Last night bill and I had dinner at a London Institution. Rules is London's oldest restaurant.
It began as an oyster bar in the 1700's and then started serving traditional English game. I didn't see any horse on the menu but these shoes lined the entry way.
Welcome to Rules.
They took our coats and put Bill's hat on the antler racks with the others.
I tried the Kate Middleton cocktail that tasted of violets. Bill's beer was served in a silver tankard.
Bill started with the oysters while I had a game mulligatawny soup that was fantastic. Don't worry, Fletch, we didn't take pictures of every course. But we did get a giggle out of asking the waiter about his woodcock.
I had duck and Bill had rump.
Do these words ever get old?
The setting was even better than the food. We loved all the antlers and stuffed game on the walls, the pictures of old political cartoons and the royals, and the stained glass dome above our heads.
There was a woman eating alone - if I'm ever in London for a night alone, I think this is where I would take myself.
She started talking to the couple next to her who said they eat at Rules every night! I believe them because the waiters came over at one point and clearly knew them.
There was a letter at our table from a woman whose father was a pastry chef at Rules in the early 1900's. King Edward said his sweets were so beautiful they should have been under glass.
When I turned back around there was a visitor on our table. That was when I knew it was time to go.
But I was not ready to leave. So we headed upstairs to the cocktail bar. Although Rules is basically booked solid months in advance, the cocktail bar was almost completely empty!! This was where Edward VII used to dine privately with his mistress Lilly Langtry.
We sat at the bar and chatted up the bartenders Adam and Dean.
Once I start looking like this it's time to go home.
For those of you watching the latest season of Downton Abby - watch for the scene where Mary, Rose, Tom, and Edith all have lunch at Rules!!
3 comments:
why does the bartender have a jar of hamburg?
HA! Those are sugared rose petals - they went into my Kate Middleton cocktail along with candy violets. That sounds gross but it was very nice!!
the is place looks amazing. I'll look for it in Downton Abbey. I'm afraid my third grade dietary tastes eliminate me from many enjoyable feasts you have. My range is pizza, macaroni & cheese and spaghetti.
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