London's oldest restaurant, Rules, founded in 1798, has been donated to the National Trust to ensure its preservation for the future. The Covent Garden establishment, known for its traditional English fare and storied past, has been under the ownership of only four families across two queens and eight kings.
Jean Pierre Mayhew, the latest owner who has managed the restaurant for 40 years, gifted the building, valued at £11 million, to the Trust. Rules will continue to operate as before, with the current catering business owner, Ricky McMenemy, becoming a commercial tenant of the Trust. The restaurant's distinctive interior, featuring dark wood panelling and red velvet, will remain. Classic dishes, some of which have been on the menu since its founding by Thomas Rule, will continue to be served. Oysters, a 1798 specialty, are still offered at £5.75 each, while steak and kidney pie is priced at £26.25.
Rules has a long history of hosting notable figures. King Edward VII famously dined there with his actress lover Lillie Langtry, with a special curtain installed for their privacy. Literary giants such as Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, H.G. Wells, Evelyn Waugh, and Graham Greene have all patronized the restaurant. It has also been a haunt for actors, including those who have portrayed James Bond, such as Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan. The restaurant itself even featured in the Bond film Spectre.
Politicians have also been among Rules' clientele. Former Labour deputy prime minister John Prescott was a regular until an incident where he was mistakenly called Ken Clarke, according to restaurateur McMenemy. The restaurant's historical significance was nearly lost in 1971 when it faced demolition as part of a Greater London Council plan to redevelop Covent Garden and widen The Strand. A campaign led by poet Sir John Betjeman helped to prevent its destruction, with Betjeman arguing that the restaurant possessed an "invisible atmosphere" akin to a church.
Hilary McGrady, Director General of the National Trust, expressed gratitude for Mr. Mayhew's donation, describing Rules as an "outstanding piece of living history." She highlighted its resilience through wars and upheaval, noting that its survival and continued operation, including serving treacle sponge, is remarkable. McGrady emphasized that Mayhew's generosity ensures the restaurant's future for generations to come.
