A Michelin-starred Indian restaurant beloved by royalty and celebrities alike is on the brink of closure after nearly a century — and all because of a space smaller than a box room.
Veeraswamy, hailed as the oldest restaurant of its type in the UK, has served up its acclaimed curries just steps from Piccadilly Circus since 1926.
It’s played host to everyone from Princess Anne to Lord David Cameron and even King Abdullah of Jordan.
But now, its future hangs in the balance thanks to a row with the King’s property portfolio, the Crown Estate, which owns the building in which the restaurant is based.
The lease on its iconic Victory House premises is set to expire in June and the Crown Estate has told the owners it won’t be renewed.
Restaurant boss Ranjit Mathrani, 81, says he was blindsided by the decision, especially after being asked just the year before if he wanted to expand into more space in the building.
He said the decision came completely ‘out of the blue’.
The property managers claim they need the space to upgrade the office entrance for the upper floors of the building, which have been empty since a flood late last year.
Owners Ranjit Mathrani and Namita Panjabi Veeraswamy Restaurant is oldest Indian restaurant in the country
Veeraswamy, hailed as the oldest Indian restaurant in the UK, has served up its acclaimed curries just steps from Piccadilly Circus since 1926
The interior of the Veeraswamy Restaurant 1926/1927
Executive Chef Uday Salumkhe. The restaurant has played host to everyone from Princess Anne to Lord David Cameron and even King Abdullah of Jordan
They argue the entire premises needs a full revamp and that Veeraswamy’s entrance area is in the way and knocking through it would give them an extra 11 sq metres.
Without its own entrance, there can be no restaurant and so, as part of the renovation works, the space currently occupied by Veeraswamy will be converted into brand new offices – demand for which has increased rapidly in the West End since the pandemic.
But Mathrani isn’t convinced.
He says they refused to allow the restaurant to continue trading until a new site could be found – a move that may force its doors to close, potentially leaving loyal staff redundant and customers heartbroken.
While the Crown Estate insists there’s no alternative entrance for the restaurant due to restrictions on the listed building, Mathrani says other options were never seriously considered.
He told The Times: ‘They don’t care a bugger for history. Had they wanted to, they could’ve easily …put the [office] reception on the first floor. If they’d have asked us to match the [office] rent, I would have.’
Now locked in a legal fight to extend the lease, Mathrani is warning that Veeraswamy may only be able to keep serving diners for another year — if that.
Butlers and kitchen staff of the Veeraswamy Restaurant 1927
Edward Palmer, founder of the restaurant. Now locked in a legal fight to extend the lease, Mathrani is warning that Veeraswamy may only be able to keep serving diners for another year — if that
Veeraswamy’s Indian Restaurant Regent Street 1963.
‘We’re open to moving, because we accept the inevitability that, sooner or later, they will be able to turf us out.
‘Ideally, if they’re being reasonable people, we need two years to find a site [and fit it out], but that is not currently something they’re willing to do.’
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Crown Estate said: ‘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.
‘Due to the limited options available in this listed building we need to remove the entrance to the restaurant, which means we will not be able to offer Veeraswamy an extension when their lease expires.’
