Miscellaneous

Crown Estate fights to evict London's oldest Indian restaurant

Veeraswamy has served Mahatma Gandhi and Charlie Chaplin from Victory House since 1926 but the space is worth more as offices, twenty thousand signatures ask King Charles to intervene

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Veeraswamy, dining room Press handout, no credit required Veeraswamy, dining room Press handout, no credit required standard.co.uk
standard.co.uk

London's oldest Indian restaurant was before Central London County Court on Wednesday, fighting eviction by its landlord, the Crown Estate. Veeraswamy, Michelin-starred and trading since 1926, has occupied Victory House near Piccadilly Circus since its first service, is one of the oldest businesses on Regent Street, and its guest list runs from Mahatma Gandhi and Charlie Chaplin to Princess Anne and David Cameron. More than 20,000 people have signed a petition calling on King Charles to intervene over the lease.

The Crown Estate wants the restaurant's space for its Regent Street regeneration, converting part of the Grade II-listed building into what its barrister, Mark Sefton KC, told the court would be "modern, high-class office accommodation". The rationale, he said, was ultimately financial: the space would be worth considerably more as premium offices, The Times reports, and the financial case for redevelopment was "incredibly compelling". The landlord, which says it recognises Veeraswamy's historic and cultural significance, has already secured planning and listed-building consent.

The restaurant's owner, MW Eat, argues the premises are in good condition and require no significant works. Its barrister, Guy Fetherstonhaugh KC, told the court the landlord simply does not want a restaurant inside a revamped office building — a claim the Crown Estate rejects, pointing instead to an office entrance unsuitable for modern prime tenants and works that would alter the restaurant's access arrangements. "We fought because we want to keep the restaurant open," said chairman Ranjit Mathrani, adding that closure would be "a tragedy" for a venue central to British culinary history — and for the chefs, customers and supporters behind the campaign to save it.

Judge Alan Johns KC is expected to hand down a ruling before the close of the year. The Crown Estate hopes to begin major works next spring.