Prawn on the Lawn Padstow

Having set up Prawn on the Lawn in London N1, owners Rick and Katie Toogood next decamped to Padstow to open a Cornish branch of their neat little outfit – a nifty combination of a traditional fishmongers with an on-trend seafood bar.

Like the original, this place keeps it simple with slate floors, tiles, stools by the counter and a big oak barrel in the middle of the room if you fancy standing to enjoy a couple of plates and a few cold beers. Oysters and splendid seafood platters on ice are the fixtures (with hunks of home-baked soda bread), but it’s also worth checking the blackboard for the day’s small plates which are dictated by whatever their suppliers catch at sea – perhaps whole Padstow brown crab or a platter packed with mussels, cocktails, clams, langoustines and more treasures from the surrounding coastal areas. There might also be a hot dish such as whole crispy Red Mullet cooked over coals and simply served with lemon and olive oil, sweet scallops in a fragrant Thai marinade or ray wing with olives and chilli for those who need some fire in their bellies. Wines are thoughtfully chosen and be sure to try the Bloody Marys if you’re nursing a slightly sore head from the night before (or even if you’re not), they’re wonderfully savoury and nearly a meal in themselves.

Service is fast-paced but friendly, with staff knowing their stuff on all things seafood. Despite its casual set-up you are able to book, which might be music to London-living diners, but they have table turnaround times. For a table of four they require your spot back within two hours, going up to two and a half hours for a table of six.

For a last word on this restaurant’s feel-good-factor, while dining here you’ll be asked to pay a discretionary £1 donation to the National Lobster Hatchery, who work on marine conservation.

The Padstow location of Prawn on the Lawn first opened its doors in 2015, two years after the debut of the concept’s original incarnation in the London borough of Islington. Following the success of the London site, husband and wife team Rick and Katie Toogood decided to open a second site in Cornwall’s Padstow, where the restaurant is obviously much closer to the maritime suppliers that underpin its menu of seafood and fresh fish.

Prawn on the Lawn Padstow is similar in look and feel to its London counterpart, showcasing relaxed and cosy interiors - think white tiles, overhead fans and slate flooring, all of which makes you feel like you are sat in a traditional fish and chip shop. The menu at Prawn on the Lawn is made up of a selection of shellfish and oysters, small plates, fish for the table and side dishes. However, the offering changes constantly (sometimes even hour to hour), depending on what produce is available that day.

Local fisherman supply fish and seafood daily for the restaurant, allowing Prawn on the Lawn to serve the likes of seared tuna with soy, mirin, spring onion and chilli or hake with truffle oil, parmesan, cauliflower and a porcini crumb. Alongside the small plates, you will find some larger fish dishes which can be served family-style to enjoy at the table, served whole or filleted and with the option to have them cooked classic, Thai or Chinese-style. Choose from the likes of John Dory, wild sea bass, plaice or brill.

To pad out your meal, you can add side dishes such as homemade soda bread served alongside seaweed butter, or a tomato and tarragon salad. After your meal, explore the European-led wine list or sip on one or two of Prawn on the Lawn’s delectable house cocktails.