How London’s oldest restaurant has survived for 228 years

In our roundup of journey tales this week: Top meals locations in Asia, America’s finest city to go to in 2026, and the particular dishes which have for hundreds of years powered London’s oldest restaurant.

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

Vibrant pink flags and gold-trimmed awnings announce this historic eatery in Covent Garden and, as soon as inside, you’re immediately transported to a different period. Every inch of wall area is roofed with classic mirrors, statues and busts, alongside numerous drawings, cartoons and work.

The gold-stencilled lettering on the window — “Oysters. Pies. Pudding.” — outlines the normal British fare on supply. From rabbit to guinea fowl, it sells extra recreation than some other restaurant within the UK, and as for desserts, it’s strictly old-fashioned. Feast your eyes here.

The eating room at Rules has performed a starring function in dozens of films and TV reveals, from “Downton Abbey” to the James Bond movie “Spectre.”

Elsewhere within the UK, Harry Potter followers lately saved a memorial web site on a Welsh seashore devoted to the “grave” of fictional character Dobby. An undersea cable for an electrical energy undertaking was set to go proper by way of the favored mound of stones, however protesters were not having it.

Airing within the US later this month, “The Traitors: New Blood” is the primary all-civilian model of the present hosted by Alan Cumming and, as with the opposite seasons, is filmed within the Scottish Highlands. CNN subscribers can watch Cumming discover the Highlands within the opening episode of our 2025 journey collection “My Happy Place”: Stream now.

Lucknow is taken into account by many Indians as one of many nation’s biggest culinary capitals, however past the South Asian nation’s borders, town has remained largely absent from world conversations about meals.

That may very well be all set to vary, nonetheless, as final yr UNESCO named Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, a Creative City of Gastronomy. Get there whereas it’s scorching.

Just a little additional east, in Indonesia, there’s a fine-dining revolution occurring. While the broader world has in current a long time fallen for the archipelago’s humble avenue meals, there’s a rising variety of up to date cooks who’re elevating the nationwide delicacies on the worldwide stage. That means reimagining its well-known spices into subtle high-level experiences, whereas sharing the tales of Indonesian taste by way of a distinct lens.

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

This Gulf Coast metropolis is Florida’s arts capital, with a cultural compound that grew from the fortunes of circus magnate John Ringling. Throw in uncommon gardens and delightful seashores, and you’ve got a complicated cultural getaway that delivers solar and surf, too.

Here’s a full recap of our all-star record 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.

This job’s strictly for the birds.

A seagull named Roger works on the docks as an unofficial “security guard.” Watch right here.

I don’t suppose you’re prepared for this jelly.

These spectacular edible creations push the wobbly confection to its limits.

What’s the key to the world’s most habitable metropolis?

Transformation doesn’t occur in a single day.

A commemorative coin. A cosmic milestone. A feminist icon.

What do you keep in mind from the week that was?