Quo Vadis

Quo Vadis, Soho: The Verdict

Ranked #263 among Europe's leading casual dining destinations by Opinionated About Dining in 2025 (and #243 the year prior), Quo Vadis is one of the more reliable bookings in central London. With a Google rating of 4.4 from over 800 reviews, it holds its position as a Soho institution not on nostalgia alone but on consistent kitchen output under chef Jeremy Lee and the Hart brothers. If you want Modern British cooking that takes seasonality seriously without charging Mayfair prices, this is where to book.

What to Expect

Quo Vadis occupies a Georgian townhouse on Dean Street, and the room retains its original stained glass windows — the kind of detail that signals a place that knows what it is. The dining room feels rooted rather than reinvented, which suits the cooking. Jeremy Lee's menu reads like a broadsheet: mock-up newspaper format, jokey line drawings, and a rotating cast of British classics handled with real technical confidence. The kitchen draws on French bistro technique and the occasional Mediterranean reference, but the throughline is British produce treated with discipline.

Signature items that appear regularly include the smoked eel sandwich with pickled red cabbage — arguably the dish that defines Quo Vadis in the minds of regulars , and the pie of the day, which changes based on what the kitchen is working with. Opening courses span artichoke vinaigrette to crumbed lamb's sweetbreads with peas, almonds and mint. Mains such as skate with black butter and capers, or marinated lamb rump with sweet cabbage hash and green sauce, show where the kitchen's strengths lie: classical technique applied to quality British ingredients, without the preciousness that creeps into higher-end Modern British rooms. The dessert list runs from sticky toffee pudding with custard and cream to gooseberry sorbet and lemon posset, with profiteroles carrying the QV house stamp.

The wine list is France-anchored but covers ground globally, with strong by-the-glass options , useful if you are keeping the bill in check. Service is consistently flagged by regulars as warm and attentive, not performative. For a first-timer, that combination of confident cooking and genuinely relaxed floor is what separates Quo Vadis from peers at a similar price point.

The Case for Booking

The editorial angle at Quo Vadis is cuisine mastery within a tradition. Lee does not chase trends: the cooking is technically grounded in French bistro fundamentals applied to British seasonal produce, and the menu changes reflect what is actually good rather than what is fashionable. That consistency is the reason OAD has recommended it across three consecutive years. If you are comparing it to other Soho options at a similar price, the depth of craft in a dish like the sweetbreads or the smoked eel sandwich is materially higher than most of what Dean Street has to offer.

For first-timers: the format is à la carte across lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday. Sunday is closed. Dress is smart-casual in practice. The room suits couples and small groups equally; the stained glass windows make it a better-looking room than many Soho restaurants at this tier. Book the counter or main dining room depending on availability , both work.

How It Compares

See the comparison section below for how Quo Vadis stacks up against London's Modern British and contemporary fine dining alternatives.

Also Worth Considering in London

If you are building a broader London itinerary, the following Pearl guides cover the full picture: our full London restaurants guide, our full London hotels guide, our full London bars guide, our full London wineries guide, and our full London experiences guide.

For Modern British restaurants at different price points and settings, Pearl also covers CORE by Clare Smyth, Cornus, Dorian, Ormer Mayfair, and The Ritz Restaurant. Further afield in the UK, comparable kitchens in the Modern British tradition include The Fat Duck in Bray, L'Enclume in Cartmel, Moor Hall in Aughton, Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Hand and Flowers in Marlow, hide and fox in Saltwood, 33 The Homend in Ledbury, and Artichoke in Amersham.