Key facts
- Veeraswamy, the UK's oldest Indian restaurant, is in a legal battle with the Crown Estate over a threatened eviction.
- The restaurant, established in 1926 on Regent Street, faces closure as its lease renewal was denied.
- The Crown Estate plans to refurbish the building's upper floors for office use, which would involve altering the restaurant's entrance.
- MW Eat, the restaurant's parent company, claims the refurbishment can be completed without eviction and has proposed alternative solutions.
- The Crown Estate maintains the refurbishment is essential for modernization and increased rental income, offering compensation and relocation assistance.
The UK's oldest Indian restaurant, Veeraswamy, is set to appear in central London county court this month to contest its threatened eviction by the Crown Estate. The restaurant, which has operated on Regent Street for a century and served notable figures including Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth II, faces closure after the Crown Estate declined to renew its lease.
The Crown Estate, a vast property portfolio owned by King Charles that generates revenue for the Treasury, intends to carry out a comprehensive refurbishment of the Victory House building's upper floors, which have been vacant since a 2023 flood. This refurbishment would involve removing a wall separating the restaurant's entrance from the office space to create a larger reception area, with the aim of significantly increasing rental income from office tenants.
Veeraswamy's parent company, MW Eat, argues that the planned works can be completed without evicting the restaurant. Co-owner Ranjit Mathrani stated in a witness statement that reputable contractors could accommodate the restaurant's business during the refurbishment. MW Eat has proposed sharing the enlarged entrance and offered to match the increased rents the Crown Estate anticipates from new office tenants, but these proposals were reportedly declined.
A spokesperson for the Crown Estate acknowledged the disappointment for MW Eat, emphasizing the necessity of the refurbishment to modernize the building and bring it into full use. The estate has offered financial compensation and assistance in finding alternative premises within its portfolio to keep the restaurant in the West End.
However, Mathrani described these claims as "disingenuous," noting that while the restaurant would consider alternative locations, no suitable options have been presented. MW Eat estimates the cost of relocating, fitting out a new site, and the closure during the move would amount to approximately £5 million, a figure the Crown Estate's compensation offer would only partially cover.
A significant public campaign has emerged to save the historic restaurant, with top chefs, critics, and diners supporting the cause. A petition to keep Veeraswamy in its original premises has gathered over 20,000 signatures and was delivered to Buckingham Palace.