Rules Restaurant

by Mike Whyte (subscribe)

Rules is the oldest restaurant in London - fact. So why should you go there? Well not just for the history, but the delicious food too. The restaurant specialises in game (basically dishes made from poultry such as duck, grouse and pheasant), though there are other dishes such as salmon and deer, oysters, pies and puddings, for those who would prefer to not go down the game bird route. The food here is basically traditional British fare, and sourced from the Latington Estate in the High Penines, which the restaurant actually owns.

The restaurant, established by Thomas Rule in 1798, bases its menu on the game season, basically a period of time when particular birds can be hunted - which means the menu changes according to the seasonal changes, rather than just the whimsies of the chef. This particular factor has kept the restaurant not just busy, but celebrated, with the list of diners here being as celebrated as it is long.

There is not only the restaurant to keep you entertained though - head upstairs and you can find the cocktail bar, which specialises in classsic cocktails, eschewing the modern day fashions and trends for a small, but classic cocktail list.

The one fact that impresses me most though, and one that should inspire you to go to the restaurant should you be within its vicinity, is the fact that over its 200-year existence, the restaurant has only been owned by the three families, and this continuity has obviously helped it remain the success it is.

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Why? For traditional British food and a sense of history

When: from midday every day of the week

Website: www.rules.co.uk/home

Where: 35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7LB

Cost: Expensive (average prices £8-20 for starters, £18-32 mains)