London's iconic restaurant Veeraswamy faces eviction threat; top chefs rally to save it

Some of Britain's leading chefs across cuisines on Thursday (November 13) came out in support of one of London’s oldest Indian restaurants, Veeraswamy, which is battling the threat of losing its iconic central location on Regent Street in a lease extension stand-off.

In an open letter to The Times, renowned chefs and restaurateurs such as Cyrus Todiwala, Raymond Blanc and Michel Roux appealed to the Crown Estate, landlord of Victory House, which has housed the Michelin-star restaurant for nearly 100 years since April 1926, to “act responsibly”.

Restaurateurs extend support

Last summer, Veeraswamy owners MW Eat Group was informed that their lease would not be renewed because the Crown Estate wanted to extend the ground floor reception area for the offices on the building’s upper floors.

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The chefs wrote that converting “such a restaurant into offices would be sacrilege, representing a profound loss, both for London’s restaurant scene and for our tourism economy, which thrives on the city’s unique and diverse landmarks”.

“As the Crown knows, heritage cannot be relocated, nor can history be replaced. Keeping Veeraswamy alive is an act of responsibility by the Crown worthy of London’s reputation as one of the world’s great dining and tourist cities,” they said in the letter to the newspaper.

Dispute with Crown Estate

The Crown Estate is owned by the British monarch “in right of the Crown”, which means that the King owns the estate during his reign, though it is not his private property. Therefore, he does not directly manage or make decisions about its assets, and the estate pays its profits into the UK government’s coffers.

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“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 would be a tragedy if it were to lose its location,” said Ranjit Mathrani, whose MW Eat Group, with sisters Namita and Camellia Panjabi, operates other popular Indian diners in London, including Chutney Mary and Amaya.

100-year legacy

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.

“Our guests have included her late majesty the Queen (Elizabeth II), the Princess Royal (Princess Anne), and other overseas royals. The Crown Estate declined to extend our lease past 24 June and required 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,” said Mathrani.

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The Crown Estate said it needs to carry out a “comprehensive refurbishment” to ensure the building meets modern standards and is brought back into full use.

“We understand how challenging this is for MW Eat. Our focus remains on working with all parties and has included offering to help find new premises in our portfolio so that they can continue to be in the West End, as well as financial compensation,” they said.

Veeraswamy’s lease expired at the end of June this year, but due to MW Eat Group’s legal action under its protected tenancy rights, it will continue to trade at the site until a court hearing is expected next year. A legal win for the restaurant under long-term tenants' enhanced rights could see an extension of its lease.