Valentine Rules

Rules

Today we stuck with a tradition that my man set 3 years ago when he took me out for Valentines Day. We went for our annual meal at Rules Restaurant in Maiden Lane near Covent Garden. Rules is the oldest restaurant in London, established by Thomas Rule in 1798. It specialises in game, oysters, pies and puddings. And we love it.
Today we started with a lobster, tiger prawn and avocado salad for me, and crispy rabbit with black pudding and bacon salad for M. Both were exceptionally delicious and the lobster was so fresh it could have winked.
Next I chose the roe deer loin with spinach and ruby plums and M chose the jugged hare.
We had savoy cabbage, honeyed parsnips and creamy mash as accompaniments. The roe deer was as tender, flavoursome and delicious as ever but the jugged hare, which was a first was out of this world rich dark gamey meat with the texture of the softer meat of a crispy duck.
Despite this richness, one cannot go to Rules without having dessert. M chose Queen of Puddings and I chose the treacle tart with clotted cream. Exquisite.
After our coffee we staggered out in to the hustle and bustle of Covent Garden aware we had been blissfully enclosed in another gentler world for a few precious hours.