Review of Isso Prawn Crazy in Canary Wharf

London, meet Isso Prawn Crazy: the Sri Lankan restaurant sensation putting seriously good prawns centre stage, now open in Canary Wharf. And if you thought you knew your way around a prawn curry, you may want to make room for a few new favourites. Founded in Colombo in 2016 by entrepreneur Apinash Sivagumaaran, Isso started as a modest 16-seat restaurant with a brilliant idea: give Sri Lanka’s world-class prawns the spotlight they deserve. Fast-forward less than a decade and the homegrown success story has grown into a multi-site restaurant brand across the island. Its latest venture is bringing the virunthu (Sri Lankan banquet) to London, with a 90-seat restaurant marking its first international opening.

‘Isso’ is the Sinhala word for prawn, so the clue is very much in the name. The restaurant works directly with fishing communities in northern Sri Lanka to source its seafood, putting the island’s prized prawns at the heart of the experience. But this isn't a case of simply picking a dish off the menu and crossing your fingers. Here, you get to play chef. The restaurant’s signature concept welcomes diners to build their own prawn dish: choose your seafood, pick a sauce, then decide what will mop up all that flavour. The line-up ranges from Black Tiger and Flower Prawns to Giant Freshwater and Colossal Freshwater Prawns. Sauces include garlic and chilli-infused Kithul, Hot Butter, fragrant Sri Lankan Turmeric Coconut Curry, Jaffna Curry and Negombo Curry. Finish with ghee rice, curry leaf and garlic rice or parotta, and you have a meal built around your own cravings.

Naturally, I went with a dining partner and we decided that sharing was the sensible approach. Sensible, of course, being a relative term when faced with a menu this tempting. We began with the Cuttlefish Fritto and Coconut Prawns, both from the signature menu. The cuttlefish arrives flash-fried, with a crisp coating, sea salt and chilli flakes, accompanied by a punchy passion fruit, mango and chilli dip. It’s the sort of starter that makes conversation pause briefly while everyone concentrates on getting another piece. The Coconut Prawns offers a different kind of enjoyment, with their golden coating of toasted coconut and a sweet-savoury date and tamarind dip. Crunchy, moreish and dangerously easy to keep reaching for.

For the main event, we went big. The Colossal Prawn Biryani brought the restaurant’s star ingredient into an aromatic, spiced rice dish, while the ISSO Kottu Roti offered a taste of Sri Lankan comfort food. Kottu is traditionally made with chopped flatbread tossed with vegetables and curry, and Isso gives the dish its own prawn-led spin, served with prawn crackers and onion salad. It’s a satisfying contrast to the biryani: one built around aromatic rice, the other around the irresistible combination of shredded roti, spice and seafood.

One thing Isso gets right is giving Sri Lankan food room to be itself. Rather than reducing the cuisine to a familiar curry-and-rice formula, the menu draws on regional flavours and street-food favourites, with prawns appearing in all manner of guises. There are plenty of options for those who prefer to go beyond the signature seafood, too, including Isso Wade, vegetable pakora and cuttlefish. We washed it all down with mango and passionfruit lemonades, both revitalizing accompaniments to a meal packed with spice and rich flavours. They brought a welcome fruity lift to the table without needing to involve a cocktail shaker or a second round of decisions. And then came dessert.

The Pani Pol Pancake is a delicate, crepe-like Sri Lankan treat filled with grated coconut sweetened with treacle, giving a lovely nod to the island’s traditional flavours. Alongside it, the Classic Chocolate Biscuit Pudding delivered a more familiar comfort: chocolatey, rich, and gloriously nostalgic. One dessert offered a taste of Sri Lanka; the other was a reminder that at times the best way to end a meal is with chocolate. Naturally, we weren't about to choose between them. The warm welcome was every bit as memorable as the food. The staff were genuinely friendly, engaging and clearly enthusiastic about the menu, happily talking us through the dishes and offering recommendations to help us navigate the flavours on offer.

Their knowledge made trying something new feel effortless, and their approachable manner added to the relaxed, convivial atmosphere. It’s always a good sign when the people serving your food are just as passionate about it as the people cooking it.

With its first restaurant outside Sri Lanka, Isso Prawn Crazy is bringing a generous helping of Colombo's seafood culture to London's dining scene. The build-your-own format makes it easy to experiment, while the signature dishes offer a route into Sri Lankan flavours without requiring an encyclopaedic knowledge of curry. The interior has a relaxed, contemporary feel, with splashes of personality throughout. We particularly loved the large fantasy-style mural, which added a playful, imaginative touch to the space and gave us something rather lovely to admire between mouthfuls.

Our advice? Bring someone who doesn't mind sharing, order a spread for the table and leave room for both desserts. The prawns may be the headline act, but there's plenty more going on here.

To check out the menu and book a table click here

Address: Isso Prawn Crazy 25 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 4QA.

Written By Stacey Reeves

Photography by Isso Prawn Crazy.