Prawn on the Lawn

Creative seafood‑centred small plates

Prawn on the Lawn may be one of Cornwall’s most notable seafood restaurants, but it actually started out in 2013 as a tiny fishmonger and seafood bar in Islington. The original venue was such a hit that founders Rick and Katie Toogood decided to open a second site at the source of their impeccable produce: Padstow.

The POTL team kicked off their tenth‑anniversary year with a bang when they picked up the Best Restaurant gong at the Trencherman’s Awards 2023.

The menus at the Padstow restaurant are updated daily and dictated by what Cornish fishermen land each morning, so no two visits to this bijou seafood bar are ever quite the same. Working closely with new head chef James Lean (former head chef Eddie Thomson has moved up the road to sister restaurant Barnaby’s), Rick favours sustainable fish and shellfish species and supplements the day’s catch with hyper‑fresh veg from the restaurant’s own raised beds and produce from Ross Geach of Padstow Kitchen Garden.

Delicious dishes – such as hake with truffle oil, parmesan, cauliflower and porcini crumb; monkfish with North African marinade and herb salad; and lemon sole with ‘nduja and tarragon – are complemented by local wines from Trevibban Mill (just a stone’s throw away) and beers from Padstow Brewing Company.

As Prawn on the Lawn is rather small, the team often host summer residencies at other local venues. Previous pop‑ups have included Barnaby’s at Trevibban Mill (now a permanent venue) and Prawn on the Farm at Trerethern Farm.

Winner of Best Trencherman’s Restaurant 2023 – sponsored by Dole

Discover more Trencherman’s restaurants in Cornwall here.