Can King Charles III step in to save Veeraswamy, Britain’s oldest Indian restaurant?

Centenary restaurant battles eviction from Regent Street

As it prepares to mark its centenary next month, the United Kingdom’s oldest Indian restaurant is fighting for survival. Veeraswamy, founded in March 1926, faces the prospect of closure after its landlord, The Crown Estate, declined to renew its lease.

Campaigners are now urging King Charles III to step in and protect the Michelin-starred institution, which has operated for decades from Victory House on Regent Street.

What is the dispute about?

Veeraswamy has traded from Victory House for nearly a century and is among the oldest rent-paying tenants on the iconic London thoroughfare. Only Hamleys, which opened in 1881, and Café Royal, established in 1865, predate it on Regent Street.

The Crown Estate, which owns the building, has informed the restaurant’s owners that it cannot extend the lease beyond June. It argues that Victory House requires extensive refurbishment, work it claims cannot proceed with the restaurant in situ.

According to The Standard, Westminster City Council has approved plans to alter the building’s ground floor as part of a broader redevelopment that would create office space on the upper levels. The proposals would convert the restaurant’s premises into offices, cutting off access and effectively forcing it to shut.

Petition to the Palace

In response, campaigners have delivered a petition bearing more than 20,000 signatures to Buckingham Palace and the Crown Estate, urging them to halt the closure.

The petition calls on the monarch to “protect a historic institution” and preserve a “symbol of Indo-British cultural connections”. Protesters gathered outside Buckingham Palace with placards reading “Keep calm and curry on”, “King Charles we are good tenants” and “Veeraswamy customers are heartbroken”.

Ranjit Mathrani, the 81-year-old joint owner of Veeraswamy, told The Sun: “If you believe in preserving culinary heritage, if you care about London’s cultural soul, or if you’ve ever experienced the magic of a meal at Veeraswamy — please stop this closure.

“The world’s oldest Indian restaurant, is being pushed out of its home after nearly 100 years by its landlord, The Crown Estate. Unfortunately the Crown Estate which owns the building have kept on shifting the reasons for evicting the restaurant.

“They have not been open and have refused to have serious discussions. We have taken legal steps to protect Veeraswamy’s location, but the outcome won’t be known until July 2026 and the risk of closure is very real.

“That’s why we’re calling on Your Majesty King Charles III to intercede with The Crown Estate and The Crown Estate to reconsider this short-sighted decision and protect a historic institution that has stood through war, migration and monarchy,” he said.

“We urge them to recognise the value of Veeraswamy as a living piece of shared cultural history – and to allow this historic institution to continue its story at the very place it began,” he added.

The Crown Estate has defended its position, insisting the decision was “not a decision we’ve taken lightly”. A spokesperson told The Standard: “We need to carry out a comprehensive refurbishment of Victory House to both bring it up to modern standards, and into full use.”

The spokesperson said Veeraswamy had been offered assistance in finding alternative West End premises, as well as financial compensation.

They added: “The Crown Estate has a statutory responsibility to manage its land and property to create long term value for the UK and return its profit to the UK Government for public spending.

“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.”

Leading chefs including Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux Jr and Richard Corrigan have also called for “meaningful dialogue” in an open letter to The Times.

“As the Crown knows, heritage cannot be relocated, nor can history be replaced,” they wrote. “Keeping Veeraswamy alive is an act of responsibility by the Crown worthy of London’s reputation as one of the world’s great dining and tourist cities.”

Can the King intervene?

Buckingham Palace has made clear that the matter rests with the Crown Estate, the BBC reported.

Despite its royal connections, it catered for Elizabeth II in 2008 and 2017, served Princess Anne and frequently hosted Edward VIII — the restaurant’s future remains uncertain.

Namita Panjabi, co-owner, told the BBC: “Veeraswamy have catered twice at Buckingham Palace for the late queen.

“The first time was in 2009 when president of India visited, secondly in 2017 when India celebrated her 70th year of independence. It is astonishing that we are being asked to close after all of this. Along with Hamleys and Liberty, we are the oldest tenants on Regent Street.”

While King Charles III is not directly involved in managing the property, the Crown Estate’s profits are passed to the Treasury, with a portion allocated to the Royal Family through the Sovereign Grant.

For now, Veeraswamy plans to remain open until a court hearing, which could take place in the coming weeks or months, The Sun reported. Should the ruling go in its favour, the lease could be extended by a further 14 years.

With its centenary looming, the fate of a restaurant that has witnessed war, empire and independence now hangs in the balance.

(With inputs from agencies)