Veeraswamy: UK’s oldest Indian restaurant, which served Churchill, Chaplin and Brando, forced to shut down; here’s why

VEERASWAMY, the UK’s oldest Indian restaurant, faces closure at its home on London’s Regent Street. The Crown Estate says renovation work at Victory House will prevent Veeraswamy from operating there. It has decided against renewing the lease.

Edward Palmer, a retired Anglo-Indian army officer, opened Veeraswamy in 1926. The Michelin-starred restaurant has served Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin and Marlon Brando. It has also catered for events at Buckingham Palace. Its century on Regent Street is central to the campaign to keep it there.

Who owns Veeraswamy and why the dispute?

Ranjit Mathrani owns Veeraswamy and MW Eat is the restaurant’s parent company. He says the business is being treated unfairly. The Crown Estate rejects that claim.

‘We strongly refute any suggestion that The Crown Estate prefers particular types of cuisine. We are proud to have a diverse dining offer across our West End portfolio, reflecting the diversity of London itself,” said a spokesperson.

The Crown Estate manages the monarch’s property interests and is the restaurant’s landlord. Mathrani has written to King Charles, asking him to intervene. Buckingham Palace says the matter rests with Crown Estate officials.

The dispute is now in court under the Landlord and Tenant Act. The case started on November 5 and could determine whether the restaurant can keep its lease.

Guy Fetherstonhaugh KC, representing MW Eat, argued that the landlord was singling out Veeraswamy. He suggested the Crown Estate wanted new offices without an Indian restaurant in the building. The Crown Estate rejects any suggestion that the type of food influenced its decision.

The landlord says the building works are necessary. It says its West End properties offer food from a range of cuisines. It also says its profits go to the Treasury. The Crown Estate says this imposes a duty on it to manage taxpayers’ money well.

What happens next?

The Crown Estate has offered compensation and help finding another site within its property portfolio. That offer could give MW Eat a way to keep the restaurant open elsewhere. The court case is ongoing, and Veeraswamy’s future at Victory House remains uncertain.

Staff say moving would mean leaving the site that shaped the restaurant’s history. Martin, 73, has welcomed diners at the door for nine years. He told Metro that another location could never replicate the premises' history.

‘Veeraswamy is part of the fabric of London. I don’t know if it were a restaurant run by Gordon Ramsay or another celebrity chef, it would be treated the same way. But we do feel we have been badly treated,” he told the publication.

‘We love this place; we are like a family. Generations of people have come to eat here. Regent Street won’t be the same without Veeraswamy,’ another staff member said.

Staff have also appealed to King Charles for help in saving the restaurant. A petition backing Veeraswamy has gathered 20,000 signatures. Celebrity chefs Raymond Blanc and Michel Roux are among the supporters.

Customers have also backed the campaign. Vijay, 29, told Metro that he would typically try to have lunch there during business trips to Britain. He praised the food and service. For staff and campaigners, the dispute concerns both the business and its century-old home.