Regular customers say they are ‘gutted’ at losing one of their ‘favourite’ restaurants
An acclaimed seafood restaurant in Islington has announced it will close its doors after 13 years. Prawn on the Lawn will bid farewell to St Paul’s Road tomorrow (Friday, July 10) following a final dinner service, owners Rick and Katie Toogood confirmed.
The couple said that although the decision was difficult, it now feels “more like a celebration than an ending”. They have chosen to focus on their three restaurants in Padstow, Cornwall; Prawn on the Lawn, which was recently mentioned in the Michelin Guide, Little Prawn, and Barnaby’s.
“What started as a small fishmonger serving cured fish and seasonal small plates in 2013 grew into something we could never have imagined,” the pair shared in an Instagram post, “London was our very first restaurant and the launch pad for everything that followed.
“Along the way we’ve opened three more restaurants in Padstow, survived a global pandemic, raised three children, and been lucky enough to meet countless guests, suppliers and team members who have shaped this journey with us.”
They added: “We’re immensely proud of what Prawn on the Lawn London became and incredibly grateful to everyone who has dined with us, worked with us, supported us, and helped make it such a special place over the years.”
“A special thank you was reserved for team members Daniela and Patrizia, who had become the ‘beating heart’ of the restaurant. Quite simply, we couldn’t have done it without them,” Rick and Katie said.
Initially having eight seats, Prawn on the Lawn’s popularity lead to them moving to a bigger site in 2015. Here, they served small plates, fresh oysters and UK-sourced seafood.
The menu changes every day and boasts fish caught in Cornwall and Devon. News of the restaurant’s closure sparked an outcry from diners, many of whom have been loyal customers since the beginning.
One disappointed fan said: “So sad, POTL is one my favourite restaurants in London with so many good memories! Gutted the last service is tomorrow as can’t get there for it.”
Another wrote: “POTL is one of my favourite London restaurants, we hold such special memories there. Thank you for creating that space for us,” whilst a third added: “It was nothing short of spectacular – you should be so proud. Some of the most memorable times I had in London were at POTL.”
The shuttering of Prawn on the Lawn marks another blow for Islington’s hospitality scene, having lost Sambal Shiok to ‘relentless cost increases’ at the end of May.
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