Rules
British restaurant · Covent Garden
34-35 Maiden Ln, London WC2E 7LB, United Kingdom
Highlights
London's oldest restaurant: game, oysters, pies, puddings
London's oldest restaurant: game, oysters, pies, puddings
"If you’re interested in cosplaying as a member of the House of Tudor, then Rules is your restaurant. The historic spot has no need for rose-tinted glasses as this place leans maroon, velvet, and murals of Maggie Thatcher. It claims to be London’s oldest restaurant, opening doors in Covent Garden a couple of centuries ago or so. The quality of the cooking is variable, but come in game season and it’s worth playing monarchy make-believe." - jake missing
"Rules is (allegedly) the oldest restaurant in the city, and it wears its storied history proudly. For posing by a roaring fireplace like it's mummy and daddy’s country estate hunting lodge, or shmoozing Anglophile clients, this British restaurant-cum-film set is perfect. It’s impossible not to feel like a minor royal as you sit, ensconced in a red velvet banquette, sipping Aunt Nelly’s Tipple beside a whole menagerie of taxidermy. Just don’t expect the sometimes lacklustre food to live up to the drama of the room." - sinead cranna, jake missing, rianne shlebak, daisy meager
"We’re loath to make a toast in a restaurant with a Margaret Thatcher mural, but the be all and end all is that Rules mixes some of the best martinis in town. Right in the heart of Covent Garden, London’s oldest British restaurant is a master at old-school martinis. On our most recent visit—a meal where the only available table was at 11pm—we kicked the evening, or what would soon become the early hours, off with a dirty gin number. It was impeccable. As dry as a Tory party conference." - jake missing, daisy meager
"What To Get: The food is a side show because you’re here for the room. That said, the roast monkfish is pretty good. Time Capsule Factor: This British spot’s history shows in every taxidermy pheasant, mounted antler, and portrait of a man with his horse. Head to Covent Garden, get cosy by the roaring fireplace (in a red velvet banquette, tankard of London Pride in hand), and cosplay at being old money." - jake missing, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak
"There’s no need to traipse to Balmoral to live out your monied, dowager countess fantasies—because Rules is in London. This is (allegedly) the oldest restaurant in the city, established in 1798, and it wears its storied history proudly on its freshly pressed sleeve. For posing by a roaring fireplace like it's mummy and daddy’s country estate hunting lodge, or shmoozing Anglophile clients, this British restaurant-cum-film set is perfect. Just don’t expect the sometimes lacklustre British food to live up to the drama of the room. photo credit: Rules There’s a whole menagerie of horns, antlers, and taxidermy pheasants, plus portraits of men and horses everywhere. It’s impossible not to feel like a minor royal as you sit, ensconced in a red velvet banquette, sipping Aunt Nelly’s Tipple—a cocktail of gin, ginger wine, and cherry brandy. But the theatricality of the room and slight ridiculousness of it all is all part of the fun. Bowtie-wearing waiters dispatch silver tankards of London Pride to tables of power gilets-wearers, and elsewhere boozy sticky toffee puddings hit snoozy tables of suits. We did once spot someone in jeans, but our guess is that they were Burberry. Just know the food can be a bit bland. Everything is very pretty and there are some hits, like a velvety celeriac purée. But other dishes—a wild rabbit and ham hock terrine, the honey roast quince salad—are fine at best, forgettable at worst. Still, come to Rules to cosplay at being old money, skip the average starters, and have a nightcap at the sumptuous Upstairs At Rules cocktail bar, and you can have a special, memorable night. Food Rundown Honey Roast Quince Salad It’s a perfectly fine salad. The quince is a little sweet, which is nice, but we wanted more stilton and less rocket. We wouldn’t order this again. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Wild Rabbit & Ham Hock Terrine We’ve never had a terrine as tame as this. The meats are so mild in flavour they’re pretty much indistinguishable from each other. The piccalilli has a nice tang, but it’s not enough for us to recommend you order this. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Roast Monkfish Tail A fresh, elegant dish. The fish is cooked perfectly—a nice crispy crust has formed but the meat is still moist—and we’re big fans of the delicate, slightly sweet vermouth sauce. The tender, emerald green, steamed spinach is tasty too. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Potatoes Dauphinoise Potatoes and cream together should be good. But, crucially, salt should also be invited to the party. This potato dauphinoise is so woefully underseasoned that it’s bland. The potatoes are also a tiny bit too firm. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Celeriac Purée We can’t quite believe we’re saying this, but ditch the potatoes and get the celeriac purée. It might be the colour of a very trendy concrete wall, but it’s velvety smooth, nutty, and sweet. We could have eaten the whole silver tray with a spoon. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Rules Sticky Toffee Pudding Pedro Ximénez sherry is the first thing you’ll taste with this dessert. And you’ll still be tasting it as you brush your teeth for bed. It’s incredibly strong. And for that reason we would’ve liked sweet clotted cream or ice cream. The tang of the crème fraîche fights against the alcohol. That aside, the texture is lovely and moist, the toffee sauce soaks into the sponge, and we love the added touch of caramelised walnuts on top. PlayMute video credit: Sinéad Cranna" - Sinéad Cranna
