'Your Majesty, please help Veeraswamy stay where it has been for 99 years' is the title of a petition by Camellia and Namita Panjabi, and Ranjit Mathrani (the latter's husband), co-owners of the legendary restaurant on London's prestigious Regent Street. It hopes to convince King Charles and the Crown Commissioners to renew the lease of Veeraswamy, which is currently under threat.
While they have owned the premises since 1997, Veeraswamy has operated at the same spot from the time it opened its doors on March 16, 1926, a month before the birth date of the late Queen Elizabeth II. This makes it the most enduring Indian restaraunt in existence in the UK. But this treasure may be lost if Veeraswamy’s lease isn't extended past June this year.
Hospitality veteran Camellia Panjabi, Group Director and Chief Ideator, who has been involved with Veeraswamy since they took over, is understandably indignant. "The Crown Estate has terminated the lease saying they need the tiny entrance space of 11 sq metres to extend their adjoining office entrance. Veeraswamy is located on the first floor, overlooking Regent Street. We feel another entrance could be given to us or they could create their own large reception area on the first floor. You don't destroy a 100-year-old institution for the sake of creating a small reception area!," she says.
The petition also mentions how the owners have even offered to compensate the Crown Estates for the loss of income it might suffer by Veeraswamy remaining in its current rightful location. This offer has been rejected. They have since applied to the Courts to extend the lease, but the decision is not expected until summer 2026.
Meanwhile, the restaurant, which has fed royals and celebrities, connoisseurs from all over the world, has received an outpouring of support from loyalists who have been patrons for decades.
The back story
Veeraswamy was founded by Edward Palmer, who, it seems was, greatly influenced in its creation by his great-grandmother, a Mughal princess named Faisan Nissa Begum and by his thriving Indian spice and pickles business from the early 20th century.
A few years later, it was acquired by Sir William Steward in 1935, who stewarded it to great success with a menu that wouldn't be unfamiliar in today's times. He focused on authentic fare from across many regions in India, appointing chefs specialising in different cuisines, thus developing a restaurant and menu that showed off the nuances and variations between them. Veeraswamy and its sister restaurant Chutney Mary became the toast of London, with visits from the rich and famous and a formidable reputation among foodies.
Veerasawamy today: Classic feel and contemporary luxe
Veeraswamy's ethos is all about old-world charm and luxury. "Over time, the dining room, with its exclusive entrance just off Regent Street, became three rooms, each with their own individual character," says Panjabi. The Regency Room, flanked by the beautiful wooden cocktail bar and fronted by a cabinet of Maharajah-era artefacts, looks out on to the thrum of the street below, with comfortably spaced tables and a vintage feel. Behind it, diners can move into the Verandah Room, bright and full of plants and greenery, with lanterns twinkling above, or into the Paisley Room's 1920s glamour and opulence. Whatever the room, historic luxury and attention to detail abounds, with rose petals scattered on the fine teak tables, and jewelled light flitting from the chandeliers above.
This melding of past and present extends to the food, which pays tribute to the royal history of India’s palace cuisines while adding luxurious touches, more inspired by contemporary London. Panjabi says, "Guests can sample dishes that have been on the menu since 1926, like a fragrant Hyderabadi lamb biryani, or a modern spin on chicken makhani with the addition of a robust red Bourdeaux wine for an intense finish. A slow-braised shahi patalia raan wraps a lamb shank in golden puff pastry, to be served with a sauce of bone marrow, saffron, and rose, in the tradition of southeastern Punjabi palaces. Prawn and lobster curries take inspiration from the coastal cuisines of Kerala and Mangalore. Together, they create a luxurious, moreish cuisine, unafraid of evolution but respectful of the near century of history at this prestigious Regent Street address."
Veeraswamy was awarded a Michelin star in 2016, which it has retained ever since. For a legacy restaurant like this to be ousted from its prestigous Regent Street location — surrounded by great architecture, high-end shops and a stone's throw from Piccadilly Circus tube station — would be quite the loss to the culinary world.