Veeraswamy, the UK's oldest Indian restaurant, is facing closure after nearly 100 years due to a dispute with the Crown Estate, which owns the listed building housing the Michelin-starred venue near Piccadilly Circus. The restaurant opened in April 1926 and has hosted celebrities from Marlon Brando to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The Crown Estate plans to refurbish Victory House, including upgrading offices and improving the entrance. To do so, it needs to remove the restaurant's entrance area, meaning it cannot extend Veeraswamy's lease when it expires. Co-owner Ranjit Mathrani is heading to the High Court to object, calling the plans 'heartless' and believing the royal family would be disappointed.
Mathrani, who bought the restaurant with Namita Panjabi in the 1980s after a period of decline, has revived its fortunes, earning a Michelin star in 2016. The restaurant also catered for a Buckingham Palace function in 2008 and helped launch the UK-India Year of Culture in 2017.
Diners on Monday praised the restaurant's heritage and current menu, which includes dishes like patiala shahi raan en croute. One recalled the buzz when the Prince of Wales dined there. The Crown Estate stated that due to limited options in the listed building, it cannot offer a lease extension.
