Formerly one of Marco Pierre White’s restaurants, Quo Vadis has had a refurbishment thanks to its new owners, the Hart Brothers of Fino and Barrafina fame.

The Venue
Although the decor of Quo Vadis has been completely redone, the layout is the same, with soft brown, large leather banquettes set up in rows. They’ve left behind the Damien Hirst paintings and stacks of bird skulls and framed fish skeletons for slightly more approachable, although abstract artwork, including a painting of what looks like a series of winged horses and a very dark, but still Vermeer-esque, portrait. The walls are light, and the stained glass frontage of the restaurant is still there in all its glory, with lovely squares in almost every colour.

The Atmosphere
With all the animal skeletons gone, it has to be said that there’s now a definite lack of mad scientist feel about the place. However, while the new art is still modern and slightly edgy, it’s pretty much guaranteed not to offend like the eyeball sculptures of the restaurants previous incarnation. Service is very friendly and on first name terms with the customers, many who belong to the private members’ club upstairs whilst others are former regulars back to see what their favourite restaurant has turned into.

The Food
The menu is very British with a touch of French thrown in, and although the cost is similar to the previous incarnation, things seem a little pricey now that there’s no Marco Pierre White to back them up. However, the food is solid, with big, hearty portions. There’s a ‘cover charge’ of £2 that includes water (filtered in the house), thin slices of bread with a hard crunch and slabs of thick butter, and a small bowl of olives.

Starters run the gamut from British (Old Spot pork terrine) to French (foie gras, steak tartare) and brown shrimp on toast (£7) is a good choice. The teensy shrimp are piled high on a piece of brown bread, which still retains its crispness. Although the shrimp are small, there are a lot of them and they have a vinegary, succulent flavour with a hint of aniseed. This is also served with a leafy clump of lettuce leaves and a half lemon, kitted out prettily with a piece of netting and red satin ribbon. Mains include lots of meat and fish options, plus a couple of salads, pastas and egg dishes. The shoulder of pork is really wonderful, with two large slabs of meat sitting in savoury gravy, so soft and tender that it practically begs to be cut into pieces. There’s a scoop of applesauce on top of the pork, which has a light, fresh flavour with big chunks of apple, a thick, curved strips of crisp, salty crackling.

Several sides are available, including chips, green beans and samfire, all at around £4; the fennel and tomato salad is large, but refreshing, with thin, curled pieces of slightly bitter fennel and slices of juicy tomatoes in every colour, from bright yellow to deep red. Desserts are about £6 - £7 and seem very standard: lemon tart, treacle tart and summer pudding feature.

The Drink
At 12 pages long, the wine list is a good mix of different countries and regions, with a surprisingly long list of wines available by the glass that start at just £3.50. While the food seems pricey the drinks have enough range for budget (a £17 Domaine du Tariquet, VDP des Cotes de Gascognes) to blowout (£525 for a Lafite Rothschild ler cru Pauillac) choices. The house cocktail is a combination of Campari, Champagne and mandarin and lime juice at £6, and Bloody Marys, served with big chunks of celery and lemon wedges, seem popular as well.

The Last Word
The new refurbishment has done Quo Vadis well. Although there’s no longer the talking points of weird decor, the food speaks for itself. Fans of the previous incarnation should be pleased.

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