Veeraswamy

Veeraswamy | UK's Oldest Indian Restaurant | Regent Street | London | Home

http://www.veeraswamy.com

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Veeraswamy - Diplomat Magazine

The UK’s oldest Indian restaurant, Veeraswamy remains a legendary culinary landmark, often playing host to royalty and diplomatic patrons.

Veeraswamy’s menu consists of long-established classical dishes, along with delectable comfort food and contemporary creations, all cooked and prepared by skilled regional chefs.

In honour of Veeraswamy’s 90th anniversary year and Her Majesty’s 90th birthday, the restaurant has a selection of new rare royal dishes that include Asafjahi Lamb Pasanda from legendary kitchens of the Nizam of the Hyderabad where Palmer was born, and Shahjahani Badami Chicken, a sophisticated Moghul recipe to remember his great grandmother.

Arvind, Veeraswamy’s excellent Manager, was insistent that we tried one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, Raj Kachor.

We ordered the Keoti Dal of four yellow lentils slow cooked together with green mango, and the tantalising fresh pineapple curry with coconut, turmeric and curry leaves.

London restaurant guide: Veeraswamy, Regent Street, London ...

E had the rogan josh (£20), while I had the prawn Travancore (£20), and we shared an aubergine bhurta (£7) and a Bombay dahl (£4.50).

The rogan josh, for all that it came with not just Kashmiri spices but sun-dried ones, and not just saffron but cockscomb flower, didn’t do a thing for me.

The sauce was good and complex, hot with chilli but not overbearingly so, with a nice richness underneath that; but the flavour of the prawns had not infused this mélange at all, possibly – call me Sherlock – because they didn’t taste of anything in the first place.

E continued with the carrot halwa (£6), a well-executed, prettily presented dessert, based on the premise that milk, cardamom and a whole load of sugar make something not just edible but delightful.

The menu sticks to traditional Indian favourites such as powerfully spiced fish kofta with mint yogurt (£6.95) and exotic Goan mushroom curry (£11.50) A vast, purpose-built restaurant that looks not unlike a Raj palace and is decorated inside with traditional hand-painted murals.

Veeraswamy Restaurant Review: Fine Dining at the UK's Oldest ...

I love bold flavours, intense spicing a little bit of heat and service in an Indian restaurant is always outstanding.

With our Indian cravings calling we found ourselves at Veeraswamy – the UK’s oldest Indian restaurant on Regent Street.

To celebrate Veeraswamy’s 90th Anniversary the restaurant has created dishes which herald back through India’s vibrant culinary scene, with some dating back to 17th and 18th century.

Again the spices had been so well mixed that it had a refinement not everywhere can manage, full of almonds, nutmeg and saffron which ran through the dish like silk.

Veeraswamy is quite easily the best Indian restaurant its area and I can’t wait to come back.

Restaurant review: Is Veeraswamy, Mayfair, worthy of its first ...

The Resident heads down to see what all the fuss is about… In the fickle London restaurant scene, where remaining open a decade is seen as a noteworthy achievement, the astonishing 90-year longevity of Veeraswamy is a truly impressive feat – and there’s nothing at all fuddy-duddy or old fashioned about the experience.

Food, service and atmosphere are all top-notch, and the whole shebang has the professionalism and class that you’d expect from its owners the Real Indian Food company, who also run Chutney Mary and the Michelin-starred Amaya.

I visit with a trio of friends, and convivial evenings with plenty of wine and food are what Veeraswamy excels at.

It’s a bustling and slick operation, where customers new and old are greeted as if they’re friends by front of house, and where the food treads the fine line between traditionalism and innovation.

Cost Dinner for two around £150 Good for… Excellent Indian cuisine in one of London’s most historic restaurants What to eat… The vegetarian and non-vegetarian platters offer a comprehensive overview of all the small dishes and starters What to know… There’s a set-price Sunday lunch menu without a Yorkshire pudding in sight

review of London Indian restaurant Veeraswamy by Andy Hayler

Mr Palmer, a retired army office who had set up a company in Hornsey (called “Veeraswami and Co”) to trade and promote Indian foods in the UK, was invited to run a restaurant at the British Empire exhibition of 1924 in Wembley.

In 1997 the restaurant was acquired by MW Eat, the same group that run Amaya, Chutney Mary and Masala Zone.

The head chef is Uday Salunkhe, who has worked in the same group since 2002 as executive chef of the original site of Chutney Mary, and has been at Veeraswamy since 2006.

The wine list had labels such as The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc 2015 at £35 for a bottle that you can find in the high street for £11, Loimer Lenz Riesling 2015 at £45 compared to its retail price of £12, and Vincent Morey Chassagne Montrachet rouge 2011 at £75 for a bottle that will set you back £28 in a shop.

This was a visually striking dish and the blend of textures and flavours in the filling was excellent, a tamarind chutney meaning the dish was not too dry (15/20).

Veeraswamy: A true original | London Evening Standard

This time we visit Veeraswamy, the oldest Indian restaurant in London.

The new owners modernised it a little too much at first, detracting from the very history that makes it so special, but following a more recent refurb in the mid-noughties, Veeraswamy is back on track and can once again be considered among the capital’s best Indian restaurants.

You’ll find a lot of Indian expats who frequent this restaurant for a taste of home, while local Londoners, Brits and tourists alike also come for its food and history.

Cheque out Starters range from £10-13, mains from £20-29.

See more of the Best Indian Restaurants in London

London restaurant guide: Veeraswamy, Regent Street, London ...

E had the rogan josh (£20), while I had the prawn Travancore (£20), and we shared an aubergine bhurta (£7) and a Bombay dahl (£4.50).

The rogan josh, for all that it came with not just Kashmiri spices but sun-dried ones, and not just saffron but cockscomb flower, didn’t do a thing for me.

The sauce was good and complex, hot with chilli but not overbearingly so, with a nice richness underneath that; but the flavour of the prawns had not infused this mélange at all, possibly – call me Sherlock – because they didn’t taste of anything in the first place.

E continued with the carrot halwa (£6), a well-executed, prettily presented dessert, based on the premise that milk, cardamom and a whole load of sugar make something not just edible but delightful.

The menu sticks to traditional Indian favourites such as powerfully spiced fish kofta with mint yogurt (£6.95) and exotic Goan mushroom curry (£11.50) A vast, purpose-built restaurant that looks not unlike a Raj palace and is decorated inside with traditional hand-painted murals.

Veeraswamy | Restaurants in Mayfair, London

Enter through a tiny doorway just off busy Regent Street and a lift takes you up to a first-floor dining room with windows looking on to the retail chaos below.

Veeraswamy has an air of granny’s posh drawing room about it – if granny’s family were royalty, that is.

Tinted glass lamps, sepia-tinted photos of the Raj and plush carpets make the whole thing feel a little 1970s, in a retro-cool sort of way.

A tiny portion of gulab jamun provides a perfect end to the meal.

The only thing that jars is the cost.