VEERASWAMY, one of the world’s oldest Indian restaurants, on Monday (16) marked 100 years since it first opened its doors at Victory House on London’s Regent Street in March 1926, even as its battle to retain its location continues.
The Michelin-starred diner, where guests included Mahatma Gandhi and Charlie Chaplin, marked the milestone with a celebratory re-creation of some of the dishes on the menu a century ago – served by staff in the classic uniform of the time.
It comes amid the “Save Veeraswamy” campaign seeking the restaurant’s lease renewal at Victory House from its landlord, the Crown Estate.
Co-owners Ranjit Mathrani and sisters Namita and Camellia Panjabi said in a joint statement, “In an increasingly fractious and divided world, Veeraswamy survives as a beacon of civilisation, a place where people from all countries and all walks of life can meet and dine together in a spirit of mutual understanding and enjoyment, just as its founder envisaged a century ago.”
The trio, behind MW Eat which runs the restaurant, were recently joined by staff anxious about their jobs in a march to Buckingham Palace with a 20,000-strong petition appealing for King Charles to intervene on their behalf with the Crown Estate – in charge of the monarch’s properties.
A court hearing is expected at the end of June, but the restaurateurs said they took the litigation route only as a last resort and have consistently called for discussions with the landlord to find a mutually beneficial arrangement – including a rent hike. “We would very much like to reach a compromise, but they have been completely uncaring and have shifted the grounds over the last year and half,” said Mathrani, adding that all plausible alternatives and solutions have been rebuffed by the landlord.
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. The Crown Estate said it needs 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,” a spokesperson said.
“This is not a decision we’ve taken lightly. With external advice, we have reviewed alternative proposals including those put forward by MW Eat, and unfortunately there isn’t an alternate scheme which meets our responsibilities as stewards of this heritage listed building, our legal obligations and our responsibilities to manage public money,” the spokesperson added.
