Rules

Rules at 35 Maiden Lane in Covent Garden WC2 is London's oldest restaurant, trading continuously since 1798. Founded by Thomas Rule, it has outlasted every political upheaval, war and food revolution London has experienced over 226 years. Hardens confirms it in the 2025 guide. The menu is an archive of British cooking at its most traditional: game from the restaurant's own Lartington Estate in the High Pennines — roast grouse, venison pie, partridge with all the trimmings — alongside potted shrimps, oysters, steak and kidney pudding and treacle sponge. The dining rooms are hung with caricatures, drawings and memorabilia accumulated over two centuries. Charles Dickens, H G Wells, John Betjeman and Graham Greene were regulars. The upstairs cocktail bar is celebrated. Rules is the last great survivors of Victorian London dining.

Available for dine-in at 35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden WC2E. Phone 020 7836 5314. Own website: rules.co.uk. Book ahead.