The historic building that houses Rules, London's oldest restaurant, has been donated to the National Trust, Europe's largest conservation charity. The generous gift, made by four-decade owner J-P Mayhew, is hoped to safeguard the future of the iconic Covent Garden eatery for centuries to come.
Established in 1798 by Thomas Rule as an oyster bar during the tumultuous aftermath of the French Revolution, Rules has a storied past. It has endured the British Empire, survived the Blitz, and even thwarted plans in 1971 for a new road layout that would have led to its demolition. Over generations, its menu evolved to include traditional British fare, attracting a host of high-profile figures from Charles Dickens and Charlie Chaplin to David Bowie and Madonna. King Edward VII was also known to frequent the establishment for private rendezvous.
J-P Mayhew's decision to donate the property at 34-35 Maiden Lane in central London's bustling Covent Garden to the National Trust, a British institution founded in 1895, is valued at 11 million pounds ($14 million). Beyond the building itself, the donation encompasses a collection of historical items such as visitor books, menus, caricatures, photographs, stained glass, and signs. Crucially, it also includes the annual rent generated by the ongoing restaurant business, which will be channeled directly into conservation efforts each year.
“There are few restaurants in the world that have endured the test of time like Rules,” Mayhew stated on Wednesday. He added, “The Trust will protect this place in a way that no one else could, safeguarding its bricks and mortar, its famous interior and its invisible atmosphere, too.” Hilary McGrady, director-general of the National Trust, echoed this sentiment, describing the site as “an outstanding piece of living history, with its corners where kings dined and writers and politicians plotted, and the traditions it kept alive through wars and upheaval.” The charity, dedicated to preserving important sites for public enjoyment, highlighted that the donation would secure a building where “kings dined and writers and politicians plotted,” calling it a “rare example of living heritage” where both the historic structure and its original use as a restaurant remain intact. McGrady noted, “It has defied the odds to be standing here today, doors still open and treacle sponge still on the menu.”
Stepping into Rules offers a glimpse into a bygone London, with its plush and colorful interiors. The menu features rich, old-school English dishes, ensuring fans of steak and kidney pies, guinea fowl, and classic desserts like sticky toffee pudding and apple crumble will not be disappointed. The restaurant also pays homage to its literary connections with rooms named after poet John Betjeman, who famously defended the restaurant’s “invisible atmosphere” against demolition plans in 1971, and writer Graham Greene, a loyal customer who celebrated birthdays there and featured the eatery in his novel “The End Of The Affair.”
Ricky McMenemy, the restaurant’s proprietor who has worked there for 35 years, will continue to operate Rules as a commercial tenant of the National Trust. McMenemy expressed his optimism for the future, stating, “As an independent business, it gives us both the security and peace of mind that our home will be in very good hands and be protected and secure going forward. Having already established a very amicable working relationship with the Trust, we look forward to another two centuries in this, our home.”
“The Trust will protect this place in a way that no one else could, safeguarding its bricks and mortar, its famous interior and its invisible atmosphere, too.”The charity, which seeks to save important sites while opening them up for everyone to enjoy, said that the 11 million-pound ($14 million) donation would secure the future of a building where “kings dined and writers and politicians plotted.” Along with the building, the donation includes items such as visitor books, menus, caricatures, photographs, stained glass and signs.
