London’s historic Rules restaurant donated to the National Trust

Owner Jean‑Pierre Mayhew donated the £11 million freehold of Rules, the city’s oldest restaurant, to the National Trust, which will keep it operating under its current caterer.

By Felo News Desk · Published Wed, 14 Oct 2026 01:40:27 GMT

London’s oldest restaurant, Rules, has been donated to the National Trust, according to both the Daily Mail and the Evening Standard.

What happened

Jean‑Pierre Mayhew, who has owned the restaurant for 40 years, transferred the freehold of the building at 34‑35 Maiden Lane in Covent Garden to the National Trust. The donation, valued at about £11 million, includes the historic interior and a collection of visitor books, menus, photographs, caricatures, stained‑glass and other artefacts. The Trust will retain the restaurant’s original use, with existing operator Ricky McMenemy continuing to run the catering business as a commercial tenant.

What the reports add

The Daily Mail notes that Rules was founded in 1798, has been owned by only four families, and served under two queens and eight kings. It mentions a private curtain installed for Edward VII and his lover Lillie Langtry.
The Evening Standard adds that the restaurant survived the Blitz and a 1971 Greater London Council plan to turn the Strand into a dual carriageway, thanks in part to a campaign led by poet Sir John Betjeman.
Both outlets record that rooms in the venue are named after Betjeman and writer Graham Greene, who celebrated the restaurant in the 1970s.
The Standard specifies that the gift also includes the annual rent from the restaurant business, which will be earmarked for ongoing conservation work.

What was said

“This place is an outstanding piece of living history, with its corners where kings dined and writers and politicians plotted, and the traditions it kept alive through wars and upheaval,” said Hilary McGrady, director‑general of the National Trust (Evening Standard).

“It has defied the odds to be standing here today, doors still open and treacle sponge still on the menu. Mr Mayhew’s extraordinary generosity… means this beloved place has a future measured not in years but generations,” added McGrady (Daily Mail).

“There are few restaurants in the world that have endured the test of time like Rules. With many years of hard work, and some extraordinary strokes of luck, it has survived everything from redevelopment plans and changing tastes to the Blitz,” said J‑P Mayhew (Evening Standard).

Sir John Betjeman, speaking at a 1971 planning meeting, described Rules’ “invisible atmosphere” and urged protection of its paintings, sculptures, stained glass and red plush seats (Daily Mail).

How it came about

Rules opened as an oyster bar at the close of the 18th century and quickly became a haunt for figures such as Charles Dickens, James Bond actors, Madonna, Liza Minelli, David Bowie and Harrison Ford. Its survival through wartime bombing and repeated redevelopment threats, notably the 1971 dual‑carriageway scheme, was secured by public campaigns, including Betjeman’s defence. The recent donation secures the building’s fabric and its collection for future generations while allowing the restaurant to continue operating as before.

Key facts

Rules restaurant’s freehold was donated to the National Trust. (dailymail.co.uk)
The donation is valued at approximately £11 million. (standard.co.uk)
Owner Jean‑Pierre Mayhew transferred the building after 40 years of ownership. (dailymail.co.uk)
The National Trust will keep the restaurant operating under current caterer Ricky McMenemy. (standard.co.uk)
Rules was founded in 1798 and has been owned by only four families. (dailymail.co.uk)