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Rules, London’s oldest restaurant, which first opened its doors in 1798, is to be donated to the UK’s National Trust to preserve it for future generations. Over more than two centuries, the historic establishment has welcomed kings, politicians, writers and international celebrities, from Charles Dickens to Madonna.

Located between Covent Garden and the Strand, the restaurant is currently owned by 78-year-old Jean-Pierre Mayhew, who has decided to donate the building, valued at around £11 million, after 40 years of ownership. The restaurant will continue operating as usual, with restaurateur Rick McMenemy remaining in charge of the business as a tenant of the National Trust, the Daily Mail reports.

Throughout its history, Rules has passed through the hands of just four families and survived the reigns of two queens and eight kings, as well as wars and major urban redevelopment projects. Among its famous guests was King Edward VII, who visited with his mistress, actress Lillie Langtry. A special curtain was even installed to give the couple some privacy.

Rules originally specialised in oysters, which remain on the menu today at £5.75 each. Classic dishes include beef and kidney pie for £26.25, alongside traditional British desserts. Apple crumble with raisins and custard costs £11.50, while Stilton cheese with crackers is priced at £13.95.

Behind its wood-panelled walls, red velvet upholstery and brass fittings, the restaurant has hosted Charles Dickens, Charlie Chaplin, William Thackeray, H. G. Wells and Evelyn Waugh. Actors who have played James Bond have also dined there, including Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. The restaurant itself even appeared in the Bond film Spectre.

Rules has faced the threat of closure more than once. In 1971, it was earmarked for demolition as part of a major redevelopment plan for Covent Garden that would have transformed the Strand into a multi-lane highway. A public campaign helped save the restaurant, with regular customer and poet John Betjeman among those who rallied to its defence.

“A place which is constantly visited by actors, theatrical managers and celebrities acquires an invisible atmosphere, just as a church where people come to pray becomes imbued with a special atmosphere. We can feel it, but it cannot be captured in a photograph,” the poet said at a hearing on the redevelopment plans.

Novelist Graham Greene also cherished Rules for its distinctive atmosphere. The restaurant served as a meeting place for him and his lover, and he featured it in his 1951 novel The End of the Affair. In the book, the protagonist, Maurice Bendrix, dines there with Sarah Miles, with whom he has a secret love affair.

National Trust Director-General Hilary McGrady thanked Mayhew for his generous gesture, describing the restaurant as an extraordinary part of living history.

“This is a place where kings have dined and writers and politicians have made plans, preserving its traditions through wars and upheavals. Despite all the challenges it has faced, it continues to thrive, and traditional treacle pudding remains on the menu,” she said.

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