Rules
Whole Wheat Bread with Butter
Cured Duck Breast with Endive, Candied Nuts, Stilton Dressing
Chicken, Bacon, Tarragon Pie
Double Cooked Chips
Americano
Sticky Toffee Pudding with Caramelized Walnuts
Golden Syrup Sponge Pudding with Custard
Proudly presenting itself as London’s Oldest Restaurant I generally knew that venerable Rules Restaurant on Maiden Lane was unlikely to wow after lunch at The Fat Duck but with modest expectations of British classics served in a storied environment I booked a table for one at 7:00pm, several hundred World Cup revelers crowding the streets and unfortunately rendering me nearly ten minutes late. Officially listed as a historic building and serving patrons since 1798 in grand confines heavy with wood and ornamentation it was by a rather stiff maitre d’ that I was greeted on entry and with my tardiness duly noted I offered my apologies, his mood somewhat softening as he showed me the way to a spacious two-top with a wide view of the room. Obviously a space frequented by tourists but seated with natives both left and right it was after a short wait that my server arrived and with menus for food and wine offered I declined the later and briefly perused the specials, none particularly enthralling and thus leaving me to the things I’d targeted before walking through the doors. Bustling and busy with service not particularly as refined as the tuxedos would indicate it was again after some delay that my first plate arrived and requesting some bread to accompany the salad my starter would prove pleasant, the funky stilton and tender duck finding their foil in crisp greens and sugared nuts. With the kitchen apparently finding its footing after my first course as four tables received food in a near-simultaneous fashion it was in another duo that I indulged for my main course and although the soufflé-style chips proved a touch less crisp than I’d have preferred the golden pie was delicious – a tall and proud pastry teaming with tender chicken, smoky pork, and earthy aromatics. At this point impressed enough by food to say I’d made a suitable choice it was to desserts that I turned and with an Americano requested in accompaniment the two classics I’d sought on several prior menus soon arrived – the sticky toffee pudding a toothache inducing classic but nowhere near as rousing as the subtle vanilla sponge, a sort of booze-less baba ready to soak up every drop of warm custard served at its side.
RECOMMENDED: Golden Syrup Sponge Pudding, Meat Pie
AVOID: The Bread is quite dull while butter was cold and nearly unspreadable.
TIP: Reservations are strongly encouraged, even on weekdays and off-hours this is the sort of place where such traditions are upheld and although walk-ins can occur they are generally only seated in the bar or lounge.
