Veteran Soho restaurant Quo Vadis is to double in size following a major refurb in January. Owners the Hart Brothers say the work will provide a “grander and more spacious restaurant” befitting the cooking of acclaimed chef-partner Jeremy Lee (pictured).

Having opened in 1926, Quo Vadis is rare among older restaurants in that it trades on current excellence rather than past glories. The newly published Harden’s 2023 guide calls it “delightful” – “Jeremy Lee continues to deliver seasonal excellence in elegant surroundings with an atmosphere to match”.

Co-owner James Hart is in charge of the redesign, which will involve the removal of the revolving entrance door. “Reception, once vast, will become more ‘bijou,’ whereas the dining room will be upholstered with red Georgian style dining sofas and a reclaimed Georgian wood floor”.

“No worries should be spent on the fate of the one of the ‘Seven Noses of Soho,’ which resides on Quo Vadis’ exterior. This is no rhinoplasty. It will however be protected from the elements by a proud new black and white striped awning, emblazoned with the QV monogram.”

The early 18th-century building, once a brothel, is most famous as the home of Karl Marx and his family in the 1850s. Quo Vadis shares the premises with the Hart Brothers’ flagship Spanish venue, Barrafina, which moved from its original home in nearby Frith Street six years ago.

Quo Vadis will reopen on Wednesday 8 February. Its members-only bar and restaurant will remain open through much of the work.