Since 1926, Veeraswamy has had its dining room in Victory House, on Regent’s Street. In that time, it has seen a number of famous faces swing by, including Princess Anne, Lord Cameron and King Abdullah of Jordan. The restaurant reaches a century next year, and is thought to be Britain’s oldest Indian restaurant; certainly, it is London’s.
Now its future is in jeopardy owing to a dispute with the Crown Estate, which owns the building the restaurant occupies. The Crown Estate wish to reclaim Veeraswamy’s 11 square metre entrance space, as part of refurbishment plans for the building. These include the expansion of the ground-floor reception area to serve the offices on the upper floors. By knocking through into Veeraswamy’s entrance area, though the Crown gains the space, the restaurant would be forced to close.
