Rules (restaurant)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rules | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Interactive map of Rules | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1798 |
| Owner | Ricky McMenemy |
| Previous owner | John Mayhew |
| Food type | British cuisine |
| Location | 34-35 Maiden Lane, London, United Kingdom |
| Website | rules |
51°30′39″N 0°07′24″W / 51.5108°N 0.1232°W / 51.5108; -0.1232 Rules is a restaurant on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden, London. It was founded in 1798 by Thomas Rule and describes itself as London's oldest restaurant.[1]
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Rules was opened by Thomas Rule in 1798, primarily as an oyster bar but served, and continues to serve, traditional British cuisine. Rules specialises in game and has its own estate, the Lartington Estate, in Teesdale.[2][3]
The restaurant stayed in the Rule family until World War I, when Charles Rule swapped businesses with Thomas Bell. Bell's daughter subsequently sold the restaurant to John Mayhew in 1984.[4] In 2022, the restaurant was sold by Mayhew to Ricky McMenemy, who has worked at the restaurant for over 35 years[5].
Rules has been frequented by Henry Irving and Laurence Olivier, amongst others.[4]
The restaurant has featured in novels by Graham Greene, Dick Francis, Dorothy L. Sayers and Evelyn Waugh. John Betjeman complained to the Greater London Council in 1971 when the restaurant was under threat from demolition.[6]
The then-head chef of Rules, Rory Kennedy, was featured in the Japanese cooking series Iron Chef, where he challenged Hiroyuki Sakai. The two would finish in a draw for the theme of European Rabbit. A tiebreaker was then held with the theme of Pigeon, where Sakai prevailed. Later in the year, Kennedy fell from a flight of stairs and died from his injuries.[7]
Rules made an appearance in the James Bond film Spectre[8] and several appearances in the historical drama Downton Abbey.[9]
References
- ↑ "Rules restaurant website". Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ↑ "London's Oldest Restaurant". Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ↑ Day Lewis, Tamasin (19 October 2000). "Shooting for your supper is always fair game here". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
- 1 2 "History of Rules". Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ↑ "History of Rules Restaurant, London's Oldest Restaurant". Rules Restaurant. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
- ↑ Rayner, Jay (14 October 2001). "Rules, Covent Garden". The Observer. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
- ↑ Rules head chef Kennedy dies in tragic stairway fall. thecaterer.com. Retrieved 17/7-2018
- ↑ Rules Restaurant, London, UK. jamesbondlifestyle.com. Retrieved 17/7-018
- ↑ Downton Abbey Tours and Locations. freetoursbyfoot.com. Retrieved 17/7-2018
External links
Media related to Rules (restaurant) at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
