LONDON — Staff at Britain’s oldest Indian restaurant have appealed directly to King Charles III to save the 99-year-old culinary institution from eviction by his own property empire.
Veeraswamy, the Michelin-starred restaurant perched above Regent Street in central London, heads to court on Thursday to fight the Crown Estate's refusal to renew its lease. The royal landlord told owners in 2024 that the restaurant must vacate Victory House to permit a comprehensive refurbishment, arguing that ongoing structural work cannot proceed safely while dining operations continue. Restaurant executives reject that claim outright. Over 20,000 patrons have signed an emergency petition demanding royal intervention before bulldozers move in.
The dispute threatens to extinguish a nearly century-old diplomatic and cultural crossroads. Edward Palmer, the great-grandson of General William Palmer, opened Veeraswamy in 1926. The dining room quickly became a fixture of London high society, serving figures ranging from Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin to Marlon Brando, before securing a Michelin star in 2016 for its regional Indian menus. Now, the tables face clearance just months shy of the venue's planned centenary celebrations.
Ranjit Mathrani, chairman of parent company MW Eat, accused the Crown Estate of callous indifference toward non-Western heritage assets.
"We have done everything to meet their concerns," Mathrani stated. "It is obvious that they do not appear to have sufficient regard for Veeraswamy and its tradition, its background, its role, and its culinary heritage. Would they actually have taken the same stance had it been a cuisine with which they were more familiar? Would they have done that to Gordon Ramsay? No."
The Crown Estate pushed back against the accusation, defending its commercial development program across prime central London real estate.
"We strongly refute any suggestion that The Crown Estate prefers particular types of cuisine," the Crown Estate said in an official statement. "We are proud to have a diverse dining offer across our West End portfolio, reflecting the diversity of London itself."
The monarch has stayed silent. Buckingham Palace has issued no public response to the petition, leaving Veeraswamy's fate pinned to Thursday's court hearing, where judges will decide whether the historic kitchen stays open or closes its doors for good.