A well respected restaurant. The food is the very best local produce cooked classically but with real flair. The dessert is the real treat, the Raspberry Syllabub is divine. Nice classic decor and a cosy atmosphere but beware it can be noisy and your conversation can be easily overheard. For such a prime location and exceptional food quality I don't find them pricey at all. read more

One of my favourite places. I really like the food and the atmosphere. The service is perfect as well.

Lovely meals.rich menu.

I like this place. I totally love to be there and to order form the delicious meals. The interior is good, the atmosphere really pleasant . I feel relaxed when I am there. One of my favourites is the Seared Monkfish, but if you go there you should try also the Beef ribs and the Sticky Toffee Pudding. read more

Nice atmosphere. I find it very pleasant, the interior is also good. One of my favorites are The smoked Haddock, Leek and potato soup and the Sirloin Steak. Their Creme caramel is also delicious so don't waste time in wondering, simply visit this place with high standards. read more

I have to admit that the Bacon and Pea soup with minted creme fraiche is simply delicious. You also should try the Poached Loch Duart Salmon Salad- as a side dish you receive tasty potatoes and cucumbers. The main courses.. what i can say.. all are precisely-made. My favourite is Scallops with Braised Pork Cheeks. The sweet carrots are a nice addition to the scallops. read more

Great menu, tried almost everything and I do not think there will be a single thing that I will not enjoy here. Greetings to the chef.

My favourite restaurant in London! absolutely brilliant- book in advance for evening service - great experience

Very mediocre! It is rare that I give so few stars, but this place is awful and highly overrated. The only reason I gave it 2 stars instead of one is because the dessert was actually pretty good (the only plus from the whole night). First they run out of the Kate Middleton cocktail, apparently didn't have one of the ingredients. Then the salad with partridge was bland and not seasoned, just overall underwhelming. The worst was the mains. First the accidentally send our food to the table next to us. They stare at it for about 10 minutes. And then the waiter apologizes and places the food they have been breathing on for a good 10 minutes in front of us. It didn't look touched, but who really knows. It was impossible to get the waiters attention, hence the other couple having to breathe over our food for so long. The waiter highly recommended the hare for main course, said it was his favorite so I thought why not give it a shot. It was inedible!!! Dry, no flavor, just awful. This place does not know a thing about service or good food. And it is definitely a tourist trap that unfortunately my fiancé and I fell into. I work with British ppl and half of them have never even heard of it. And those that have say it's a tourist trap and have never been themselves and never plan on going. Save your time and money and go somewhere else. read more

I was very excited to eat at the oldest restaurant in London. However the staff seemed to be programmed to be rude an persnickety to us when we arrived. After I ignored the attitude the host seemed to lighten up. Then came the waiter...he had no suggestions for the menu, didn't talk to us about the menu and basically said what's in the menu is what you get. Seems like the oldest restaurant in London isn't going to last to much longer if they treat customers like this. Perhaps a more friendly welcoming attitude? Also have some pride in the restaurant and make us excited to eat there? Of course it wasn't cheap and the food was mediocre. The lamb I had tasted very gamey- hard to eat. Waiter made my children and husband feel very uncomfortable and seemed to get irritated when I asked about the menu. I can give them 2 stars for the ambiance and the Cesar salad but Rules I can tell you this- with the plethora of competition out there in London you may not last another century. read more

I've eaten at Rules everytime I've visited London. I love the Old English ambiance and that they make no apologizes for their highly carnivorous atmosphere, it's meat for starters, meat for entree and if you please ~ meat for dessert! Vegetarian's need not apply. I love the rib of beef on the bone, lamb chops and rack of lamb. The meat comes from their own farm! They have wonderfully traditional accompaniments such as cream spinach, au gratin potato's sauteed green beans, bake potatos and Yorkshire pudding which I adore! The first time my husband and I went to Rule's, we were with another couple so we shared sticky toffee dessert that was amazing! Now I order my own and if for some crazy reason can't finish it, I bring it back to the hotel for a snack! I also love that its in walking distance to the West End, we love going to the theater in London and this has become a wonderful tradition, Seeing a marvelous play or musical and dinner at Rules Restaurant! read more

First off: if you go make reservations online. You'll get an email that you might be tempted to ignore, thinking it's just an automatic confirmation... which it is, but it also tells you when you have to leave your table and that you need to reply to confirm your reservation at least 24 hours in advance. In short: the staff isn't worth it. So after a phenomenal experience at Amsterdam's oldest restaurant I decided to check out London's oldest restaurant, too, thinking this would be a nice little tradition wherever I travel. Wrong. Live and learn. The food was good (if overpriced, but I was okay with that), the place was lovely, but the service had a bit to be desired. It's obvious the restaurant wants to pride itself on being classy, but don't do what it takes to fully get there. The staff was not friendly or genuinely kind, and a bit standoffish. After I ordered a main course (that cost 30 pounds) the waiter asked if I wanted a starter. I said no, but he pointed to some anyway, and told me that the meal took 40 minutes to make. I told him that was fine and I would drink my wine until then. Of course, the small meal only took about 15 minutes to arrive and I did not appreciate the obvious up-sell. It was delicious but small, which again I was okay with, but if I'm paying for an overpriced small meal I expect the staff add to the experience, not detract from it. Also I noticed that they only had male servers, which didn't sit right with me in this day and age. I would have been happier in a traditional pub with friendly people. Live and learn. And only go to De Silveren Spiegel in Amsterdam when I'm in the mood for an upscale yet cozy dining experience with service second to none. read more

Was in London for vacation and this was a recommendation of a friend. THe food and atmosphere were awesome. The beef was tender and delicious. Loved it! read more

Friend visiting from out of town and booked this restaurant way ahead as he is a die-hard Downton Abbey fan. I have to admit I am quite ignorant, besides not having watched a single episode of Downton Abbey, I have not heard of this place before! So off we went on a Friday night for some very English and experience for the visitor. We started off at the bar on the first floor, where we were offered some Japanese whisky, which was quite nice. The interior does make you feel like you are teleported back in time, especially after I have downed a few glasses of scotch. Then we were ushered downstairs to our table, which was a cosy corner seat which came complete with a velvet couch. We were recommended by another gentleman at the bar to try the grouse, which was in season but decided to go for the roast beef for two which came highly recommended by fellow yelpers. We also ordered oysters to share, very fresh and tasty. The roast beef was also executed to perfection. My friend ordered the rabbit, but it tasted more like chicken and I thought that was ok. Portions are quite sizeable leaving no room for desserts which is a pity. Service was attentive but not intrusive. A good place for people watching and even though it feels like a touristy kind of place, if your guest likes Downton Abbey and have some cash to spare, I would think this is a rather good option for them if they want a piece of the old London. Prices can be on the high side given its location and fame and popularity with tourists, not the best value I have to say but I guess thats the least concern of the holiday makers especially if they choose to come to London. read more

Had dinner for five at Rules on Friday 3rd Sep. Generally a good experience but was let down by the woman at the front of the restaurant who handled reservations, who needs some more training on how to talk to customers. After arriving for a 7:30 reservation I was told (after a lot of panicked flapping around with the reservation list) that the reservation was at 8pm. I explained that the reservation was for 7:30 and offered to show her the Opentable confirmation (I had reconfirmed earlier in the day over the phone to make absolutely sure), but she declined and repeated "The reservation is at 8:00". Not "sorry, we have the reservation down for 8pm. We must have made a mistake; why don't you have a free drink in the bar?", which would be standard procedure in any nice-ish restaurant worth its salt. No attempt at contrition or apology- she seemed to go out of her way to avoid apologizing at all costs. Couldn't really complain so early in the night, and the rest of the meal was good enough to forget about that encounter. However that's the memory of the night that stuck, and given the choices in London these days I don't see any of us returning. read more

Best meal I've ever had! The rib roast was so good I couldn't stop eating it. It was the best meat I've ever had in my life. We all actually fought for the green beans and the Yorkshire pudding was perfect. Not just an amazing location with great history but the best meal of my life! If you don't like waiting go during an off time. We went at 3:30 and it was great! Every trip to London will include Rules from now on! It's that good! read more

Great restaurant. One of the oldest in town. Great food and traditional Napoleonic dress. Bank for a great experience and not a small bill. You get what you pay for so expect excellence. read more

The menu is focussed on game and the venison and rabbit on toast were excellent. Great wine selection

Love this restaurant. With all the fusion, molecular, communal table restaurant options around today; Rules is place to go and enjoy dinning. Very good wine list, professional staff and very good execution in the kitchen. The Game, oysters beef cheeks and Stilton were outstanding. If you crave to have a DINNING experience and not be challenged to interpret food as some sort of sociology dissertation, then go to Rules and sit back and enjoy. read more

This restaurant delivers on what it is known for - high end classic British cuisine and service in an historic setting. It isn't cheap, but it was worth the splurge since we don't make it to London very often. read more

With the uneven floors, waiter attire and pictures on the wall, you really feel like you're stepping back in time. The menu changes according to the hunting season, but we got the rabbit rillete, lamb and venison which were all excellent. And drinking beer out of a silver chalice is always fun! read more

Not sure why it gets the rave reviews.... The atmosphere is beautiful, very traditional British. I was not prepared for the menu. Other than the delicious halibut the beef dishes were less than impressive.there are too many good restaurants in London to go to this one unless you want rabbit, deer, and very gamey and expensive dishes. I must say they serve a delicious margarita. read more

Went to Rules prior to the show, with over 90 minutes to spare. We were rushed, as service was so slow. Dinner was meh, server not personable. And the meal was very expensive. We expected much more from this establishment, especially with such high ratings here. read more

A very solid 3-star. Definitely not a bad rating. They are not the trendiest, and decor is quite worn. But food is great, with the pies probably the best around. read more

Rules is one of London's oldest restaurants. Established in 1789.... truly is a taste of old England. Butler service, exceptional food... every kind of game available, steak and kidney pie is mouthwatering. The wine selection is the very best. Expensive... however is so worth it. I first ate at Rules in the 70's.... and continue to enjoy this restaurant on my trips to London! read more

The historic context of the space enhances the dining experience. The food was excellent -- most especially the Kate Middleton cocktail -- truly amazing. Disappointed that they only offer prime rib or monk fish for two. Why? So I ordered a steak with bearnaise sauce, and had to seek them out to bring me the sauce. They had trouble getting my friend's meal correct as well. For these prices, I don't expect to have these issues. Our server asserted him/her self a bit too much into our evening, which didn't seem appropriate either for a restaurant of this calibre. After not bringing my sauce, not having my friend's preference and him having to change his order, and then them still messing it up -- seems they might have comped dessert or coffee without us pointing it out. Oh well. Some nights good places are just a bit "off". read more

Fantastic restaurant. Had an amazing slow roasted pork dish and the sides were to die for, brilliant.

We went to Rules to celebrate a PhD graduation but were very disappointed. After waiting for 45 minutes for our main courses, the waiter said that they will arrive imminently. After another 15 minutes wait I asked him how long it will be, only to be reminded that he already told me. When I said that this was 15 minutes ago, he just walked off. Once the mains arrived, one was rather burnt (meat) and the fish wasn't fully cooked. On top of this experience, they added £15 service charge which I refused to pay. No apology from the manager, no complimentary desserts or drinks to make up for their mistake. For this price level (very expensive), we were very disappointed and can't recommend this restaurant. We certainly won't be eating there again! read more

My husband took me here for my birthday because London is my favorite city in the world. It was the loveliest birthday I ever had. Had the rack of lamb,the food and service were excellent. Every year on January 24 brings back a lovely memory. Kathleen Joyce, Amsterdam NY, U S A. read more

Excellent dining experience! My daughter and I went here for late Sunday dinner. We started in the upstairs bar with Kate Middleton cocktail for my daughter and a French 75 for me. So much fun. We were escorted downstairs when our table was ready. Service could not have been better. Potted shrimps with toast, hadn't had them since I was last in London 1989. We ordered the prime rib with yorkshire pudding and spring greens. Our wonderful water brought us wine sauce and horseradish. We had great wine and apple gooseberry crumble for dessert. All excellent. Only drawback - we were seated by a family visiting from another part of the world (lots of designer labels) that had the most absolute appalling table manners (literally think pigs at the trough) - one woman bent her head to eat the pastry from her steak and kidney pie with her mouth - no utensils used! Food was powered down noisily and frenzied. It even got all over their Chanel bags. That is not Rule's fault but wished we had a more private table..... read more

As I indicated on trip advisor. I rarely review. Either when it's exceptional or terrible. In my case, it was the latter. As background, my husband and I dined at Rule's 15 years ago on our first abroad trip together. We had a VERY EARLY reservation-6:00 pm. The place was almost empty & the maitre'd managed to seat us at the very worst possible table in the entire establishment-right next to the bus boy station where the plates and glasses were clanking and crashing so loud we could barely converse. It was such a distraction the entire time, I tried to finish my sentence before the next crash. As for good, it was "meehh." For starters, we ordered garden salad and split pea soup. Both were fresh but bland. I used the salt shaker quite a bit. As main course, special of the day-lamb and guinea fowl. Both were a bit gamier than i'd expect. I love lamb so not new consuming it but you can also balance the flavor with yogurt/mint or other sauces which they didn't quite pull off. Finally, in spite of a comprehensive wine list, the 2 glasses I had were just not that good. In fact, the initial tasting of one glass had to be sent back b/c it was off. After all that, I was eager to get out of there and skipped the dessert or their well known cheese cart altogether. We will be looking to a new place to create new memories at and recommend to our friends when visiting London. read more