Quo Vadis | Soho

Working in Soho I pass the stained-glass windows of Quo Vadis daily, admiring dinners eating alfresco whilst the hustle and bustle of Dean Street passes them by. 

The restaurant, which opened in 1926, was taken over in 2008 by Sam and Eddie Hart, who also own the popular Fino and Barrafina.

It used to be a posh brasserie where lunch cost £140 for two. In 2011 however, the brothers handed the kitchen to Jeremy Lee - with 16 years experience at the Blueprint Café his arrival coincided with a drop in prices.

The restaurant features a frequently changing British menu served in 2 airy dining rooms. Along with regulars there’s a daily changing menu full of simple dishes that hero one or two seasonal ingredients (usually vegetables). 

The theatre menu is good value and, unusually, available all day. The menus are enhanced with illustrations by John Broadley and a quirky daily weather report. 

I've eaten at Quo Vadis twice recently and thoroughly enjoyed both meals. Here's what I ate:

The celeriac and fennel soup was creamy and well seasoned, the tasty little Kickshaws (right) were the highlight of our evening on both occasions - one was stuffed with chicken, the other spinach.

The crab soup was extremely rich; served with a creamy crab pate and croutons to add contrast and texture the starter stole the limelight from the veal shoulder, squash mash and winter vegetable main. 

For dessert the chocolate brownie ice cream was everything I imagined it to be - simple, smooth and satisfying. The damson ice cream (leading image) was refreshing and crisp, whilst the biscuits gave the dish some theatre. 

Quo Vadis has all the features of a good restaurant - attentive and friendly staff, good value seasonal dishes and a beautiful setting decorated with whimsical flowers. It has fast become one of my favourite restaurants. 

Warning: stalking the website waiting for the daily menu to be revealed is slightly addictive.