London's oldest Indian restaurant

10 April 2012

Ever since it opened in the 1920s, Veeraswamy has been a magnet to lovers of Indian food.

It was opened by Edward Palmer (a bright young man keen to capitalise on his success providing Indian food for the Empire Exhibition), and under various owners managed to cling to its reputation as a society restaurant until the 1960s.

Today it is part of the Masalaworld Group and it recently emerged from a thorough redesign to successfully recapture some of the glitz and glamour of the early days.

The room is elegant, the chairs are comfortable, the lighting is subtle and dramatic.

The food is very good indeed, the dishes are drawn from several regions and the cuisine of Maharajahs jostles with street food.

Start with the green leaf bhajias - an amazing mini-haystack of herbs given a tempura-like treatment in the lightest possible batter.

Sholay chicken tikka is smoky and very subtle.

The duck seekh kebab is well spiced.

The giant 'green prawns' are huge and juicy.

From the mains choose the chicken chatpatta - rich with tomato and spices; or the sea bream paturi, fillets of fish in a mustard marinade steamed in banana leaf; or the stunning Hyderabadi lamb biryani.

Breads are exemplary.

Puds are interesting if you dodge the over-sweet trad Indian confections.

Service is friendly; advice is freely given and worth taking.

Veeraswamy
99 Regent Street (entrance in Swallow Street), W1R 7HB

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