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The Crown Estate said it understands the disappointment but has offered help in finding alternative premises and financial compensation
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It added that it has a legal duty to manage its properties responsibly and return profits to the UK government for public spending
Around 20,000 people have signed a petition appealing to King Charles III to help prevent the closure of Veeraswamy, the UK’s oldest Indian restaurant and a much-loved London landmark. Founded in 1926, the Michelin-starred restaurant is approaching its 100th anniversary this March, but its future is now uncertain due to a lease dispute.
Veeraswamy is located in Victory House on Regent Street. Its landlord, the Crown Estate, declined to renew the lease last year, citing plans to refurbish the ageing building. Victory House suffered flood damage in 2023 and is said to be in urgent need of repair. Planning permission has since been granted for a major redevelopment, including upgraded office space and a redesigned entrance. However, these changes would remove the existing entrance to Veeraswamy, making it impossible for the restaurant to continue operating in its current location.
The restaurant’s co-owners, Ranjit Mathrani and Namita Panjabi, who have run Veeraswamy since 1996, have launched legal proceedings against the Crown Estate
Mathrani said that if no agreement is reached, the matter is likely to be decided in court by the end of June 2026. The couple also started the petition, urging the King to intervene with the Crown Commissioners and asking them to renew the lease in order to protect what they describe as a historic institution.
Veeraswamy has a rich heritage. Its founder, Edward Palmer, was linked to both British and Indian history, being the great-grandson of a senior colonial official and a North Indian Mughal princess. Over the decades, the restaurant has welcomed famous guests including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Winston Churchill. Renowned chefs Raymond Blanc and Michel Roux have also voiced support for saving it.
