Quo Vadis, Soho
Jeremy Lee's position as head chef at one of the hottest members club Quo Vadis has been all the talk recently. Previously at Blueprint Cafe for 16 years, he now helms this Soho classic that's stood the test of time - and is still really great today.
I received an invitation to dinner there to try the menu, an offer you'd be mad to refuse. I've only been to Quo Vadis in casual circumstances - a plate of oysters, nibbles, or a drink at the bar before moving on - so I don't really have any proper point of comparison. They make a mean G&T though, and snacks of salsify baked and sprinkled with a strong, sharp cheese reinforced my thoughts that salsify is a vehicle, not much of a flavour in its own right but a great texture nonetheless for delivering delicious cheese into my face.
Most talked about on the new menu is THAT famous smoked eel and horseradish sandwich (£11.5). Plump juicy rounds of dense flesh is served in between toasted slices of poilane bread, spread liberally with creamy horseradish. Hot pink pickled onions had just the right sharpness to counteract the delicately smoked, richly flavoured meat. The horseradish packed such a nose-clearing punch that I got a momentary mustard head - you know, when your sinuses burn and sting and you're rendered speechless. The system cleansing effect of the dish is quite addictive, I must admit.
Smoked Eel Sandwich
Bites AHOY came next, (£3.5 each) a crostini with anchovy with sage, and one aubergine with basil. I absolutely loved the smooth anchovy paste, it was more like a mayonnaise and served with sweet crispy bread for dunking.
Aubergine with basil Crostini
The whole baked garlic with olives and goat’s curd (£15) salad was really quite fantastic. I'm a big fan of anything garlic, and when paired with the olives and creamy curd it was far mellower with the sweetness of the garlic balancing out the strong flavour. TIP: Order an extra portion of the sourdough and spread some of the gooey golden garlic on top - this is bliss on a plate.
Whole baked garlic with olives and goats curd
The Rotolo with peas, broad beans, tomato & parmesan (£18.5) was very good, the pasta plated in rolls of pasta with the tomato filling oozing out. Anyway, it was an absolutely smashing pasta dish. I was only sad that I had to share it.
We also enjoyed the fillet of bream, crab broth & rouille (£26.5), which I was too ravenous to take a picture of. This was a bit too salty for my taste, but my dining partner especially loved this aspect - I have especially sensitive taste buds so this was purely down to personal preference.
For dessert, the spread was numerous and plenty. My pick of the bunch was this gorgeous chocolate number, “les QV profiteroles au chocolat”. We also enjoyed the favourite peach melba. Rather than a reflection on the finale, I suspect the wine and cocktails must’ve caught up to me by this point…
“les QV profiteroles au chocolat”
I left Quo Vadis feeling very warm and fuzzy. The food was a mixture of tantalizing (Jeremy’s eel sandwich) and comfort food (the rotolo). At prices that are completely reasonable, I will be back there soon.
Thank you to Hazza, Nazza and the rest of the Harts Group for such a lovely evening x
Address: 26-29 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 3LL