Veeraswamy, a century-old Indian restaurant, the oldest in Britain, will take the Crown Estate to court this month over its ongoing eviction dispute. Co-owner Ranjit Mathrani said all negotiations with the Crown Estate, King Charles’s portfolio, have failed, as the estate is bent on an expensive court case. The estate wants the restaurant space at Victory House to be converted into office space. Veeraswamy’s parent company MW Eat will present its case in the Central London County Court in a five-day hearing starting on June 29, UK media reports.The estate said it wants to carry out a “comprehensive renovation” of the offices on the building’s upper floors, which are vacant after flooding disrupted power supplies, in 2023. For this they will have to demolish the wall separating the entrance of Veeraswami. It said it wanted to create a larger reception area for office tenants, which would allow it to make a “real increase” in the rents charged. Veeraswamy agreed to the proposal and said that it could be done without evicting them, and also offered to pay a rent equal to the estimated rent of the property when it would be given office space.“We’ve really done everything we can to respond to all of their concerns,” Mathrani said. He said the property lost more money in the legal wrangle than the renovation project, including loss of rent, because Veeraswamy’s lease was not renewed.“It is within the ability of many reputable contractors to deliver the defendant’s program of works in a manner that can accommodate the restaurant business. This is a standard part of many similar renovations in London and elsewhere in the UK, Mathrani said in the witness statement.
Sacred History of Veeraswami
The restaurant opened in April 1926 and served guests including Winston Churchill, Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Laurence Olivier, Charlie Chaplin, and even Queen Elizabeth II. Its menu was created by Edward Palmer who was inspired by the recipes of dishes served in the royal palace of Hyderabad, which he learned from his grandmother. The Guardian reported that the King of Denmark visited Veeraswamy whenever he came to London – he decided to send out a cask of Carlsberg beer to be stored in the restaurant and served to him whenever he ate curry.
What does the Crown Estate say?
A spokesperson for the Crown Estate said, “This is not a decision we have taken lightly.” “We need to undertake extensive renovation of Victory House to bring it up to modern standards and back into full use. We understand how disappointing this is for MW Eat and have offered to help find new premises in our portfolio so the restaurant can remain in the West End, as well as provide financial compensation.“With external advice, we have reviewed alternative proposals, including those put forward by MW Eat, and unfortunately there are no alternative plans that meet our responsibilities as managers of this heritage listed building, our legal obligations and our responsibilities for stewardship of public funds,” the estate said.MW Eat said the property compensation would not be enough.A petition to keep Veeraswamy in its original premises has gathered 20,000 signatures and was delivered to Buckingham Palace by the restaurant’s owners in February.