London is known for having some of the best bars and restaurants in the world. You can find a quality place to eat in pretty much every corner of the city. Of course, personal preferences always play a role in determining which restaurant you should pick. But whatever your final choice may be here, you’ll definitely enjoy the food you order.
Apart from modern concept bars, there are tons of historic places where you can eat out. Up until a while ago, we would’ve said that if you want to “eat history,” you should visit The Casino Club. This is the oldest legal UK casino that has a restaurant. However, this place sadly closed shop after 50 years.
The good thing is that there are numerous other places to choose from and that’s exactly what we’ll discuss in this article. We’ll take a look at the top 5 historic places to eat out in London. Let’s dive into the details.
Grosvenor Casino The Victoria
Since we mentioned the legendary The Casino Club, we’ll start this list with a historic casino that features a restaurant – Grosvenor Casino The Victoria. This place is the perfect blend between excitement and sophistication and it took the crown as the oldest casino after The Casino Club closed its doors.
The establishment has a bar, a snacks bar and a restaurant. The food here is amazing and the atmosphere is extremely soothing. Sports fans will enjoy the fact that there’s live sports broadcasting here. If you are visiting this place with a car, you’ll definitely find a free on-site parking spot.
The mains in the restaurant are roasted chicken breast, pan-fried salmon, roast beetroot and feta wellington and Linguine Napolitana. Numerous sides are also up for grabs and the dessert menu will fill your end-of-meal cravings.
Of course, if you want to enjoy next-level excitement, you can always visit the Grosvenor casino. Apart from being able to play various games at the establishment, the Grosvenor casino app will allow you to enjoy the games on the go.
The Gilbert Scott
There are hardly any places that have such a historic impact on the food culture of a city as much as The Gilbert Scott. This restaurant was part of the Midland Grand Hotel, which survived two bombings during World War II.
Even though the restaurant was closed for a long time, it re-opened in 2011. The refurbished establishment hasn’t lost any of its charms and some of its standout meals are the Arnold Bennett omelette and the roast pork belly.
The grand dining restaurant, which has 132 seats is located in the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London. Recently, it temporarily closed its doors, but Chef Patrick Powell took over it and will open in 2023.
Kettner’s Townhouse
One interesting piece of information about Kettner’s Townhouse is that this restaurant was opened by Napoleon III’s chef – Auguste Kettner. The restaurant started welcoming guests in 1867. The menu here changes seasonally and thanks to that fact, you can always try new meals.
When it was first opened, many speculated that it will not live long. After all, it was a French restaurant in British surroundings. Kettner’s Townhouse proved everyone wrong. At the moment, the Champagne Bar is the only bar that is open to the public and some of its standout meals are:
- Halibut, spinach, mussels and Café de Paris butter
- Twice-baked cheese soufflé, creamed leeks and mustard
- Pork schnitzel, cavolo nero, mustard, crème fraîche and a fried egg
Numerous snacks, starters and sharing meals are also up for grabs.
Mercato Mayfair
Mercato Mayfair is a Grade I restaurant which is open seven days a week, but most importantly – a pet-friendly establishment. Even though it operates on a first come, first serve basis, this restaurant is open to bookings for larger parties.
Here’s what makes Mercato Mayfair such a unique place to visit and eat. This isn’t your regular restaurant. The facility is actually a church that hosts a cocktail bar, grocery store and wine cellar. It brings ingredients and recipes from different countries and cultures and has a “global approach with a local focus.”
Rules
Rules is London’s oldest restaurant. It opened its doors in 1798 and one of the best things about it is that since its opening, it remained the same in terms of design and offerings. Tradition means a lot here and if you want to experience London’s history, this is definitely a place where you should eat out.
Some menu picks that you should consider eating are the roast crown of Mallard, breast of pheasant, grilled fillet of plaice and steak and kidney pudding. Dessert cocktails, puddings and cheese, as well as vegetables and salads are also up for grabs.
If you are a fan of cocktails, then there are plenty of unique choices – The Rules, Globetrotter, Aunt Nellie’s Tipple and High Flyer.