Veeraswamy Restaurant
Iconic Elegant Historic
Veeraswamy
Mayfair
$$$
Britain's oldest Indian restaurant — open on Regent Street since 1926 and now in its hundredth year.
Restaurant
Rules
London's oldest restaurant — Maiden Lane since 1798, four families across ten reigns, and the game-and-claret Britain that has not changed.
Reviewed by Mes Prestiges Editorial Team Last reviewed May 2026
Covent Garden |
$$$ Upscale for Restaurant
| Mon-Sat 12:00-23:30; Sun 12:00-22:30
| Last reviewed: May 2026 Rules opened as an oyster bar on Maiden Lane in 1798 and has run on the same site ever since — under just four families across the reigns of ten monarchs. The dining rooms are velvet-and-mahogany Edwardian, the walls densely hung with Victorian cartoons; the menu is unembarrassed traditional British — game from Rules' own High Pennines estate from August, steak-and-kidney pudding, jugged hare, treacle sponge. Upstairs, the Cocktail Bar runs a quieter 1920s service. The point is the continuity, not the novelty.
Editor's Tip
Book a ground-floor banquette in the front room, not the back conservatory. Game from August through January is the order — grouse, partridge, woodcock — with claret. Jacket required at dinner; trainers refused. The upstairs cocktail bar is open to walk-ins after 17:00.
At a Glance
- View
- Historic Monuments, Street Scene
Views & Setting
View Type
Historic Monuments, Street Scene
View Quality
Good
Indoor Terrace
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about Rules — reservations, hours, dress code, and price range.
Where is Rules?
Rules is located in Covent Garden, London — 34-35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7LB.
What are the opening hours of Rules?
Rules is open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:30; Sun 12:00-22:30.
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