National Trust secures future of London’s oldest restaurant, Rules
London’s oldest restaurant, Rules in Covent Garden, has been secured for future generations after its owner, J-P Mayhew, donated the historic building and its collection to the National Trust.
Established in 1798, Rules has served diners for 228 years at 34-35 Maiden Lane. Its celebrated guests have included Charles Dickens, Charlie Chaplin, King Edward VII, David Bowie, and Madonna, while its dining rooms have witnessed more than two centuries of London’s cultural and political life.
The donation transfers ownership of the building and its historic collection to the National Trust, which will protect the site and fund conservation work through the rental income generated by the restaurant. Rules will continue operating as an independent business, with proprietor Ricky McMenemy becoming a commercial tenant of the charity.
Mayhew, who has owned the property for 40 years, said the gift was intended to protect not only the building and its distinctive interior, but also the atmosphere and traditions that have made Rules an enduring part of London life.
The restaurant began as an oyster house opened by Thomas Rule. It subsequently became a meeting place for writers, artists, politicians, and other prominent figures. Its surviving interiors, including paintings, stained glass, and traditional furnishings, make it a rare example of a historic building that continues to serve its original purpose.
The collection accompanying the gift includes menus, visitor books, photographs, caricatures, signs, and other objects documenting the restaurant’s history. Rules has also maintained English country-house cooking traditions through periods of considerable change, including the shortages and rationing of the Second World War.
The building’s survival was not always assured. In 1971, poet and architectural campaigner John Betjeman spoke out against redevelopment plans that threatened Maiden Lane. His defence of the restaurant helped draw attention to the cultural value of its historic setting. Rules later honoured Betjeman with a room named after him, alongside one dedicated to novelist Graham Greene, who regularly celebrated his birthday there and featured the restaurant in The End of the Affair.
National Trust Director-General Hilary McGrady described Rules as an outstanding example of living history, praising Mayhew’s generosity in securing its future.
The charity already cares for 39 historic pubs that remain in operation, including the George Inn in Southwark. Rules will be the first working historic restaurant in its care.
The transfer comes amid continuing pressure on central London’s historic buildings from redevelopment and economic challenges. By protecting Rules while allowing the restaurant to continue trading, the National Trust aims to preserve a distinctive part of the capital’s heritage for generations to come.
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