Prawn On The Lawn

Fishmonger at 220 St Paul's Road
Prawn On The Lawn image
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9 / 10 from 1 review
Address
220 St Paul's Road
Islington
London
N1 2LL
Map
Telephone
020 3302 8668
Region
Islington
Nearest Station
Canonbury
0.20 miles
Category
Fishmongers

Prosecco and seafood you say! Islington’s newest addition Prawn On The Lawn is a traditional fishmonger with a unique, modern take that will tantalise the culinary palettes of locals who love the perfect combination of nibbling on fresh seafood dishes with a glass of bubbly or two, whilst shopping for the freshest fish and produce.

Prawn On The Lawn is the creation of Rick Toogood a seafood aficionado who wants to share his passion, educate and change people’s opinions on fish and how to prepare and eat it. “Essentially we want to take the faff out of fish”, he says. His venture covers both traditional - wet fish - gutted and prepared to order and an exciting range of seasonal fish and shellfish, as well as larder cupboard extras; including a fantastic selection of fresh herbs, citrus fruits, vegetables, sauces and an extensive wine selection.

Prawn On The Lawn go to every effort to source their fish from sustainable stocks thus minimizing impact on the environment. Their fish is sourced from day boats from both Brixham and Padstow and they have information on the provenance to inform and educate customers. Vegetables and extras are sourced from local suppliers/growers. Wine and fizz is sourced from Sommeliers Choice who supply to a number of top seafood restaurants in the UK including Mitch Tonks’ ‘The Seahorse’ and ‘Hawksmoor‘ to name a few.

Marble slabs with succulent seasonal produce on display add a modern twist, the innovative layout allows customers to browse easily and ‘build’ their meal. This is done through the range of fresh produce [organic and seasonal] alongside the more traditional fishmonger products. The produce i.e. fruits and vegetables, fresh herbs and sauces perfectly compliment the fresh fish on offer and allow the customer an enhanced ‘one stop shop’ approach experience.

The mood is relaxed, luxurious but not pretentious. There is little need for an excuse to visit – whatever the occasion, there’s always a good reason. A quick drink or nibbles, a dozen oysters with a glass of bubbly; or a leisurely lunch with friends over a Fruits de Mer or their signature ‘Prawn On The Lawn’ dish you won’t be left disappointed.

All In London Review

A charming seafood bar

Not having a licence to make hot food would be a terrible hindrance for most restaurants, not so at seafood bar Prawn On The Lawn. This means the menu has plenty of things like ceviche and taramasalata, both of which are great – scallop ceviche is steeped in lime with a sprinkling of passion fruit seeds, while taramasalata is ingeniously made with scallop roe otherwise destined for the bin. The latter is served with homemade soda bread they’ve baked in the microwave, which we use to mop up two whole bowls full in the space of five minutes.

The ‘prawn on the lawn’ is mashed avocado with lime and chilli topped with king prawns on more of that delicious soda bread. The oyster platter has the Maldon rock variety with several toppings: crème fraiche and salmon roe, chilli with coconut, and cucumber and dill, all exquisite, thoughtful pairings.

One exception to the no-cooking rule is the cuttlefish stew with butterbeans. The mollusks are fried briefly, then drowned in prosecco and simmered for an hour; the result is impressively tender and meaty.

Seafood and fish are traditionally expensive, but most dishes here are under a tenner. Plus there’s a thoughtful wine list with mostly mineral, white wines including a sparkling Albariño they offer in oversized coupes.

Quite aside from the alleged aphrodisiac effects of much of the menu’s contents, the restaurant has romance in bags: tiled walls, wine barrels for tables and dim lighting. There’s only room for eight covers so no bookings are taken (get there early), or you can pop in with a roasting tin and choose from the iced counter by the window; the kitchen will do all the prep and you can take it home to cook. But then you’d be missing out on all the charm of the place.

Reviewed by Leila on Dec 16, 2013
Published on Dec 12, 2013


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