London’s Canary Wharf is welcoming a taste of Colombo as Isso Prawn Crazy, the Sri Lankan seafood favourite, opens its first restaurant outside Sri Lanka.
Founded by entrepreneur Apinash Sivagumaaran in 2016, the brand has built a strong following in Colombo with its prawn-focused menu, bold island flavours and relaxed approach to dining. Its new 90-seat restaurant at 25 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf Estate, London E14 4QA, brings that same concept to the UK.
For Sri Lankans living in Britain, the opening is a welcome celebration of Sri Lankan food and culture. For London diners discovering the cuisine for the first time, it offers an accessible way to explore the island’s seafood traditions.
A Colombo seafood favourite arrives in the UK
The name “Isso” comes from the Sinhala word for prawn. It reflects the restaurant’s focus on one of Sri Lanka’s most popular seafood ingredients and a central part of the island’s coastal food culture.
According to the brand, its prawns are sourced directly from fishing communities in northern Sri Lanka. This connection gives the Canary Wharf menu a clear link to the country’s coastline, while helping bring familiar Sri Lankan ingredients to diners in one of London’s busiest business districts.
The opening also represents an important step for Sri Lankan food in the UK. London already has a growing audience for regional South Asian cuisines, and Sri Lankan restaurants, cafés and food businesses continue to introduce new customers to dishes such as hoppers, kottu, short eats, sambols and fragrant curries.
Isso Prawn Crazy adds a distinctive seafood concept to that expanding scene.
Build your own prawn dish
The restaurant’s signature format allows diners to create a dish according to their preferred ingredients and flavours. Guests choose a prawn base, a sauce and a carrier, making the menu suitable for both first-time visitors and those already familiar with Sri Lankan cuisine.
The prawn choices include:
- Black tiger prawns
- Flower prawns
- Giant freshwater prawns
- Colossal freshwater prawns
These can be paired with sauces inspired by different parts of Sri Lanka’s culinary tradition. Options include kithul with garlic and chilli, hot butter, turmeric coconut curry, Jaffna curry and Negombo curry.
Kithul is a traditional Sri Lankan palm treacle known for its deep, rounded sweetness. Combined with garlic and chilli, it creates a sauce that balances heat and richness. Jaffna curry brings the distinctive spice character associated with northern Sri Lanka, while Negombo curry reflects the seafood traditions of the western coastal region.
Diners can complete their meal with ghee rice, curry leaf and garlic rice or parotta. The result is a flexible dining experience that allows each guest to select a combination of flavours, textures and spice levels.
For many Sri Lankan families in the UK, these combinations may bring back memories of home cooking, coastal holidays and meals shared during family gatherings. For other diners, the build-your-own format provides a straightforward introduction to Sri Lankan food.
More than prawns on the menu
Although prawns are at the centre of the concept, the Canary Wharf menu includes a variety of additional dishes.
Small plates and sides include isso wade, a Sri Lankan prawn fritter traditionally made with lentils, spices and seafood. Diners can also try coconut crumbed prawns, cuttlefish fritto and vegetable pakora.
The menu is designed to work for different occasions, from a weekday lunch in Canary Wharf to an evening meal with friends or a family gathering. The restaurant also serves cocktails, wines, beers and spirits, alongside non-alcoholic options such as lemonades and iced tea.
The combination of familiar ingredients, bold seasoning and informal sharing dishes reflects the lively character of Sri Lankan dining. Meals are often built around variety, with several dishes placed at the centre of the table so everyone can taste something different.
Zephyr Ceylon brings Sri Lankan cocktails to London
The Canary Wharf launch is being supported by a special drinks collaboration with Zephyr Ceylon, a Sri Lankan bar recognised by Condé Nast Traveller as one of the best bars in Sri Lanka.
Zephyr Ceylon is hosting cocktail takeovers at Isso Prawn Crazy on 20 and 22 August. The special events will feature five exclusive cocktails created by the Zephyr team to complement the restaurant’s seafood menu.
Signature pours include the Zephyr Sour, Tropical Negroni and Jackfruit Brandy. The collaboration brings another element of Sri Lankan hospitality to London, highlighting the creativity of the country’s modern food and drinks industry.
Sri Lankan cuisine is often associated with spices, coconut and seafood, but the country’s contemporary hospitality scene is also developing a strong reputation for innovative cocktails and destination bars. The Zephyr Ceylon takeover offers London diners an opportunity to experience that side of Sri Lankan culture alongside the food.
A new address for Sri Lankan food in London
Canary Wharf is best known as a major business and financial district, but its food and drink offering has expanded significantly in recent years. The arrival of Isso Prawn Crazy adds a Sri Lankan restaurant with a clear identity and a strong connection to its country of origin.
The restaurant’s location also places Sri Lankan food in front of a broad audience. Office workers, residents, international visitors, food enthusiasts and members of the Sri Lankan community can all experience the menu in the same setting.
For the diaspora, restaurants such as Isso Prawn Crazy play an important role in keeping culinary traditions visible and accessible. Food is one of the most immediate ways that people maintain links with their heritage, especially when traditional ingredients and flavours are presented in a welcoming public space.
The restaurant also creates an opportunity for people unfamiliar with Sri Lankan culture to learn through food. A dish built with northern Sri Lankan prawns, Jaffna curry or kithul is not simply a meal; it introduces diners to the island’s geography, ingredients and regional traditions.
Visiting Isso Prawn Crazy in Canary Wharf
Isso Prawn Crazy is open from 11am daily.
Restaurant details
Address: 25 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf Estate, London E14 4QA
Opening hours: 11am daily
Closing time: 10pm Monday to Friday
Weekend closing time: 11pm on Saturdays and Sundays
Special cocktail takeover: 20 and 22 August, featuring Zephyr Ceylon
Those interested in visiting can check the latest menu, booking information and restaurant updates through the official Prawn Crazy website.
Readers can also continue exploring Sri Lankan community news, culture and events through elanka’s articles section and events section.
Isso Prawn Crazy’s Canary Wharf opening is a significant moment for Sri Lankan food in the UK. From its Sinhala name and northern Sri Lankan prawns to its regional sauces and cocktail collaboration, the restaurant brings a vibrant expression of Sri Lankan culture to the heart of London.
Original source
This article is based on coverage by The Upcoming. Additional background was checked against the official Prawn Crazy website and its Our Story page.