Show us a map of Soho and with muscle memory we can point out this Jeremy Lee (MBE super-chef) institution, mentally marked with a pin in the shape of a frosty, crisp martini. It’s an all-out charm offensive, with crimson banquettes, John Broadley sketches dotted around the dining room and on the British menu, and core memories blurred by clinking glasses of Sancerre cuvée. Several London dish icons exist here—the smoked eel sandwich, QV’s never-miss pie of the day, and the glossy, bulbous profiteroles.

On the way to its centenary in 2026, the self-proclaimed ‘Great Dame of Dean Street’ is a patriotic flag-waver par excellence. Here homegrown flavours loom large as the kitchen gives British standards a modern makeover – don’t miss the pork rillettes with pickles, the daily pies with lashings of silky mash or the now-famous smoked eel sarnies. Chef Jeremy Lee is a master.

This charismatic Dean Street address is a slice of old Soho, founded in the 1920s and still going strong. The food is regional, seasonal, and thoroughly British, from suet-crusted pie and mash to deviled kid-liver skewers. The wine list is lengthy, and the cocktail menu offers punchy house creations alongside classics.

The Dean Street institution – a place where reality goes to loosen its tie, put its feet up, and then have a massive negroni on a Tuesday afternoon – is the product of two rare and beautiful things: the hospitality of the Hart brothers, restaurateurs whose powers are continually growing (with Barrafina, Casa Pastor and The Drop, they are seemingly colonising Coal Drops Yard – which is all the better for it), and the world-class cooking of the buoyant, flamboyant, Jeremy Lee. Lee’s seasonal menus change on a near-daily basis, but there are always magnificent pies, phenomenal salads, and his now internationally-renowned smoked eel sandwich – a must-try even for eel avoiders. The larger, buzzier dining room is upstairs in the members’ club, so snag yourself an invite – or, perhaps after that second negroni, throw caution to the wind and become a member…

Opened as a restaurant in 1926, the building that Quo Vadis sits in has an enormous history that predates its gastronomical life. Formerly both a brothel and the home of Karl Marx (we assume at different points in history), the Dean Street location is the kind of building that would have a lot to say should the walls be able to talk – and that’s before you consider the people that have passed through its doors since its iteration as a restaurant. Once overseen by Marco Pierre White, the restaurant now sees chef Jeremy Lee at its helm – a match so deeply perfect it would be easy to think the chef has been there forever.

After a century of service, the grand dame of Dean Street has had a glow-up, reopening just in time for Valentine’s Day. The handsome ground floor dining room might be double its former size now, but chef-proprietor Jeremy Lee’s comfort-luxe British cooking remains gloriously unchanged: think golden pastry-wrapped spears of salsify under a snow-drift of parmesan, pie and mash to share, decadent stacks of profiteroles and one of Soho’s most tempting cocktail lists. Club members get their own restaurant upstairs, and the sage-velvet booths are the last word in discretion.

The public dining room at Quo Vadis (there is a larger private club upstairs) comprises six tables and a cozy copper bar. The restaurant is in the thick of Soho, a neighborhood known for its literary and artistic community, and patrons are mostly industry people who duck in for a glass of wine, or a bowl of triple-fried chips (some of the most enjoyable in town) before the theater. The spirit of the restaurant is relaxed and merry, and the fare is straightforwardly British, deftly cooked, and dependably satisfying.

The Grand Dame of Dean Street, Quo Vadis has a delicious old school charm guaranteed to bring a bit of magic to date night. It’s no wonder that QV has won the hearts of so many with its stained glass windows, ruby red seats and a menu that invites you to share. Think sumptuous bites of crisp polenta with ricotta and sage, meaty oysters with shallot vinegar and gloriously golden pastry topped pies (best enjoyed with a bowl of pommes frites).

Formerly home to Karl Marx and courtesans, this historic restaurant and private members’ club shows no signs of past seediness behind its stained-glass windows. The sophisticated dining venue serves lunch and dinner in stylish, bright surroundings, providing an oasis of calm amidst the hustle and bustle of Soho. The seasonal menu uses quality British produce to craft traditional fare such as smoked eel sandwiches, pies and roast lamb.

There aren’t many restaurants in London that are more steeped in the city’s wonderfully seedy history than Quo Vadis. Formerly a brothel and the home of Karl Marx, this restaurant and members' club serves seasonal, regional British cooking with a real sense of panache. Chef Jeremy Lee is the man behind the menu and his bon vivant approach to hospitality is just one of the many, many things that make Quo Vadis so special.

Quite simply, one of Central London’s most legendary restaurants. The old girl’s been entertaining diners on Dean Street for over a century now, and thanks to a recent facelift looks as glamorous as ever. Head chef Jeremy Lee is as much a part of the place as the stained glass windows, and his signatures – the smoked eel sandwich, for example, or the pie of the day – explain the permanently packed-out dining room.

Louche but upscale, exclusive but open to all, Quo Vadis has been going for 95 years — and still continues to school younger rivals in the art of great hospitality and service. An institution that draws from Soho’s old past while looking to the future, meals here are underpinned by Jeremy Lee’s whimsical, seasonal British menu of roasts, pies, puddings, and a justifiably famous smoked eel sandwich.

Quo Vadis, Soho: Another rather more sophisticated take on the FE at Quo Vadis, where 12 quid will get you your essential pig trio of pudding, sausage and bacon, plus egg, roast tomato (hurrah!) and fried bread. The produce here is fantastic, and the cooking too. Enjoy the beautifully serene dining room as you charge forth into steaming eggs and sip English breakfast tea (pinky up, naturally).

What: Once a famously compact dining room, Quo Vadis is now much larger and more spacious thanks to a 2023 refurb. All the more space for us to get in and enjoy the food - a genuine slice of old Soho and a showcase for the cooking of chef-patron Jeremy Lee, whose menu is a joyful celebration of the seasons. Expect anything from a warm salad of grouse to a strapping leg of lamb.

A Soho staple that embraces the colourful history of the area and the building that it occupies. Formerly a brothel and a home to Karl Marx – though not at the same time, rest assured – now it is one of the most unmissable of London bucket list restaurants. Chef Jeremy Lee conjures up imaginative British fare with his team, picking up where Marco Pierre White left off.

Quo Vadis, an esteemed Soho establishment, flaunts a rich history dating back to 1926, giving its dining experience a seasoned touch. The restaurant's appeal has flourished further under the expertise of chef Jeremy Lee, who continually serves up fresh, exciting concoctions. On beautiful days, the rare privilege of dining at the few street-side tables is available.

This long-standing Soho institution houses a members club and restaurant, with Scottish chef Jeremy Lee at the stoves. His effervescent energy fills the whole restaurant and it truly is one of the jolliest places to find yourself in London. Comfort and good taste exudes from the leather banquettes, crisp linen and floral displays, as well as the cooking.

Barrafina has made the downstairs dining space smaller, but the brown leather banquettes and elegant tables remain. During the day, stained-glass windows screen diners from passersby; at night, the 23-seat restaurant is cozy and dimly lit. Unique, local, and British fare includes deviled liver skewers and suet-crusted pie and mash.

Occupying four townhouses on Soho’s Dean Street, Quo Vadis is a restaurant with no shortage of history. The building was once a notorious brothel, and from 1851 to 1856 it was home to Karl Marx and his family. It was Italian-born restaurateur Peppino Leoni who gave Quo Vadis its moniker – which translates as ‘where are you going?

This modern European restaurant has seasonal, regional, and traditional British food. The menu has oysters served with shallot vinegar, smoked eel sandwiches, radishes, smoked cod roe, chicken, bacon, scallop, fennel, celery, cuttlefish, and chickpea pancake and lamb sweetbreads. For sides, they have pomme frites.

while this restaurant's history doesn't necessarily scream romance, its modern-day status does. It comes with classic interiors and a tempting menu, all thanks to the chef proprietor, Jeremy Lee. What better place to have date night than at one of the most historic restaurants in the heart of London?

Quo Vadis is a quintessential London restaurant, steeped in tradition and history. Its past is pretty colourful – it once housed a Soho brothel and was home to Karl Marx. Today, customers return time after time for the consistently high level of food, sourced from local and seasonal ingredients.

Quo Vadis is about as iconic a lunch spot as you can find in London. The Dean Street restaurant has been adored by the creative types and leisure-loving folk that lunch in Soho for what’s coming on a century. Right now the chef at the front of all this is one of the finest they’ve had.

If it’s wet and grey outside, there’s no better antidote than an indulgent sticky toffee pudding at Quo Vadis. A member’s dining club that accepts reservations too, Quo Vadis makes for a unique chance to sample the London food scene.