The Covent Garden home of Rules, founded in 1798, has been gifted to the National Trust along with its historic collection.
The historic Covent Garden building that has housed Rules, widely recognized as London’s oldest restaurant, has been donated to the National Trust. The gift places 34-35 Maiden Lane and its historic collection under the charity’s care while allowing Rules to continue operating as an independent restaurant.
Rules opened in 1798 when Thomas Rule established an oyster house on Maiden Lane. More than two centuries later, the restaurant remains in the same part of central London and continues to serve traditional British food. Its survival has made the property a rare example of what the National Trust calls “living heritage,” where a historic building still serves its long-established purpose.
The building’s longtime owner, J-P Mayhew, donated the property and collection to the National Trust after about four decades of ownership. The Trust said Rules has operated through the reigns of 10 monarchs and the service of more than 40 British prime ministers, giving the site an unusually long continuous connection to London’s social life. The Associated Press reported that the gift is valued at about £11 million, or roughly $14 million.
The donation also provides the charity with rental income from the restaurant business, which the Trust says will support conservation work each year.
The restaurant business itself was not donated. It is owned by Ricky McMenemy, who has worked at Rules for about 35 years and will continue running it as a commercial tenant of the National Trust. McMenemy said the arrangement provides security for the independent business and confidence that its historic home will be protected.
Rules has survived wars, changing tastes and redevelopment proposals that once threatened its future. During World War II, the restaurant remained open and served rationed meals. In 1971, plans linked to redevelopment in the area raised the possibility that the building could be lost.
Poet and conservation advocate Sir John Betjeman defended Rules during that dispute. The restaurant later named one of its private dining rooms after him. A second private room honors novelist Graham Greene, another regular customer whose connection to Rules became part of the restaurant’s literary history.
The National Trust said the donation includes far more than the building. Historic visitor books, menus, photographs, caricatures, signs and stained glass are among the objects that will now be cared for as part of the property’s collection. The interior itself is also significant because much of its traditional appearance has survived alongside more than 200 years of restaurant service.
The National Trust describes the interiors as Grade II-listed and says Rules is the last survivor of a group of celebrated London restaurants that once included the Trocadero, the Mirabelle and Le Gavroche.
Rules has long been connected with London’s theater, literary and entertainment worlds. Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, Charlie Chaplin, Laurence Olivier and Ava Gardner are among the well-known figures associated with the restaurant. More recent visitors have included David Bowie, Madonna and Harrison Ford.
King Edward VII also became part of the restaurant’s lore. Before becoming king, he was known to use a favored table at Rules while meeting actress Lillie Langtry. The restaurant has preserved that association as one of many stories tied to its rooms.
Today, Rules still specializes in food that reflects its traditional British identity. Its current menus feature oysters, game, pies and puddings. Steak and kidney pie remains on the menu, alongside dishes such as potted shrimps and sticky toffee pudding.
The restaurant says it can accommodate about 90 guests. Its location in Covent Garden places it close to some of London’s best-known theaters, maintaining a connection with the entertainment district that dates back generations.
For the National Trust, the acquisition is unusual. The property entered the charity’s care in autumn 2026, but it will not be converted into a conventional museum. The charity already cares for dozens of historic pubs that remain in operation, including the George Inn in Southwark and the Crown Bar in Belfast.
However, the Trust said 34-35 Maiden Lane will be the first property in its care to house a historic restaurant that is still operating.
National Trust Director-General Hilary McGrady described Rules as an exceptional piece of living history. She said the gift will protect not only the building but also the traditions and stories that have accumulated there through wars, political changes and shifts in London life.
Mayhew said the restaurant had endured through a combination of work and fortunate circumstances. He pointed to the Blitz, changing public tastes and past redevelopment plans as threats it managed to survive. His donation, he said, was intended to protect the physical building as well as the atmosphere that generations of diners have associated with it.
That atmosphere has been shaped by the restaurant’s red seating, dark wood, artwork and crowded walls of memorabilia. Unlike a preserved historic site that no longer serves its original function, Rules will continue taking reservations, serving meals and operating as a private business.
The transfer also separates the roles of property owner and restaurant operator. The National Trust will be responsible for caring for the building and collection, while McMenemy’s business will continue handling the restaurant’s day-to-day operations, menu and service.
The National Trust was founded in 1895 and now protects historic properties, landscapes and other places across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The organization said the Rules acquisition reflects its broader effort to protect historic places that remain part of everyday life rather than turning them into static exhibits.
For Rules, the arrangement means the restaurant can continue serving customers at 34-35 Maiden Lane while its home receives long-term heritage protection. More than 228 years after Thomas Rule opened his oyster house, the same address is set to remain both a working restaurant and a preserved piece of London history.
IMAGE: The oldest restaurant in London. Christmas 2012. Photo: James Petts from London, England / Wikimedia, taken 2012-12-20, CC BY-SA 2.0