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    Rules

    4.0 (287 reviews)
    PriceyBritish, Bars
    Closed 12:00 pm - 11:30 PM

    Rules Photos

    RULES ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Rules

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    Reviews With Photos

    £18 Espresso Martini - Super duper strong espresso taste
    Trent N.

    Night #1 of my 8 nights of my birthday celebration in London. What a way to kick off a vacation. This is one of the harder places to get a reservation at on the weekends. We dropped by at 5:30pm hoping to be able to eat early, but were told no because they're fully booked all night. I made a reservation back on September 19th, and the best time I could get was 9:30pm. This is the oldest restaurant in London since 1798! I love the old decor and red. Everyone here is dressed up in high heels and lots of the men were in suits. Up first, I had a £18 Espresso Martini! Wow, some of the strongest espresso tasting Martini of all time. If you like thay strong taste you'll love this espresso martini. Next, £8.95 Heritage tomato salad, basil, pickled red onion & toasted pine nuts. Super solid. For the entree we split the £53.50 per person Roast rib of beef for two. The superstar item was for sure the house made horseradish sauce. I could have eaten the sauce all night. We liked the meat too. It came out a perfect medium for us. At the end of the meal they brought me ice cream for my birthday!

    Melissa P.

    For my partner's birthday, we went to Rules, the oldest restaurant in London. We ordered the roast beef for two, and it was cooked perfectly. It came with two Yorkshire puddings, homemade horseradish, and mashed potatoes. It was not a cheap meal, but you're paying for the ambiance, which can be described as museum-like with royal embellishments. There are so many things to look at, from James Bond's seat to the Downton Abbey section. The service was great, and our waitress was entertaining as well as insightful. She even showed us around, pointing out the wall art and other notable items. I'd recommend coming here for a special occasion while in London, it's truly a gem of an experience.

    Pheasant and Ham Hock Terrine
    Fay D.

    The atmosphere, staff and service were wonderful and the food was amazing, beautifully presented and fantastic flavors . I highly recommend it.

    Outside of Rules
    Pamela G.

    Rules had been around a very long time and I doubt they need another review. It was definitely a mixed experience for us. The restaurant itself is gorgeous so it was nice to just be there. The service and food.... Not so much...I ordered the mushroom and chicken pot pie and an hour later I was still waiting for it. My husband finally asked the waiter if our meals were coming anytime soon and she said the pot pie takes at least 45 minutes to cook. Wouldn't you think they would put that on the menu or inform you when you order? And no apology for such a long wait.It finally came, along with my husband's pork cheeks....both were really average and nothing special. The pork cheeks could have been pork... or beef.... A nondescript flavor we had sticky toffee pudding for dessert because we wanted to try an English style dessert. It was pretty good. I got a strong feeling they put all the Americans and other visitors (Dutch) in a separate room. I didn't hear anyone without an American accent, I am guessing service is better for the regulars. We walked there very easily after an opera at Covent Garden, which was nice and the martini was good.

    Sunday roast
    Bob C.

    Fantastic service and delicious food in an historic setting. But It's disappointing to see the dress code drop lower with each visit. Sitting next to a London Marathon contestant in a track suit and sneakers isn't why we go to Rule's. Might restaurants have a certain dining room or area with a dress code and another more casual space?

    This was such a wonderful experience for me. I love old restaurants; I have a blog at home where I review them, but in LA we consider 40 years old! So I've long dreamed of eating at Rules. I don't come to London often, so I've longed for a long long time. It was everything I could have dreamed. I felt like I might look up and see Saki seated a few tables away, or hear Dickens laughing across the room (I think he must have had a loud laugh, don't you?).The wonder of old places is that so many things we've read like fiction are proven to be real and true. And then, on top of that, the food was a dream. A lot of places might say, "hey, we're old, the food can be just whatever and it's cool, people will want to come anyway." But this was, easily and by far, the best lunch I've ever had. The dauphinois potatoes have ruined potatoes for me forever, and when I had my first taste of sticky toffee pudding I thought I might cry. But far and away best of all was the staff. They were so warm and welcoming and funny and helpful. It was like a hug in the form of a restaurant. Any of these elements would have made it a meal to remember. All together, it was something beyond special.

    Cool art on alley
    Haiyang H.

    Came here for a dinner. This place is a bit interesting: - it is hidden in a back alley. So ladies, be prepared to walk on the cobblestone alley in your heels. LoL short walk though but taxi in and out could be a little tricky and takes some time. - pro of the back alley is the wall art. Enjoyed staring at some pieces - this place is of some history. I enjoyed looking at the decor and people. Interesting place. - salad was nice. Refreshing and plated nicely. I didn't like my fish. It was as dry as mummy... felt the history of cooking time with that poor piece of fish. I had some tea that night and it was okay. - service here was pretty good. But they certainly didn't appreciate some straight-forward critics over how dry the fish was. LoL man, nothing personal but that fish was cooked to hell.... - restroom is through a flight of steep and narrow stairs. So ladies, you might want to leave your heels behind. Overall, it was an interesting dinner for me. Might not consider coming back...

    Venison
    Rene K.

    Service was friendly and considerate, food was just over the top delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner there. It was perplexing to read all those negative reviews. Be nice to others before expecting the same back. Remember wild fowl is supposed to be cooked medium.

    Poached salmon

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    Page 4 of 8

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    Carlsberg Sports Bar

    Carlsberg Sports Bar

    3.5(6 reviews)
    0.3 miLeicester Square
    ££

    My bf and I have come here a few times now whenever we are in the area and need to pop by to watch…read morefootball or rugby. Whilst it's not the most posh place I've been, it usually gets the job done well. Drinks are how you would find at most pubs, and service is decent too, given how a waitress came to ask us what we wanted and served us amidst a busy rugby game (at other times, we had gone to the bar to order ourselves). There are quite a few tv screens as well as a big home theatre-like one too, which always adds to your sports watching experience. I've never had food here before but would like to try sometime. I hear that their wings are good. Be sure to bring an ID -- as its part of a casino facility, they check your ID even if you're here only for the bar and not for gambling.

    Fun sports bar inside a casino. One of the ONLY places in London where they show American…read moreFootball! Oddly, to open a tab, you have to give them both your credit/debit card AND your driver's license/passport/ID card. They give you a "badge" which you then show every time you order, apparently so they know which tab to bill it to. A bit weird to me, but maybe that's the norm in London, or at least in high-tourist bars in London. Also, they won't let men inside if you are wearing a hat-- you must remove the hat to enter. Fortunately, once inside, I put my hat back on and didn't have a problem with anyone saying anything. Glad my hat hair didn't have to be on display!

    Photos
    Carlsberg Sports Bar
    Carlsberg Sports Bar

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    Waxy O'Connor's - Fish and chips with fries and mushy peas

    Waxy O'Connor's

    3.8(205 reviews)
    0.4 miLeicester Square
    ££

    The lead lady on the bottom bar treated my family with discrimination because of her political…read moreaffiliation. Completely in poor taste, and should not have happened. We were respectful and nonpolitical, she assumed from our ethnic backgrounds and treated us accordingly. She verbatim said she will not serve our kind. Then proceeded to tell all her bar tenders to no longer serve us. Regrettably we had to get our drinks upstairs. She went out of her way to stare at us from the top, making my mother uncomfortable. If you want a pub without employees making every thing political, this is not the spot. We do not even entertain politics, she just put us in a basket. This is the first time in my life I had to exit the pub because of the brainwashed ultra lefty employee. I love all people and people on the left, it sucks that this extremist ruined the night after spending our hard earned money. Honestly the pours were weak, the lighting was poor, and the drinks were heavily overpriced. It's some fake Irish bar.

    Loved my visit to Waxy O'Connor's. I had one glass of Strawberry Lime cider, and I've been craving…read moreit ever since. (See picture below.) It was the second pub I visited on my visit to London, and again, I can't wait to go back. First, the prices: in America, two drinks would have cost at least $20; here, two drinks were only £11. I would've spent the whole night there if I could, but when you're traveling and have places to be early the next day, it's hard. Second, the service and ambiance were great. They serve the drinks very quickly, and of course, they know how to pour a pint of Guinness.

    Photos
    Waxy O'Connor's - Left bar near the fireplace

    Left bar near the fireplace

    Waxy O'Connor's - Yummy and frothy Guinness

    Yummy and frothy Guinness

    Waxy O'Connor's - Landing

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    Landing

    Mr Fogg's Tavern

    Mr Fogg's Tavern

    4.1(93 reviews)
    0.2 miCovent Garden, Strand
    ££

    Mr. Fogg's Tavern feels like stepping into a cozy pirates tavern, with warm lighting, themed music,…read moreand plenty of drinks to enjoy with company. The atmosphere is easily the highlight here, especially if you enjoy a pub that leans into character. Service was good and friendly, but a tip for first-timers: make sure to order both food and drinks directly at the bar rather than waiting at your table. Once you know that, everything moves smoothly. Mr. Fogg's rotates a weekly cocktail spritz and a non-alcoholic option. The food looked good - thick steak fries to share! Seating does become limited after about 6:30pm. There is also a quant upstairs gin bar. Very well decorated and cozy like you are at your aunts Victorian living room.

    We went expressly to see Tom Carradine perform his Cockney sing-a-long... what a great night!…read more The pub itself is authentic Victorian vibes, all sorts of things to look at on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. Not a big place, not many tables, but we were able to stand at a section of the bar that gave us the best view of the performance and Tom Carradine at his piano. By the end of the night the place was packed, people drawn in by the sounds of the music and the crowd, such fun! If "cockney sing a long" doesn't speak to you, don't worry... there is something for everyone. There was Abba, the Beatles and all kinds of other great classics. NB I had to convince my travel companion to come with me to this show, but we both had so much fun and we both sang our hearts out. Tom Carradine is a superb entertainer. Highly recommend if you like fun and music!

    Photos
    Mr Fogg's Tavern - Bar area

    Bar area

    Mr Fogg's Tavern
    Mr Fogg's Tavern

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    Rules - british - Updated June 2026

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