Drenched in history and dripping with charm, London’s oldest restaurant has been filling the rumbling tummies of hungry city-dwellers since it first swung open its doors in 1798. Now, almost 230 years later, the building in which it sits has just been donated to the National Trust in a bid to safeguard the iconic institution ‘in a way that no-one else could’.
Rules set up shop inside 34-35 Maiden Lane at the very end of the 18th century, courtesy of Thomas Rule. It’s spent the last two-and-a-bit centuries serving up traditional British grub (focusing heavily on seasonal game meat) to all manner of clientele, and becoming somewhat of a London landmark in its own right whilst doing so. From its dreamy décor to its delicious dishes, it simply oozes charisma, character, and old-school charm.
The historic building, along with a whole host of the historic items inside it, has recently been gifted to the National Trust by J-P Mayhew, who has been the proud owner of the Covent Garden restaurant for the past 40 years. The extremely generous donation is worth over £11 million, and the agreement will see the restaurant proprietor, Ricky McMenemy, become a commercial tenant of the National Trust. This means that the restaurant will continue trading and its rent will be paid to the heritage charity and used for future conservation work.
Mr Mayhew said: “There are few restaurants in the world that have endured the test of time like Rules.
“With many years of hard work, and some extraordinary strokes of luck, it has survived everything from redevelopment plans and changing tastes to the Blitz.
“I am grateful to them [National Trust] for believing in this idea and for protecting this building and two centuries’ worth of stories for people to enjoy forever.”
Hilary McGrady, director general of the National Trust, said: “This place is an outstanding piece of living history, with its corners where kings dined and writers and politicians plotted, and the traditions it kept alive through wars and upheaval. It has defied the odds to be standing here today, doors still open and treacle sponge still on the menu.
“Mr Mayhew’s extraordinary generosity, and the care he has poured into Rules over many decades, mean this beloved place has a future measured not in years but generations. His gift ensures that one of London’s great living institutions will remain part of the city’s cultural life, with all its stories, traditions and character intact.”
