Tom Cruise surprised fans with his swift (and unexplained) exit from his London home in January. Though the Top Gun actor, 63, is yet to comment on the move, staff at his £35 million Knightsbridge apartment overlooking Hyde Park were seen packing up and removing boxes from the property purchased by the self-confessed Anglophile in 2021.
Soon after, Tom was pictured riding down Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood towards the Sunset Tower Hotel on the back of his bright red Ducati Panigale motorcycle, which, in the UK, retails for around £31,000 ($42,000).
© Getty ImagesThough it seems the actor is acclimating back into the American way of life, there is one spot that could be top of his list of places to return to if he lands back on UK soil any time soon – and, here, he can keep a low profile.
Tom's secret UK hangout spot
In 2012, Tom escaped the city life while filming the sci-fi film Edge of Tomorrow at Leavesden Studios. For an evening away from the bright lights, Tom slinked off to Veer Dhara, an Indian restaurant in St Albans.
Now, the restaurant's owner, Darshit Hora, remembers the encounter in this exclusive interview with HELLO!.
Remembering an A-list encounter
"This happened back in 2012 when our restaurant hosted a lot of celebrities," Darshit tells us. "They come to us even now. There are a lot of footballers and movie stars who, if they are in this part of the world, come to us, but a lot of the time, they want to keep it discreet.
"He came with his family, and he wanted to keep it discreet, but obviously, when it's Tom Cruise, people do recognise him," Darshit recalls. "He came in a convoy of three cars, and they parked right outside the restaurant. There were bodyguards with him, and they came in around 15 minutes before and mentioned to us there's a very special guest who would be coming in and mentioned his name."
Tom keeps a low profile
When it came to Tom's time at the restaurant, he had only one request. Darshit reveals: "He said to give him a table which is facing the kitchen so that he's not visible to the customers, and whilst he was there, no one recognised him because he was facing the wall. Upon his exit, only two of the guests requested a photo."
"He ate lobster and our version of chicken tikka masala so we have renamed the items Tom's Murg Tikka Lababdar and Cruise Lobster Curry"
It wasn't until Tom's time at Veer Dhara wrapped up, which Darshit tells us was around 8:30 pm, that fans started to gather outside.
© Getty ImagesAt the time, reports regarding Tom's visit focused on his request to pay the whole bill in cash after his American Express card was rejected by the restaurant (they did not take AMEX cards at the time), and it garnered added attention as the outing amid his divorce from Katie Holmes.
Tom's lasting impression at Veer Dhara
However, Darshit remembers Tom's visit fondly – and the restaurant has immortalised the brush with Hollywood royalty in a special way.
© Getty Images"He took photos with our staff, and he was very, very generous. He ate lobster and our version of chicken tikka masala, which is called murg tikka lababdar, so we have renamed the items Tom's Murg Tikka Lababdar and Cruise Lobster Curry."
© Mondadori Portfolio via Getty ImAs for whether Tom could return to the restaurant, Darshit tells us that they have offered him takeaways on several occasions since 2012. "He usually would come to Watford [where Mission: Impossible films were previously filmed at the Warner Bros studios], and that is well within reach of us."
Where is Tom living now?
Tom's current place of residence has not been confirmed publicly, but he does own a multi-level penthouse in Clearwater, Florida, which he purchased for $9.5 million in 2017.
© Getty ImagesIt is located near the headquarters of the Church of Scientology, of which Tom is a member, and features four bedrooms, a private movie theatre, a gym, and a games room.
