Veeraswamy, which opened in 1926, is the oldest Indian restaurant in Britain
Britain’s oldest Indian restaurant is preparing to fight for its future in court, as the Crown Estate seeks to reclaim the Regent Street building it has occupied for nearly a century.
Veeraswamy, the Michelin-starred institution at Victory House in central London, has been at the heart of a long legal dispute with its landlord after the Crown Estate declined to renew its £205,000-a-year lease when it expired last summer. The restaurant has continued to trade while legal proceedings remain pending.
A five-day hearing at the central London county court is due to begin on June 29, at which arguments from both the Crown Estate and Veeraswamy’s owner, MW Eat, will be heard. The outcome will bring to a close a dispute that has been running for well over a year.
The Crown Estate argues that a comprehensive refurbishment of the offices on the upper floors of Victory House cannot be carried out while the restaurant remains on site.
Co-owner Ranjit Mathrani of MW Eat has disputed this, stating: “It is well within the competence of many reputable contractors to deliver the defendant’s programme of works in a manner which could accommodate the restaurant business. This is a standard part of many similar refurbishments in London and elsewhere in the UK.”
A Crown Estate spokesperson said: “This is not a decision we’ve taken lightly. We need to carry out a comprehensive refurbishment of Victory House to both bring it up to modern standards, and into full use. We understand how disappointing this is for MW Eat and have offered help to find new premises on our portfolio so that the restaurant can stay in the West End as well as financial compensation.”
Opened in 1926, Veeraswamy is widely regarded as the birthplace of Britain’s enduring love of curry, and is among the longest-standing tenants on Regent Street, alongside Hamleys and Café Royal. It counts royals, politicians and business figures among its regular clientele, reports the Daily Star.
More than 20,000 diners, food historians and chefs from around the world have backed calls for the restaurant to remain at its current home.
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