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
“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…”
Summary
“Low on pretension; high on panache” – Rick and Katie Toogood’s “wonderful seafood tapas restaurant goes from strength to strength”, having moved in 2015 from Islington to Padstow – where “there’s lots of competition but they stand high for their imaginative food and use of best local produce”. “The very best businesses don’t just survive adversity, they thrive from it” – in their case, operating a successful summer residency in a marquee at nearby Trevathan Farm. “POTL will live long in the memory – without doubt the culinary highlight of our trip to Cornwall.”
For 33 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
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £30.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
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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