Why UK's Oldest Indian Restaurant Veeraswamy Is Facing Closure

Veeraswamy, Britain's oldest surviving Indian restaurant, is facing closure after a legal dispute with the Crown Estate. Now, campaigners have taken a petition to save the eatery to Buckingham Palace, asking King Charles for his help in the matter.

The petition by Ranjit Mathrani & Namita Panjabi, co-owners of the restaurant, asks King Charles to intercede with the Crown Commissioners, and appeals to the Crown Commissioners to renew the lease of Veeraswamy.

Celebrity chefs such as Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux and Richard Corrigan have also signed the petition to save the restaurant, which now has more than 20,000 verified signatures.

Why Is Veeraswamy Shutting Down?

Founded in 1926, Veeraswamy's rich interiors and formal dining style have attracted diplomats, politicians and visiting dignitaries. The business, established by former Anglo-Indian army officer Edward Palmer, helped position Indian food as an equal to European fine dining. It received a Michelin star in recent years, underlining its quality of food and established reputation in the competitive dining scene.

It also catered twice for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, once in 2009, when the Indian president visited. The second occasion was in 2017, when India celebrated 70 years of independence.

However, a dispute arose with its landlord, the Crown Estate, an independent property company, whose profits go to the Treasury. The disagreement started after the Crown Estate announced plans to modernise the Grade II-listed building. The changes to the current entrance, as shown in the planning documents, would make the restaurant inaccessible, the BBC reported.

What Does The Petition Say?

The Regent Street-based fine dining establishment claimed in its petition that the Crown Estate  has been “shifting the reasons for evicting the restaurant.” It said that the Crown Estate has not been open to compromises on the matter.

Asking King Charles to protect the “living piece of shared cultural history”, the petition asked him “to intercede with The Crown Estate to reconsider this short-sighted decision and protect a historic institution that has stood through war, migration and monarchy.”

The restaurant said it had taken legal steps to avoid closure, but the outcome would not be known until summer this year.

Notably, the monarch does not own or control the Crown Estate, or have legal authority to intervene in commercial leasing decisions. The petition is aimed at King Charles' symbolic role as a long-time advocate for heritage, architecture and community institutions.

What Has Buckingham Palace Said?

Buckingham Palace said the decision about Veeraswamy was a matter for the Crown Estate, the BBC reported.

The Crown Estate has stated that removing the restaurant from its current premises was "not a decision we've taken lightly".

A spokesperson told the BBC that the estate needs to do a “comprehensive refurbishment of Victory House” to bring it up to modern standards and utilise the building fully. The spokesperson added the restaurant was offered financial compensation, plus help to find new West End premises.