UNITED KINGDOM – London, Rules Restaurant // Spectre (2015)
The MI6 is under threat by a mole of Spectre. So where to go, when there is secret business to be discussed? Best to Londons oldest and most secretive restaurant…
“It took three days of filming”, the waiter remembered as he scooped some more Sauce Béarnaise onto what was one of the finest rump steaks we’ve ever eaten. “And then, the final scene in the movie was just some seconds.” Antlers, oil paintings and memorabilia fill the walls, the chairs are padded with red velvet, all the waiters wear bow-ties. We are at Rules, Londons oldest and – to some – finest restaurants. And M’s choice, when it comes to dining at late hours.
Why Bond was here
After Bond infiltrated Blofeld’s base in Morocco, his MI6 partners at home try their best to keep Bond invisible to a mole in the British secret service. M (Ralph Fiennes), Q (Ben Whishaw) and Moneypenney (Naomie Harris) all meet at Rules, to discuss future concerted actions. “He’s on his own”, M concludes about Bond.
M at his table at Rules
How you gonna get there
The restaurant is at 34-35 Maiden Lane in Covent Garden, a district right in the heart of London. Closest underground station is “Covent Garden”. Other nearby stations are “Charing Cross” and “Embankment”, where action sequences of previous Bond movie Skyfall had been filmed.
Good to know
Since Rules is London’s oldest restaurant – founded in 1798 – it had built up quite a reputation over the decades. The service is excellent, so is the food. British, with a modern twist: Rules serves steaks, fish, hare or lamb, traditionally made, but extraordinary in taste. Reservations for dinner are highly recommended, even during the week London’s restaurants are bustling.
You can ask for M’s table in Spectre and they will know, which table you want. But since the table is for four persons, couples might not get lucky. Watch out: Right next to the original is a table for two and a prop from movie, that the restaurants exhibits.
The bar at Rules
Dinner at Rules is quite an expensive treat. So if you want to skip the eating, there is a fine bar just upstairs. Since the restaurant can get very busy in the evenings, this might actually be the more of M’s choice: A wooden bar right vis-à-vis an old fireplace, cosy booths and signature cocktails. True to Bond savourers can enjoy “Lucia Sciarra” – made with Bombay Gin, Gammel Dansk and Benedictine. It’s the right choice to end an exquisite evening.
Marvelous – that’s about the right word to describe our evening at Rules. And we are still not sure, if it was for the straight up high-proof drinks or the fluffy carpets that we felt like walking on cloud nine. Maybe it was just because we celebrated our sixth anniversary and were drunk of love – pun absolutely intended.
© 2017 Huntingbond (1,3,4), © 2015 Danjaq, MGM (2)