The Michelin-starred establishment, which marked its centenary in March 2026 at Victory House on Regent Street, is gearing up for a legal confrontation regarding its lease at the month’s end.
The building’s landlord, the Crown Estate, has asserted that the requirements for “comprehensive refurbishment” hinder its ability to extend the restaurant’s lease.
“At this late stage, we urge the Indian government to consider intervening on behalf of Indian cuisine – the country’s soft power in the UK,” expressed Ranjit Mathrani of MW Eat, the parent company of Veeraswamy.
He emphasized that given the robust India-UK bilateral relationship and the imminent implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), it would be disheartening to witness a piece of Indian heritage vanish from the very heart of London.
“Veeraswamy represents a remarkable example of culinary talent that has been exported from India,” Mathrani noted.
This week’s latest appeal follows an online petition garnering over 20,000 signatures that urged King Charles III to “Save Veeraswamy,” a request presented to Buckingham Palace by the restaurant staff and management in February.
Although Victory House is included in the British monarch’s estate, the Crown Estate oversees its management and aims to generate profits for the UK Treasury.
“Our guests have included the late Queen (Elizabeth II), the Princess Royal (Princess Anne), and other foreign royals… heritage cannot be relocated, nor can history be replaced,” remarked Mathrani, who co-owns the restaurant alongside his wife Namita and her sister, Camillia Panjabi.
MW Eat asserts that it has proposed several viable alternatives to the Crown Estate (TCE) to retain the restaurant on the premises, including acting as project managers for the essential refurbishment and matching the rent anticipated from converting the building into office spaces.
The company also disputes the financial claims made by TCE, citing that the dispute is costing British taxpayers millions in lost rental income and legal expenses.
A five-day hearing concerning MW Eat’s tenancy rights is set to take place at Central London County Court beginning June 29.
TCE stated that it did not make the lease renewal decision “lightly” and that the building’s Grade II heritage status has complicated and limited its refurbishment options.
“We must undertake a comprehensive refurbishment of Victory House to meet modern standards and ensure full utilization,” said a spokesperson for the Crown Estate.
“We recognize how disappointing this is for MW Eat and have offered assistance in locating new premises within our portfolio to allow the restaurant to remain in the West End, as well as providing financial compensation.
”The Crown Estate has a statutory duty to manage its land and assets effectively to create long-term value for the UK and return profits to the UK government for public expenditure,” the spokesperson added.
TCE further claimed it had considered “alternative proposals,” including those from MW Eat, but determined that no “alternative scheme meets our responsibilities as stewards of this heritage-listed building, along with our legal obligations and our duty to manage public funds.”
