6 Historic Restaurants In London

London is one of the oldest cities of the world and with a history that long and colourful comes a rich and diverse culture. A visit to the city is a beautiful experience and an enriching one at that. From food to literature, fashion to music, politics to finance – London has everything that you may be interested in and more. When you are in this big, beautiful city you may want to visit some of these wonderful, historic restaurants to enjoy more than just a decadent meal. 

Established by Thomas Rule in 1789, the Rules restaurant has been a favourite of many well-known artists, writers, and celebrities such as Charles Dickens and Charlie Chaplin, Laurence Olivier, and Clark Gable. The restaurant has been around for well over 200 years (through the reigns of 9 monarchs) and is still known for the wonderful traditional British food served here. The history and the classic ambience make Rules a favourite with the regulars and with guests visiting London.

Simpson’s in the Strand opened up in 1828 as a popular chess club. For almost 2 centuries of its existence, the restaurant has come to be known as the "home of Chess" attracting chess players of renown. Some of the most popular guests who are known to have visited the restaurant include George Bernard Shaw, Charles Dickens and Vincent Van Gogh. Simpson’s continues to serve traditional British cuisine made from the freshest ingredients.

Wiltons is often referred to as the oldest restaurant in London. This is because even as far back as 1742 George William Wiltons began selling oysters and shrimps and soon Wiltons turned into a well-loved oyster-room in Trafalgar Square. The restaurant opened up in 1840 and has till date remained a sea food speciality eatery. The restaurant was moved to Jermyn Street in 1984. It received a Royal Warrant as Purveyor of Oysters to Queen Victoria in 1884 and later as Purveyors to the Prince of Wales.

The Sweetings restaurant is located in a Grade II listed Albert Buildings on Queen Victoria Street. Opened in 1889, it is one of London’s oldest seafood restaurants. Sweetings is known for its signature dishes - the West Mersea oysters, the fried whitebait, and the smoked trout and eel - and for its signature beverages such as the Sweetings Black Velvet (a blend of Guinness and champagne, created in 1861).

The Ivy opened its doors to guests and diners back in 1917. While it opened up as an Italian restaurant, The Ivy now serves up a delectable spread of Asian dishes and also showcases its salad and seafood counters. The ownership of the restaurant has changed many times and in 2015 it received a very glamourous facelift reclaiming its place as one of London's favourite eateries.

While the Ooty restaurant has not been around for quite as long as others on this list, it is undoubtedly one of the best south Indian restaurants in London. It is located in Baker Street in the historic Marylebone area. Ooty is named after a quaint and beautiful little hill station in southern India and is known to serve up the most delicious and innovative south Indian dishes. Ooty combines traditional cooking techniques with local ingredients and the result is a delectable fare.

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