Eat & Drink
Originally published on Thursday, 29th May 2008
Quo Vadis
To lift our spirits during this drizzly old weather I'm bigging up two slick, brand spanking newies this weekend. If you can't spoil yourself on a rainy day, after all, when can you?
There was quite a stir when golden boys Sam and Eddie Hart, the brothers behind hip Spanish joints Fino and Barrafina, nabbed the illustrious Quo Vadis - Ivy and Scotts boss Richard 'perma-tan' Caring for one must have been seething.
With a promise to restore the establishment to its former glory (the place originally opened for business in the 1920s) the Harts have installed a grill room on the ground floor - serving a catalogue of classics, like proper steak bearnaise, under the watchful eye of former Fino chef Jean Philippe Patruno - and a members' club and private dining rooms upstairs. The club and restaurant will also house a collection of works by various YBAs - a nod to when Damien Hirst was running the show with MPW.
Another good sign is the short, sweet and fairly priced wine list. Who, apart from city boys, wants a telephone directory-size tome to get lost in?
Just enough pomp with minimum pretense - it looks like the Harts are in the right place.
Hours: Mon-Sat 12-3pm & 5.30-11pm
Place: 26-29 Dean Street, W1D 3LL
Cost: £50
Web: quovadissoho.co.uk
Book: 020 7437 9585
