Veeraswamy, Britain’s oldest surviving Indian restaurant, faces an uncertain future after nearly a century in the same Regent Street location. Founded in 1926, it has operated continuously from Victory House, a Grade II-listed building near Piccadilly Circus, surviving the Blitz and major social changes. With its 100th anniversary approaching in March, supporters are mounting a petition to Buckingham Palace asking King Charles III to intervene; the campaign has gathered more than 19,000 signatures and won backing from chefs including Raymond Blanc, Michael Roux and Richard Corrigan. “Most European cities cherish their legendary restaurants. Why in the name of God would we want to lose Veeraswamy?” Corrigan asked.
The dispute centers on the Crown Estate, which owns Victory House and plans a refurbishment it says is incompatible with the restaurant remaining on-site. Planning documents indicate the ground-floor restaurant space would be converted into offices and the entrance altered in ways that would make the venue inaccessible. The Crown Estate says it has offered financial support and help finding alternative West End premises and that the decision was not taken lightly.
Owners Ranjit Mathrani and Namita Panjabi counter that the estate proposes reclaiming about 11 square metres of ground-floor space, which would block access to the mezzanine dining room and render operations unviable. They say practical alternatives exist that would allow Veeraswamy to stay without obstructing the redevelopment. Legal proceedings are underway, but Mathrani warned the case may not be resolved in time, risking closure before the centenary year.
When Edward Palmer opened Veeraswamy in 1926, Indian restaurants were rare in Britain. Initially serving Anglo-Indian patrons nostalgic for home flavours, it later attracted generals, civil servants, business leaders and expatriates. Early visitors reportedly included Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru; later guests have included Charlie Chaplin, Marlon Brando, Winston Churchill and, more recently, Princess Anne, David Cameron and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The restaurant remained open during the wartime Blitz, catered for Indian visits to Buckingham Palace in 2008 and 2017, and played a role in popularising Indian dishes in the UK—introducing the country’s first tandoor oven in the 1950s and helping make dishes such as chicken korma, vindaloo and tandoori chicken widely known. Veeraswamy earned its first Michelin star in 2016 and has retained it.
Supporters hope King Charles, who has spoken about building links between communities, might quietly back the campaign; Buckingham Palace has said the matter rests with the Crown Estate.
