sort of place where flappers would toy with cocktails while the eponymous Peppino Leoni brought a dash of Italian exoticism. Fast forward through 80 or so years of ups and downs including a stint under the direction of Marco Pierre White, and 26 Dean Street became part of the Hart Brothers’ empire.  

Q.V.’s latest incarnation looks very promising indeed. For a long while Jeremy Lee has been the “chef’s chef”, tucked away at the Blueprint Café - a site that had amazing river views but was an expensive taxi ride from the usual fleshpots and part of the mighty D&D conglomerate (the artists formerly known as Conran). Jeremy’s style is deceptively simple: seasonal ingredients; British ingredients; big, honest flavours; a respect for the classics; some old-fashioned dishes; everything on the menu screaming “Eat me”.

The dining room has been given a lick of paint but in a gentle way, it’s hard to remember how it was before and just what has changed, but now all is clean and comfortable. The service is crisp and the brothers’ love of all things Spanish means that you can be sure of a decent glass of chilled sherry. The wine list includes some less obvious choices and the prices are un-rapacious.

The menu changes on a daily basis and is one of the most tempting reads in Soho.  To start with, and while you plot your main attack, order from the bites; “baked salsify and parmesan £3.50” – a delicious shot of umami to jolt the taste buds into life. “Potted beef £3.50” – like senior rillettes, great texture. “Bloater paste £4” – subtle and creamy, quite a shock for anyone who remembers those little pots of fish paste spread thinly on tea time sandwiches.

The starters range from “smoked haddock and potato broth £5.50” to “sea kale and butter sauce £8.50” and “salt mallard, pickled prunes and watercress £6.50” – a second cousin of Lady Llanover’s salt duck – almost juicy and the prunes a perfect counterpoint; or “fennel, puntarella, mussels and clams £6.50”.   There are four mainstream mains, plus “Today’s pie” and a section headed “The Grill”. Given Londoners current obsession with large lumps meat, the “onglet £16.50”; “sirloin £19.50”; “ rack of lamb £21”; and rib of beef to share £45” will no doubt do well – particularly when you clock the un-West End prices. Standout mains include a superb “hare pie £14” – gamey, huge portion, short pastry, good gravy, cracking mashed potato on the side – you just add the sigh of well-fed satisfaction.  Mind you the “duck, potato spinach and bacon £16” is very competitive, or there’s “seabass artichokes and gremolata £19.50”

Puds are special too.  “Almond tart, caramelised pears and vanilla ice cream £5.50”; “lemon posset and rhubarb £5.50”; or for a super-concentrated killer-hit of chocolate “St Emilion au chocolat £7”. Relapse into a cup of coffee.

You would not have thought it possible for anyone to open in  Soho with a menu that is completely different to everything else that is going on, but Jeremy Lee has eased his way into a niche that looks as if it  was made for him.

Quo Vadis, 26-29 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D3LL   (020 7437 9585 www.quovadissoho.co.uk)