Discover London's most characterful and nostalgic restaurants, which are still making their mark on the capital's ever-changing dining scene.

Wiltons

Taking its first incarnation as a stall selling oysters, shrimps and cockles in 1742, it could be argued that Wiltons is the oldest restaurant in london. Founded by George William Wilton, it soon grew to become a fishmonger shop in 1805 with a sit-in oyster room near Trafalgar Square. However it wasn’t until 1840 that the first Wiltons seafood restaurant opened in St James’ Ryder Street. It has been in Jermyn Street since 1984. Wiltons has consistently enjoyed a reputation as the epitome of fine British dining in London and synonymous for the immaculately prepared finest oysters, wild fish and game. The first Royal Warrant was received in 1884 as Purveyor of Oysters to Queen Victoria, and a second as Purveyors to the Prince of Wales.

Rules

Commonly cited as the oldest restaurant in London, Rules in Covent Garden has been serving customers since 1798 when it was founded by Thomas Rule and still specialises in traditional British food including classic game, oysters, pies and puddings. In over 200 years, spanning the reigns of nine monarchs, it has been owned by only three families and throughout its long history the tables have been crowded with writers, artists, lawyers, journalists and actors - seen on the walls all around the dining rooms – captured in literally hundreds of drawings, paintings and cartoons. Guests have include everyone from Charles Dickens, Laurence Olivier to Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin. The restaurant owns its own estate in the High Pennines where all of its game is sourced – on which it has built a solid and deserved reputation. 

Simpson's-in-the-Strand

Simpson's-in-the-Strand is one of London's most historic landmark restaurants. Originally opened in 1828 as a chess club and coffee house - The Grand Cigar Divan - Simpson's soon became known as the "home of chess". It was to avoid disturbing the chess games in progress that the idea of placing large joints of meat on silver-domed trolleys and wheeling them to guests' tables first came into being, a practice Simpson's still continues today. One of the earliest Master Cooks insisted that everything in the restaurant be British and the Simpson's of today remains a proud exponent of the best of classical British fare - think: potted shimps, roast saddle of lamb and steak and kidney pie. Famous regulars include Charles Dickens, George Bernard Shaw, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (and his fictional creation, Sherlock Holmes), Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone.

Sweetings

Located in a Grade II listed building on Queen Victoria Street, City stalwart Sweetings is probably the oldest fish and oyster restaurant in London and has been serving up signature dishes (including: West Mersea Oysters, lobster salad and smoked eel) to busy Londoners since 1889. In its 124-year venerable history, the "very superior oyster rooms" has been owned by six different people and it's nostalgic charm shows that little seems to have changed, which is a good thing. 

Quo Vadis

This historic West End institution has changed hands many times since Pepino Leoni opened it in 1926. It's now under the care of Sam and Eddie Hart of Barrafina and Fino acclaim - having been previously run by Marco Pierre White and Damien Hirst in 1996. The Hart brothers have since taken over, installing Jeremy Lee in the kitchen and recently re-opened following a refurbishment to marks its 90th anniversary and making room to accommodate the original Barrafina tapas bar within the ground-floor dining room. There is also a second restaurant on the first floor for the exclusive use of Quo Vadis’s members with a menu featuring traditional fare such as smoked eel sandwich as well as veal shoulder and crab soup. 

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Trips down memory lane...