Rules

"Rules’ carpet has seen two centuries-worth of guests totter in and declare their love for king, country, and custard. Opened in 1798, this is London’s most historical venue for a plate of beige British slop. No other restaurant embraces the pre-internet spirit in quite the same way either; like a problematic family member after a beverage too many. Here, in the middle of Covent Garden, surrounded by oil paintings aplenty, you’ll find all kinds of British loyalists and tourists seeking an authentic gravy experience. If you dream of overdone Sunday roasts or the last supper of a dying monarch, Rules will not disappoint." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna

"At a cool 200-plus years-old, Rules is London’s oldest restaurant. So it’s no surprise that you get your fair share of tourists and folks who wear Union Jack-embroidered slippers at home here. Especially as it’s in Covent Garden. It is, nonetheless, still worth visiting if you’re after a Downton meets Dickensian experience. There’s plenty of game and pies on the menu, gold detail and velvet in the restaurant. Plus, you can always swing by the upstairs bar for a drink if you don’t fancy a heavy (and heavily priced) meal that will inevitably finish with custard. Lots of custard." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing

"Rules delivers all the charm and character you’d expect of London’s oldest restaurant. Start with a drink upstairs in the glorious cocktail bar, before winding your way down to the ground floor with its assortment of rooms decorated with antique cartoons, drawings and paintings. The menu is unashamedly traditional – game from their own estate is a highlight, along with classics like braised rabbit, steak and kidney pudding, and classic desserts from the nursery end." - Michelin Inspector

"Rules first opened in 1798 and lays claim to being London’s oldest restaurant. That means it’s been celebrating Christmas for hundreds of years, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that some of its dickie bow-tied staff have been working at this Covent Garden classic since day one. Plenty of people come here year in and year out, but there’s no need for rose-tinted glasses as this place leans maroon mixed with velvet, glitter, and distinctly un-festive murals of Maggie Thatcher. But every holiday celebration needs its grinch. Food-wise, imagine Henry VIII’s diet with a side of Eton school dinners." - Heidi Lauth Beasley, Rianne Shlebak, Jake Oliver

"London’s oldest restaurant, founded in 1798, quickly established a name for itself as a safe place for “rakes, dandies and superior intelligences.” It’s little changed to this day, only now there are food critics and tourists in the mix too. Take the scenic route to the table (i.e via the bar, where legendary bartender Brian Silva mixes the Martinis) then settle in for jugged hare or suet pudding in the cosseting surrounds of this swirly-carpeted time warp." - Hilary Armstrong