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Rules

 
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Address: 35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden,  WC2E 7LB
Telephone: 020 7836 5314
Map Maps: Location map, Print map (A4),
Nearby: Hotels, Events, Entertainment, Sights and Attractions, Shopping, Education, Leisure, Pubs, Nightlife, Business
Rules is in the London Borough of Westminster
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RulesNamed after Thomas Rule who founded the place in 1798, Rules is the oldest restaurant in London yet manages to keep up with even the most audacious of young pretenders. Owned by John Mayhew for the past twenty or so years, since 1984. Literary and acting stars have dined here over the years and today's customers often make the trip to sit in the same restaurant as their heroes - Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, John Galsworthy and H G Wells, right up to Evelyn Waugh and Graham Greene have all frequented Rules. As have Laurence Olivier, Buster Keaton, Charles Laughton, Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin and John Barrymore. The portraits of its well known patrons are diplayed on the walls for all to see. Maggie Thatcher as St George with oversized bouffant is particularly eye-catching. A fittingly traditional menu includes British staples like steak and kidney pie and fish and chips, served the old fashioned way: in newspaper - though not just any old newspaper, the pink pages of the Financial Times. So if the conversation trails off at least you can check how your shares are doing while you wait for your sticky date and toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce.

(Image: Rules Exterior)

London Location Map of Rules

Maiden Lane
 
Printable map of Rules
 
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Alternative British Cuisine

Nearest to Rules
 
The Amphitheatre Restaurant - Royal Opera House
Best
London Dining / British Cuisine

The Amphitheatre Restaurant - Royal Opera House

Royal Opera House,  Bow Street, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2E Map
4 minutes walk from Rules
Just under the glass dome roof of the imposing Paul Hamyln Hall at the Royal Opera House hangs the Amphitheatre Bar, a stunningly successful fusion ... More
 
 
 
Paul Hamlyn Hall Bar & Restaurant - Royal Opera House
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London Dining / British Cuisine

Paul Hamlyn Hall Bar & Restaurant - Royal Opera House

Royal Opera House,  Bow Street, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2E Map
4 minutes walk from Rules
The hall over which this stunning restaurant and champagne bar looks was named in honour of publisher Paul Hamlyn after his foundation gifted a generous ... More
 
 
 
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Alternative Local Dining

Near Rules
 
Wagamama
Best
London Dining / South East Asian Cuisine

Wagamama

1 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2E Map
1 minutes walk from Rules
Taking inspiration from Japanese ramman-noodle bars, Wagamama is the ultimate in high-quality, fast food. Huge bowls of steaming, soupy noodles, chicken dumplings with a chilli-soy ... More
 
 
 
Patisserie Valerie
Best
London Dining / Cafes and Delis

Patisserie Valerie

15 Bedford Street, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2E9HE Map
1 minutes walk from Rules
There are Valeries all over London these days and quite right too because they serve some of the best pastries in the capital alongside a ... More
 
 
 
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Local Hotels

Near Rules
 
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The Strand Palace
London Hotels / Mid Range Chain Hotel

The Strand Palace

372 Strand, London,  WC2R Map
3 minutes walk from Rules
This West End Art Deco hotel right on the Strand and next to Covent Garden is in a fantastic location for accessing central London and ... More
 
 
 
Charing Cross
London Hotels / Mid Range Chain Hotel

Charing Cross

The Strand, London,  WC2N Map
4 minutes walk from Rules
This famous Grade II listed Victorian railway hotel has been totally refurbished, from the bars and restaurants to all 239 rooms, providing every modern convenience ... More
 
 
 
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Local Events on today or on tomorrow or on a particular date

Near Rules
 
London Events / Theatre
Best
8th October 2009 until 30th January 2010
Vaudeville Theatre, 404 Strand,  WC2R Map
1 minutes walk from Rules
Jim Cartwright originally wrote this play to show off the singing impersonations of Jane Horrocks, having witnessed them during her warm-up routine for a play ... More
 
 
 
London Events / Seasonal
Best
5th December 2009
Covent Garden Piazza, Covent Garden,  WC2E Map
2 minutes walk from Rules
You're familiar with the egg and spoon race. Well how about the Christmas Pudding Race? Covent Garden Piazza swells with spectators as about 150 contestants ... More
 
 
 
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Local Entertainment

Near Rules
 
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Show Theatre Distance Tickets from
The Lion King The Lyceum Theatre 3 minutes £39.90
Turandot Royal Opera House - Covent Garden London 4 minutes £22.50
Calendar Girls Noel Coward Theatre 4 minutes £22.50
 
 
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Local Sights and Attractions

Near Rules
 
London Transport Museum
Best
London Sights and Attractions / Museums

London Transport Museum

Covent Garden Piazza, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2E Map
3 minutes walk from Rules
After a two-year, £22 million refurbishment the London Transport Museum reopened on 22 November 2007 revealing more exhibition space than before. The museum travels back ... More
 
 
 
London Sights and Attractions / Museums
Best
39 Wellington Street, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2E Map
3 minutes walk from Rules
After a two-year, £22 million refurbishment the London Transport Museum reopened on 22 November 2007 revealing more exhibition space than before. The museum travels back ... More
 
 
 
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Local Shopping

Near Rules
 
Covent Garden
Best
London Shopping /

Covent Garden

Covent Garden, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2E Map
1 minutes walk from Rules
A visit to Covent Garden is a must, whether you intend to shop, sightsee or soak in the carnival atmosphere. The focal point of Covent ... More
 
 
 
Godiva
Best
London Shopping / Food and Drink Shops

Godiva

17 The Piazza, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2E Map
2 minutes walk from Rules
Belgium's finest export, the first Godiva was opened in Brussels approximately 75 years ago by master chocolatier Joseph Draps and named after the legendary Lady ... More
 
 
 
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Local Education

Near Rules
 
Courtauld Institute of Art
Best
London Education / Arts and Drama

Courtauld Institute of Art

Somerset House, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2R Map
6 minutes walk from Rules
The Courtauld is one of the most prestigious art schools in the country, affiliated with the Oxbridge system and boasting a huge private location and ... More
 
 
 
King's College Medical School
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London Education / Medical Schools

King's College Medical School

Strand, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2R Map
6 minutes walk from Rules
Imperial College London is the foremost medical training faculty in the country but for non-medical graduates wishing for a change of career, King’s is the ... More
 
 
 
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The Sanctuary
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London Leisure / Fitness

The Sanctuary

12 Floral Street, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2E Map
2 minutes walk from Rules
This day spa exclusively for women is a total pampering experience from the minute you step through the door. Located in bustling Covent Garden you'll ... More
 
 
 
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London Leisure /

The Hospital Club

24 Endell Street, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2H Map
7 minutes walk from Rules
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Local Pubs

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The Cove
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London Pubs / Pubs

The Cove

1 The Piazza, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2E Map
2 minutes walk from Rules
Overlooking Covent Garden Piazza, the Cove is a world away from the crowds outside. Tucked up in a worn, leather armchair under the pub’s low, ... More
 
 
 
Lamb & Flag
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London Pubs / Pubs

Lamb & Flag

33 Rose Street, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2E Map
3 minutes walk from Rules
One of the oldest pubs in London. Once known as the Bucket of Blood, thanks to the bare-knuckle fights held here, the Lamb & Flag has ... More
 
 
 
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Local Nightlife

Near Rules
 
Madame Jojo's
Best
London Nightlife / Nightclubs

Madame Jojo's

8-10 Brewer Street, Soho,  London,  W1F Map
11 minutes walk from Rules
This was once a sleazy Soho strip club, as the name suggests, and it really shows. Deep reds are the dominant colour, with mirrors, booths and velvet curtains ... More
 
 
 
Heaven
London Nightlife / Nightclubs

Heaven

Underthe Arches,  Villiers Street, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2N Map
5 minutes walk from Rules
London's most famous gay club is a vast labyrinth of dancefloors, bars, cafes and shops. This is the kind of place where it's perfectly ok- ... More
 
 
 
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London Private Hire Venues

Near Rules
 
London Business / Venue Hire
Garrick House,  26 -27 Southampton Street, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2E Map
1 minutes walk from Rules
... More
 
 
 
London Business / Venue Hire
14 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden,  London,  WC2E Map
1 minutes walk from Rules
... More
 
 
 
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Upcoming London business events Page: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
 
 
 
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35
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London Dining, British Cuisine
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