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-Thu 12:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-23:30; Sun 12:00-22:00
| 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
Venue Personality
Romance 0
Energy 40
Exclusivity 60
View 75
Food 65
Value 87
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-Thu 12:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-23:30; Sun 12:00-22:00.
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