How London's oldest restaurant has survived for 228 years

In our roundup of travel stories this week: Top food destinations in Asia, America's best town to visit in 2026, and the special dishes that have for centuries powered London's oldest restaurant.

English elegance

During its 228 years of existence, the London restaurant Rules – established by Thomas Rule in 1798 – has welcomed everyone from literary giant Charles Dickens to pop queen Madonna.

Vibrant red flags and gold-trimmed awnings announce this historic eatery in Covent Garden and, once inside, you're instantly transported to another era. Every inch of wall space is covered with vintage mirrors, statues and busts, alongside countless drawings, cartoons and paintings.

The gold-stencilled lettering on the window — "Oysters. Pies. Pudding." — outlines the traditional British fare on offer. From rabbit to guinea fowl, it sells more game than any other restaurant in the UK, and as for desserts, it's strictly old school. Feast your eyes here.

On Location

The dining room at Rules has played a starring role in dozens of movies and TV shows, from "Downton Abbey" to the James Bond film "Spectre."

Elsewhere in the UK, Harry Potter fans recently saved a memorial site on a Welsh beach dedicated to the "grave" of fictional character Dobby. An undersea cable for an electricity project was set to go right through the popular mound of stones, but protesters were not having it.

Airing in the US later this month, "The Traitors: New Blood" is the first all-civilian version of the show hosted by Alan Cumming and, as with the other seasons, is filmed in the Scottish Highlands. CNN subscribers can watch Cumming explore the Highlands in the opening episode of our 2025 travel series "My Happy Place": Stream now.

Asian food

Lucknow is considered by many Indians as one of the country's greatest culinary capitals, but beyond the South Asian nation's borders, the city has remained largely absent from global conversations about food.

That could be all set to change, however, as last year UNESCO named Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, a Creative City of Gastronomy. Get there while it's hot.

A little further east, in Indonesia, there's a fine-dining revolution going on. While the wider world has in recent decades fallen for the archipelago's humble street food, there's a rising number of contemporary chefs who are elevating the national cuisine on the global stage. That means reimagining its famous spices into sophisticated high-level experiences, while sharing the stories of Indonesian flavor through a different lens.

America's Best Town

Concluding our countdown of America's Best Towns to Visit in 2026, we have Sarasota, Florida, at No. 1.

This Gulf Coast city is Florida's arts capital, with a cultural compound that grew from the fortunes of circus magnate John Ringling. Throw in rare gardens and beautiful beaches, and you have a sophisticated cultural getaway that delivers sun and surf, too.

Here's a full recap of our all-star list for 2026: Roanoke, Virginia, at No. 10; Lawrence, Kansas, at No. 9; Iowa City, Iowa at No. 8; Juneau, Alaska, at No. 7; Burlington, Vermont, at No. 6; Fort Collins, Colorado, at No. 5; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, at No. 4; Greenville, South Carolina at No. 3; and New Haven, Connecticut, at No. 2.

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