Inside the 228-year-old London restaurant that time forgot

The restaurant has only had five owners over the centuries that it has been open. (Courtesy Rules Restaurant via CNN Newsource)

“Oysters. Pies. Pudding.”

If there’s a more British welcome to a restaurant, it has yet to be found. Those three words are stenciled in gleaming gold script on the windows of Rules, a legendary dining room in Covent Garden that proudly claims the title of London’s oldest restaurant.

With its vibrant red flags and gold-trimmed awnings, there’s no missing the historic eatery on Maiden Lane, a semi-pedestrianized street in the heart of central London.

Originally opened as an oyster bar by Thomas Rule way back in 1798, the restaurant has spent nearly 230 years welcoming global luminaries. Its centuries-spanning client list ranges from literary giant Charles Dickens to pop royalty like Madonna and David Bowie, and Queen Elizabeth II. (Though not at the same lunch table — now that would be a dinner party.)

A Hollywood favourite

If the interior looks familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen it on screen. Rules has played a starring role in dozens of movies and TV shows. In the 2015 Bond film “Spectre,” Ralph Fiennes’ character, M, dines here alone before being joined by Q and Moneypenny.

It was also a frequent backdrop for “Downton Abbey.” Producers undoubtedly loved it because they barely had to change a thing — the original period interiors are beautifully preserved.

Step inside, and you’re instantly transported to another era. Every inch of the wall space is covered with vintage mirrors, statues and busts, alongside countless drawings, cartoons and paintings. Look closely and you’ll spot portraits of famous former patrons like Laurence Olivier, Buster Keaton, Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin.

A ‘quiet evolution’

Owner Ricky McMenemy has been the custodian of Rules for 37 years, first stepping in as manager before taking ownership in 2022.

“Rules for me became a surrogate child,” McMenemy says. “If you don’t have the passion for it, you shouldn’t do it. It just has something that catches you by the heart ­­— it’s really a very special place, it seduces people.”

When McMenemy first arrived in 1993, the restaurant was a shadow of its former self, requiring hundreds of thousands of dollars of TLC.

“It needed a lot of love and care,” he recalls. “The food, service and the décor was tired, so it took years for us to rebuild. When we ripped out the kitchen in 1993, it was Dickensian! We spent half a million pounds redoing it, which also ensured that we attracted a much better chef.”

Since then, the team has focused on a steady, careful upgrade.

“We never wanted it to be fossilized, or set in aspic,” McMenemy says. “We undertook a quiet evolution, so it continues to improve.”

Game rules

Plush red leather banquettes surround tables draped in crisp, white tablecloths, while dozens of mounted antlers overhead hint at the restaurant’s culinary specialty: wild game.

During World War II, Rules stayed open for just two hours at lunchtime, serving meals that complied with compulsory rationing. While those government-restricted meals weren’t exactly high gastronomy, the restaurant skirted strict wartime shortages by serving wild-caught grouse, roe deer, pheasant and rabbit — none of which was subject to rationing laws.

Today, thanks to an exclusive relationship with estate game dealer Andy Dent, Rules sells more game than any other restaurant in the U.K.

The menu reads like a love letter to the British Isles. Appetizers feature fresh Dorset crab salad, potted shrimps with toast and Uig Lodge smoked salmon sourced from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland.

For the main course, there is steak and kidney pudding, in addition to a roast rib of beef with Yorkshire pudding for two, and an array of savory pies.

A signature dish of steak and kidney pie arrives with a silver jug of rich gravy, a side of mashed potato and a pot of sharp English mustard. Generously filled with good quality beef and a few bites of kidney, it’s topped by a golden brown pastry crust. It can also be ordered as a decadent steamed suet pudding —with an optional oyster for added decadence.

The restaurant was not always a hit with critics. The 1975 “Good Food Guide” complained about the waiters as being “out of sorts with life,” while another reviewer noted that the vegetables “tasted as if preserved since 1798.”

But that was a different era, back when British food was a global punchline. Today, London is widely considered one of the world’s greatest food cities, and Rules has confidently kept pace while staying true to its roots.

Desserts remain gloriously, defiantly old-school. There’s rhubarb crumble doused in custard, golden syrup sponge and sticky toffee pudding. There isn’t an açai berry or fashionable superfood in sight.

To drink, diners can order a Black Velvet, pairing champagne and Guinness, or explore a wine heavy with Bordeaux Clarets.

Those looking to unwind after a long lunch or grab a drink before a West End theatre show, can head up to the Winter Garden cocktail bar. The room balances understated, old-school glamour without modern distractions like music to interrupt the gentle hum of conversation. There is a dress code though — anyone wearing shorts will not get past the doorman.

Royal secrets

The bar holds plenty of secrets, too. It was once home to London’s “most celebrated table for two,” where the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) famously wined and dined his mistress, actress Lillie Langtry. Royal associations are celebrated on today’s menu, with cocktails including “The Duchess of Cambridge,” a mix of Audemus pink pepper gin, Lillet, Grey Goose vodka, citrus, rose and violet powder.

The restaurant’s timeless appeal keeps locals coming back for decades. Regulars John and Alexandra Powell travel in from the suburbs of south London and have dined here roughly once a month for the last 25 years. They always ask for the same exact spot: Table 204, a corner table with a commanding view of the entire room.

“You won’t find another place like this,” John Powell says. “There are imitations — but pale imitations. It can be expensive here, but you get what you pay for. There’s no other restaurant we frequent as much.”

In an era where the global restaurant industry faces tight margins and rapid turnovers, Rules’ ability to keep the lights on across three separate centuries — under the watch of just five different owners — is nothing short of remarkable.

For McMenemy, the ultimate reward isn’t found in Michelin stars or industry rankings, but in the satisfaction of the customers who keep walking through the door.

“I’m now on the fourth generation of some families coming in that I’ve served – it’s still the restaurant people want to come to.”

By Chris Dwyer, CNN