Harden's says
Little sister to the Islington Prawn, and inhabiting a venerated Padstow site (formerly Margot's, RIP), this tiny fishmonger-cum-restaurant shows off what's on today's menu in the shop window.
Harden's survey result
Summary
It’s “always fun to see what’s new on the menu in this fishy den” – Rich & Katie Toogood’s tiny, subway-tiled spin-off to a venue in the Big Smoke and specialising in seafood and sharing plates. A loyal army of fans say it’s a “really fun place” and the chow is “just so good” (too good, perhaps?). Just down the street, at number 22A Duke Street, you’ll find their seafood bar and test kitchen ‘Little Prawn’, and they also run Barnaby’s at Trevibban Mill Vineyard, near Padstow.
Summary
“To be honest it’s hard to find fault” with Rich & Katie Toogood’s “tiny” but “so welcoming” seafood specialist (the Cornish spinoff of their London HQ) – “a template for how to run a restaurant”, with “friendly staff who guide you through the high-quality sharing-plates menu” and “a surprisingly interesting wine list”. They also run a large, semi-permanent pop-up, Barnaby’s at Trevibban Mill Vineyard, just a short drive from Padstow.
Summary
Rich & Katie Toogood’s Cornish offshoot – a tiny spot near the harbour – generates much less feedback than their Highbury Corner original in London, but the ratings for its small plates of local seafood remain high. They also run a seasonal pop-up called Barnaby’s on similar lines, at Trevibban Mill Vineyard a short drive from Padstow.
Summary
Rick and Katie Toogood’s sibling to their London operation is a “miniscule café” (“can you even call it a restaurant?”) down near the harbour, which moved to this famous Cornish town from Islington in 2015. It’s “very basic” and attracted much less attention in our survey compared to their summer pop-up, Prawn on the Farm, which occupies a big marquee on Trerethern farm a short drive outside Padstow, with fine views over the countryside to the sea. It “has real soul to it, shown by the young, enthusiastic service. The small fish plate menu is generally great and it’s good fun as a concept”. On the downside, “you need to go easy on the number of plates” and one or two reporters found results “insanely good, but incredibly salty and rich”. The most common verdicts, though… “exceptional…”, “incredible…”, “superb…”
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Prawn on the Lawn?
11 Duke Street, Padstow, PL28 8AB
Restaurant details
Prawn on the Lawn Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Forget pricier, celebrity chef empires, if you want the purest Cornish fish experience come here. Intimate cafe offering the very best local seafood, expertly prepared combined with knowledgable service. Small plates of fishy delights or a large whole fish for two to share. Couldn’t decide so we went for both! Porthilly oysters, charred bluefin tuna and John Dory were as good as it gets, washed down with a cold glass of Vinho Verde. Simply perfection!"
"Fun, easy, excellent seafood - Thai touches this time and fresh as anything. Cool wines too - very happy vibe."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £30.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 10.00% |
11 Duke Street, Padstow, PL28 8AB
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑10 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑10 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑10 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑10 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑10 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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