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London's oldest Indian restaurant still a draw

Veeraswamy, the oldest Indian restaurant in cosmopolitan London, continues to draw celebrities and everyday people in equal measure, reports the South Asian Despatch Agency.

Built 74 years ago, the restaurant, which originally belonged to an English family, was bought by leading hotelier Namita Panjabi, who had earlier set up the other famous Indian eatery -- Chutney Mary -- in Chelsea.

Panjabi's customers include members of the British royalty and statesmen from European, the Persian Gulf and South Asian countries.

Hollywood celebrities and their Indian counterparts have also been glimpsed here, savouring the delights prepared by the restaurant's expert chefs.

The restaurant, where tables need to be booked way in advance, is situated in the West End, the heart of London, close to all the theatres and fashionable shopping areas of Regent Street.

Veeraswamy's vibrant interior makes creative use of glass and different wallpapers.

The menu offers sumptuous north and south Indian cuisine. Different dishes are served at lunch and dinner and are prepared by a team of regional specialist chefs recruited directly from India.

"Our chefs are skilled in different specialities and are very well trained. We owe our good food to them," says Panjabi, who spends most of her day at the restaurant.

For the vegetarians, start off with pappadums and chutney or chicken samosas to build up your appetite. In the main dishes, the crisp masala dosa, is probably the best item.

Another south Indian offering is the vegetarian platter, where vegetables cooked in various ways are served with delicious accompaniments.

For seafood lovers, Veeraswamy draws from the coastal regions of India to offer a wide range, including a delicious lobster curry from Malabar cooked with raw mangoes and turmeric.

And for meat lovers there is the lamb dish called Avadhi roghan josh from Lucknow, the city of India's Muslim nobility. Desserts too are delicious and the yoghurt-based shrikhand is highly recommended.

Indo-Asian News Service

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