London’s iconic Indian restaurant fights closure

London: Veeraswamy, one of Britain’s oldest Indian restaurants, is fighting back against the threat of losing its iconic central London location on Regent Street in a lease extension stand-off.

The Crown Estate, the landlords of Victory House which houses the Michelin-star restaurant for nearly 100 years since April 1926, has decided not to renew the lease to carry out a “comprehensive refurbishment” of the building.

MW Eat, the company that owns Veeraswamy, has applied to the court to seek a renewal under its protected tenancy rights as the lease expiry date nears in June.“Veeraswamy is not just an institution, but a living institution and an integral part of the current gastronomic landscape of London,” said Ranjit Mathrani, director of MW Eat, the group which has been operating the restaurant since the 1990s. The restaurant does not face any immediate threat of closure as a court decision on the legal challenge is expected towards the latter part of 2026.