London’s historic Rules restaurant donated to the National Trust
Rules, London’s oldest restaurant, has been donated to the National Trust by its owner, Jean Pierre Mayhew, after more than four decades. The trust will look after the £11 million building, which cannot be sold on elsewhere, while the restaurant continues to operate as before. Its history links royal affairs, literature and entertainment, making it a long-running part of London’s cultural life.
Opened in Covent Garden in 1798, Rules has had just four family owners in 228 years. King Edward VII dined there with actress Lillie Langtry, with a curtain installed for privacy; other notable patrons included Charles Dickens, David Bowie and the Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein. The restaurant also appeared in *The End of the Affair*, *Downton Abbey* and the 2015 James Bond film *Spectre*.
- Rules has been donated to the National Trust.
- The £11 million building opened in 1798.
- Its patrons have included royals, writers and celebrities.
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Rules opened in Covent Garden in 1798 and is widely regarded as London’s oldest restaurant. It has remained in family ownership for most of its history, passing through just four families over more than two centuries.
Its story is tied to London’s social and cultural life. King Edward VII and actress Lillie Langtry dined there, and its later guests included writers, musicians and entertainers; the restaurant has also featured in books and on screen.
The National Trust is a charity that looks after historic places in Britain. Its role in caring for the restaurant’s building is intended to preserve a site with links to the capital’s past while allowing the restaurant to carry on operating.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Edward VII’s mistresses and the ‘unofficial green room’ for the showbiz world: The scandalous history of London’s oldest restaurant Rules as it’s donated to National Trust”.