Veeraswamy has a Regal heritage from 1926 and it stays in line with this through its food and decor. Based in the heart of Piccadilly on the world-famous Regent’s Street in central London, Veeraswamy uses only the finest ingredients that give the food a royal feel. It was opened by an ex-retired British army officer called Edward Palmer and is one of the oldest Indian restaurants in the UK. When opened it served Anglo-Indian cuisine but as the years went on it slowly merged into an authentic Indian serving restaurant serving food from regions such as Punjab, Kashmir, Lucknow and Goa.
The menu pays homage to its roots whilst bringing those flavors in line with the 21st century. Maharaja’s palaces were known for their exquisite decor and elegant cuisine and Veerasway brings this to their tables. National Geographic describes them as ‘One of the 10 best destination and specialty restaurants in the world.’
Interestingly it started out as Veerasawmy but later due to an accidental printing error, it was changed to Veeraswamy. It has also served the likes of Winston Churchill, Indira Gandhi and Charlie Chaplin so you know the food is fit for the best of the best.

As you walk in you will be greeted before heading up in the lift. You will travel back in time with the nostalgic music playing in the background and the large portraits on display.
It was in 2016 that Veeraswamy was awarded a Michelin star which proves its space in the Indian market and with that in mind let’s get stuck into my food suggestions from the menu.
Veeraswamy’s signature dish is the Raj Kachor which is an interesting dish, it is a large filled puri that is decorated beautifully with pomegranates and coriander pastes. It was absolutely delicious and I can see why it is a signature dish on their menu.

As an avid meat eater, I had to try the Tandoori Wild Tiger Prawn with Coriander and Mint chutney. Another signature dish that was just as delicious, the prawns were cooked to perfection and were so tasty.

It was then time to choose the mains and there was an extensive menu to choose from but I love lamb shanks, the one offered at Veeraswamy sounded amazing, it is called a Patiala Shahi Raan, which is a lamb shank wrapped in a pastry before being slow-cooked. The dish is elegantly placed on the plate and really does resemble something a King would eat.

Another dish on the menu that is something to try is the seabass flavored with cumin and mint and basked inside a banana leaf.
To finish I chose to order a masala tea which hit the spot to digest the food and we shared a rose-flavored kulfi and the gulab jaman served with ice cream which was delicious.
Veeraswamy is a little more pricey than the general Indian restaurants however I would recommend it for the experience.
Main Image Photo Credit: As listed above.

Vallisa Chauhan
Author
Vallisa Chauhan (@vallisachauhan) presents the Flagship breakfast show on Lyca Radio 1458. She has scripted and produced a full feature film called "Those 4 Walls" and is currently working on other projects. She loves travel and movies and tries to fit in both as much as she can.