Prawn on the Lawn shutters London outpost

Prawn on the Lawn in London’s Islington will close its doors this week after thirteen years of trading.

Husband and wife duo Rick and Katie Toogood launched Prawn on the Lawn in 2013 as a seafood bar and fishmonger before expanding it into a 16-cover basement restaurant serving tapas-style fish dishes.

In 2017, the pair moved Prawn on the Lawn to a larger site with a license to serve a full hot menu, complete with 35 covers on the ground floor and a private dining room for 15 guests.

When it first relaunched, the restaurant served dishes inspired by food eaten on holidays and Rick’s travels across China.

Food critic Marina O’Loughlin described Prawn on the Lawn as “a lovely little oasis, a small slice of the seaside in the city” in a 2017 restaurant review for the Guardian.

The Toogoods said: “Looking back over the last thirteen years, and everything we’ve built from London to Cornwall, has been incredible. Since opening Prawn on the Lawn in 2013 in London, we’ve opened three more restaurants in Padstow and have welcomed three children along the way. London was our very first opening and will always be a special place for us.

“This feels like a celebration and a marker of everything we’ve achieved during this chapter of our lives. We want to say a huge thank you to our guests and everyone we’ve worked with along the way - it’s been incredibly touching and emotional to reflect on it all.”

In 2015, the pair opened Prawn on the Lawn in Padstow, Cornwall, which has since been listed in the Michelin Guide.

They will now turn their full focus to the three Padstow restaurants, Prawn on the Lawn, Little Prawn, and Barnaby’s, while preparing for future projects.

Prawn on the Lawn London will hold its final service on 10 July.