London: Veeraswamy, one of Britain’s oldest Indian restaurants, is fighting back against the threat of losing its iconic central London location on Regent Street in a lease extension stand-off.
The Crown Estate, the landlords of Victory House which houses the Michelin-star restaurant for nearly 100 years since April 1926, has decided not to renew the lease to carry out a “comprehensive refurbishment” of the building.
MW Eat, the company that owns Veeraswamy, has applied to the court to seek a renewal under its protected tenancy rights as the lease expiry date nears in June.
“Veeraswamy is not just an institution, but a living institution and an integral part of the current gastronomic landscape of London,” said Ranjit Mathrani, director of MW Eat, the group which has been operating the restaurant since the 1990s.
“Our guests have included her late majesty the Queen (Elizabeth II), the Princess Royale (Princess Anne), and other overseas royals. The Crown Estate have declined to extend our lease past 24 June, and require us to vacate, ostensibly to enable them to take back and use parts of our restaurant on the ground and first floors for their development plans,” he said.
MW Eat has been in discussions since it became aware of the plans of the Crown Estate, which operates the British monarch’s property portfolio, and tabled alternatives that would allow the restaurant to continue operating from its historic premises.
“But they have not been willing to compromise and appear determined to want to convert the whole building into offices, without much regard for history,” said Mathrani.
While the restaurant does not face any immediate threat of closure as a court decision on the legal challenge is expected towards the latter part of 2026, the fear of losing its century-old Regent Street location looms large.
“I am sorry to say that I feel that the representatives have had their minds closed in respect of the retention of Veeraswamy in their various discussions with me,” Mathrani notes in his witness statement to the court.
Veeraswamy was founded by Edward Palmer, the great-grandson of General William Palmer who was the military and private secretary to Warren Hastings – the first Governor General of India – and Mughal Princess Faisan Nissa Begum. Palmer is said to have been greatly influenced by his great-grandmother when devising the first menu.
“We have nurtured it, nourished it and kept it apace with the times. It’s probably the oldest surviving restaurant in the world now with such a rich history and will be a tragedy if it were to lose its location,” added Mathrani, whose MW Eat group with sisters Namita and Camellia Panjabi operates other popular Indian diners in London, including Chutney Mary and Amaya.
The Crown Estate said in a statement that, faced with limited options in the listed building, it needed to remove the entrance to the restaurant and was unable to offer Veeraswamy an extension when the lease expires in June.
A spokesperson for the Crown Estate said: “The Crown Estate has a duty to generate value for the nation while acting as responsible stewards for this historic part of London. We need to carry out a comprehensive refurbishment of Victory House. This includes a major upgrade to the offices and improving the entrance to make it more accessible.
“We appreciate this is upsetting for Veeraswamy and have offered to help find new premises elsewhere on our portfolio having explored other options to accommodate their needs. Veeraswamy has been a valued part of Regent Street for many years. We thank them and their customers for their contributions to the West End.”
