Prawn on the Lawn in Islington will close this Friday, July 10, after 13 years of turning fresh-off-the-boat seafood into creative small plates riffing on Mediterranean and Asian flavours. Over those years, owners Katie and Rick Toogood have launched three spin-offs in Padstow in Cornwall: Prawn on the Lawn, Little Prawn and Barnaby’s, which will all remain open.
“London was our very first opening and will always be a special place for us,” the Toogoods said in a statement. “This feels like a celebration and a marker of everything we’ve achieved during this chapter of our lives.”
Prawn on the Lawn opened on St Paul’s Road in 2013. It began as a small fishmonger that also offered cured fish and small plates, but in recent years it developed into a full-blown restaurant doing a menu that changes daily with what’s being pulled from the sea. It dishes incorporate Asian and Mediterranean flavours, and could include options like tuna that’s seared and served with soy and mirin; squid glazed in gochujang; and whole lobster from Padstow served with lime and coriander butter. It was bolstered by a good-sized wine list and cocktails (including a Martini given a sea-inspired bent with samphire).
“Looking back over the last 13 years, and everything we’ve built from London to Cornwall has been incredible,” the Toogoods said. “Since opening Prawn on the Lawn in 2013 in London, we’ve opened three more restaurants in Padstow and have welcomed three children along the way. We want to say a huge thank you to our guests and everyone we’ve worked with along the way – it’s been incredibly touching and emotional to reflect on it all.”
Prawn on the Lawn Islington will have its last service on July 10.
