London's Oldest Restaurant, Rules, Is Donated to the National Trust
A 40-year owner has given the Covent Garden building to the conservation charity, protecting a restaurant that has served diners since 1798.
Rules, the Covent Garden restaurant that opened in 1798 and is widely described as London's oldest, now belongs to the National Trust. Owner J-P Mayhew, who has held the building for about 40 years, donated the freehold of 34-35 Maiden Lane to the conservation charity, in a gift reported on October 14.
"An outstanding piece of living history." — Hilary McGrady, National Trust director-general
What the gift covers
The transaction is reported as an £11 million deal that shields the building from redevelopment. The restaurant carries on trading, and the rent it pays will go toward conservation work each year.
- Opened: 1798, on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden
- Notable diners: Charles Dickens, Charlie Chaplin and Edward VII, among many others
- Firsts: the Trust says it is the first building in its care to house a historic restaurant still in operation
- New tenant: Ricky McMenemy, who has worked at Rules for 35 years, will become a commercial tenant of the Trust
Why it matters
Heritage bodies usually protect buildings, not the businesses inside them. Rules is unusual because both its structure and its use, as a place to eat, have survived. McGrady noted that the doors are still open and the treacle sponge is still on the menu.
The restaurant has faced threats before. In 1971 the poet John Betjeman defended it against plans to widen the Strand, praising its "invisible atmosphere."
What's next
Under the arrangement, the restaurant will keep operating independently while the Trust looks after the fabric of the building. Rent from the business will help pay for that care, giving the site a steady source of funds for years to come.
