Prawn on the Lawn

I’d bought fresh squid and mussels from Prawn on the Lawn before, but I’d been dying for an opportunity to eat in, as the place is just beyond adorable. I went with a friend on a Thursday evening after calling to make a reservation earlier in the day, and we were able to get 2 seats at the bar for 8:45 PM. It was a good thing we called, as the place is small but also completely packed! The menu consists of 12 or so choices that are written on a blackboard on the wall, and we were told that the only hot dish was a fish stew, but that many of the dishes feature cooked seafood, just served cold. We were also advised that 4 or 5 dishes for 2 people would be a good amount. In the end, we ordered the prawn on the lawn, scallop ceviche with passion fruit, squid with broccolini and sesame oil, and a burrata served with fresh tomatoes.
I thought everything was fantastic. Prawn on the lawn was 2 pieces of bread with mashed avocado and a few prawns on top, in case you were wondering. Scallop ceviche featured many thin slices versus the more commonly seen chunky version, and I thought the passion fruit was a unique touch but not overpowering. The squid was also very different because it was served in an Asian style, though it was still a fairly light dish. And the burrata was of course great as well. I think it had anchovies on top; that must have been the seafood element!
I think this place is perfect for a date, as long as your date loves seafood and is ok with a fairly casual setting. We sat along the wall at the «bar,» and several other couples were seated on stools around wooden barrels. I would also be happy coming here with a good friend and knocking back oysters and drinks. The wine list is fairly extensive compared to the food menu, and we enjoyed a nice bottle of Picpoul with our meal. They have half bottle options, but when the full bottles are only £20−25, it just made sense to get a whole bottle! I love this place and am so grateful that I live close by.

Very, very good and seriously good bang for the buck. The idea that they do not cook anything was a little vexing but not something one can really complain about after you’ve had the food here.
Still a bit of a challenge to flag down wait staff but I suppose I might have to get in the mindset that I’m in London and not NYC. Yet when you see the prices, it can really start to make one cross.
This place is not to be missed.

Delicious, fresh, delicate dishes. Scallop ceviche and seared tuna were favourites, truffle oil little gem salad was also gorgeous. The food arrived over the course of an hour to the cute barrel we were sat around and went down perfectly with some nice wine.
We had a bit of an issue with them having no record of our booking but fortunately there was a table free upstairs which had a much nicer atmosphere, very quirky. There was something slightly off about the atmosphere though, it just didn’t feel that relaxed or intimate? The experience wasn’t quite there for the price — £80 for five dishes + salad + wine

I was really impressed by this intimate little seafood restaurant. You definitely need to book in advance so be warned, or you can squeeze yourself upstairs where you can walk in. Downstairs, however, is small with just four tables and is perfect for a private conversation.
The food was incredibly fresh, I particularly loved their jar of prawns and selection of oysters. We had a range of cold tapas style dishes along with a side truffle salad, yes truffle!, and we would love to come back again.

A lovely fish and seafood spot in Islington! The Prawn on the Lawn is a very little place, so try and book in advance.
So it’s a fishmonger, but you can also have a really good glass/​bottle of wine and eat fresh sea food and fish in the restaurant area. Portions are not huge, but they are delicious. You can tell everything is prepared with attention to detail. I had crab, oysters and salmon. The mindful and friendly staff seems to know what they’re talking about.
Again, it’s very small, so you might feel a little like you’re eating in your neighbour’s plate.
Overall highly recommended if you want to treat yourself to a delicious and a bit fancy fish place.

My favorite restaurant of all time– seriously.
We sat up stairs on chairs around large barrels– the restaurant has fresh fish laying on ice, you feel like you’re eating in a fish market!
All the food is incredible and so fresh– impossible to choose a favorite dish here. The ambience is great, the wine is great, it’s quaint and cozy. Overall just YES.

With scallop ceviche and jersey oysters on the menu visible from outside, they had me over a barrel, well sat, rather upright around one at least.
For a midweek late light spot of supper I was rather surprised at how full they were. Punters crammed in like sardines, they even had a full basement dining area. I didn’t venture below deck pass the powder room to find out what that was like, visiting the shanty like bathroom with a broken loo seat and hearing dulcet plinky plunky off beats of piano garage lilting in the background I could have mistakenly thought I was in some shabby crab hipster hideout Eastward, but nay you naysayers I was dinner dating in the civilised and hidden gem of Highbury.
Out front, the enticing looking fish display and it’s aficionado staff were the stars of this plaice, sorry, place. Knowledgeable handsome and cheeky yet not intrusive. Happy to answer questions and the half dozen team served the little morsels as they prepared them; order-​eat and repeat is the rule here.
The running joke of the evening was, have what you like unless its crossed off the menu, the mackerel pâté that evening was popular.
Pointing out their board rules, my only discontent was that I was served only a Jumbo prawn, not ‘prawns’ as the menu suggested.
The lobster salad was ok, a little boring, the passion fruit ceviche scallop was delectable, yet overpowered by the adornment of the mini sprouted coriander. The winning item for me was the smoked scallop taramasalata. Served with homemade (meanly, sorry I mean thinly sliced!) soda bread.
I was placated for spotting the misplaced prawn plural, by being offered extra ‘bread’ for the remains of my Tarama. How cute, two whole postage stamp sized pieces for my literary efforts.
Overall, fifty squid for 4 small plates and a couple of glasses of sherry, enough to soften my hard shell and make me merry!

Went here for an impromptu lunch with the other half as was keen to try this new seafood place in Highbury that my mum couldn’t stop raving about.
Since there’s a fishmonger at the front of house every dish is served fresh and put together delicately. The signature Prawn on the Lawn (prawns on toast on a bed of avocado) was lovely as was the Crab Toast with Watercress and Sweet Chutney. We also shared half a pint of prawns with crème fraîche and scallop ceviche — all of which was as fantastic as the dish that came before it.
We even ventured out and tried oysters for the first time (Jersey Rocks) and are officially «oyster converts».
If I had one gripe it would probably be the price, we ended up spending 50 quid on lunch and that was without any alcohol.
All in all, a fantastic dining experience and light lunch that left our tummies feeling content and not over-​stuffed. Will return!