The oldest Indian restaurant in the capital, Veeraswamy was opened in 1926 by Edward Palmer, who was the grandson of an English general and an Indian princess – Veeraswamy was Palmer’s grandmother’s family name. While it wasn’t the first or only Indian restaurant in London at the time, it’s generally said to be the first that was considered high-end and it became a real hotspot for decades, attracting the city’s rich and famous. Almost a century later, the restaurant has changed hands a few times but Veeraswamy is as extravagant and eccentric as ever, and its menu is still one of the best in town – it’s earned a Michelin star after all.