Capital’s oldest restaurant frequented by royals and celebrities donated to National Trust

The National Trust said the donation of the 228-year-old restaurant would safeguard the building and its collection for future generations.

First opened as an oyster bar at the end of the 18th century, Rules has survived the Blitz, redevelopment proposals and changing tastes – all while maintaining its tradition of English “country house” cuisine.

Its famous customers have included Charles Dickens, Charlie Chaplin, Edward VII, David Bowie, Harrison Ford, Liza Minnelli and Madonna.

The former king Edward VII is also said to have used the restaurant for rendezvous with his mistresses.

Rules also has rooms named after poet John Betjeman, who campaigned against plans to redevelop Maiden Lane, and novelist Graham Greene, who celebrated birthdays there and featured the establishment in his novel The End Of The Affair.

The National Trust described the restaurant as a “rare example of living heritage”, with its historic structure and original use as a restaurant preserved through more than two centuries of continued operation.

Hilary McGrady, director-general of the National Trust, 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.

“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, and the care he has poured into Rules over many decades, mean this beloved place has a future measured not in years but generations.

“His gift ensures that one of London’s great living institutions will remain part of the city’s cultural life, with all its stories, traditions and character intact.”

Mr Mayhew, who has owned the property for 40 years, said the restaurant had survived against the odds.

“There are few restaurants in the world that have endured the test of time like Rules”, he said.

The owner continued: “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.

“When John Betjeman defended Rules from the Greater London Council plans to turn the Strand into a dual carriageway in 1971, he spoke not only of the paintings, sculptures, stained glass and red plush seats, but of its ‘invisible atmosphere’.

“My gift to the National Trust is in answer to that appeal. The Trust will protect this place in a way that no-one else could, safeguarding its bricks and mortar, its famous interior and its invisible atmosphere, too.

“I am grateful to them for believing in this idea and for protecting this building and two centuries’ worth of stories for people to enjoy forever.”

The donation also includes the annual rent from the restaurant, which will fund conservation work.

Proprietor Ricky McMenemy, who has worked at Rules for 35 years, will continue operating the business as a commercial tenant of the National Trust.

He said: “As an independent business, it gives us both the security and peace of mind that our home will be in very good hands and be protected and secure going forward.

“Having already established a very amicable working relationship with the Trust, we look forward to another two centuries in this, our home.”

The National Trust already cares for 39 historic pubs that remain in operation, including the George Inn in Southwark and the Crown Bar in Belfast.

Rules will be the first historic restaurant still in business to occupy a building in the charity’s care.