It would be as absurd to ignore the French influence on English cooking as it would be to pretend that Provencal cuisine is innocent of Italian, Spanish or North African culinary influences. Another reason for visiting Brown's is John Gilchrist who is London's most user-friendly sommeier. His list is astounding and he has the best and most varied list of wines by the glass I've ever come across. Some would say that the only place to find really great British cooking is in certain gentlemen's' clubs in St James's, but you need to know your dining rooms as some are reminiscent of public school dinners. Leading the field in exclusive clubbiness is Wilton's , located in the heart of clubland, at 55 Jermyn Street, St James's.
Game is well prepared, but the fish can be disappointing.
London's oldest restaurant is Rules , at 35 Maiden Lane WC2, behind the Strand. My grandfather is alleged to have breakfasted there every day as a young man. The walls at Rules are covered with old prints and cartoons, the staff are solicitous in a rather grand way, and the trick is to settle back and relax into it all. This is the place for those who like game. There, for a fee, you can help dispatch the partridge, pheasant, mallard, snipe, teal and deer that will find their way, after proper hanging, onto their well starched dining tables.