Lord Prawn

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#7 of 106 Restaurants in Umhlanga RocksSeafood, Grill, RR - RRR

What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Lord Prawn

Review

At a glance

Open until 10:00 PM

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Website

+27 31 561 1133Improve this listing

About

Travellers' Choice

2024

Lord Prawn has witnessed 35 years of Beautiful changes in Umhlanga, originally the doors opened up in Durban on 2 May 1975. The Chemaly brothers reinvented the way you serve Seafood to Locals, Tourist and Seafood Lovers. John then moved the restaurant to Umhlanga in 1989, we have been in the same premises ever since, John kept the service level at a high standard with his amazing team of loyal and conscientious staff members, some of which have been at Lord Prawn since the start. At Lord Prawn we strive to constantly serve the best quality of food and South African Wines, Beers and Ciders at a reasonable price but with a genuine want to please our customers and in turn build strong customer relationships and add to our Prawn family! We invite you to come experience the LORD PRAWN way…

Features

CUISINES

Seafood, Grill, Cajun & Creole

Meal types

Lunch, Dinner

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

American Express

Dog Friendly

Family style

Free off-street parking

Full Bar

Gift Cards Available

Highchairs Available

Mastercard

Outdoor Seating

Parking Available

Reservations

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Street Parking

Table Service

Takeout

Visa

Wheelchair Accessible

Wine and Beer

Location

Shop 1, 2 Umhlanga Plaza Lagoon Drive, Umhlanga Rocks 4320 South Africa

Free off-street parking, Parking Available, Street Parking

Is this restaurant a hidden gem or off-the-beaten path?

Yes

Unsure

Save this restaurant

Hours

Suggest an edit

Open until 10:00 PM

Sunday

12:00 - 21:00

Monday

12:00 - 22:00

Tuesday

12:00 - 22:00

Wednesday

12:00 - 22:00

Thursday

12:00 - 22:00

Friday

12:00 - 22:00

Saturday

12:00 - 22:00

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4.3

(419)

Excellent

222

Good

126

Average

Poor

Terrible

Maria1980Windsor

254 contributions

Ate like a King & Queen at this place!

Dec 2024 • couples

Partner and I are on hols in SA, hoping to escape the misery of UK weather in favour of some Christmas sun. Whilst the Durban weather has perhaps let us down (jury is still out!), popping into this little establishment for our first night in uMhalanga certainly didn’t! It was a 7pm reservation on a Monday evening which was also Christmas Eve Eve and the restaurant was semi busy that allowed us a table that accommodated 4 for the 2 of us which gave ample space for what was to come (and by God, we needed it!). The restaurant was kitted out in tinsel, lights and Christmas baubles to celebrate the festive season, and it was a really casual and welcoming vibe. The waiter was kind enough to inform us that the restaurant is over 50 years old and despite its success the owner still comes in every morning to check the quality of the prawns that have been delivered, which we totally respected! We ordered the Millionnaire’s Platter for 2 which was 2 fillets of grilled King Clip, grilled calamari, 16 butterflied Queen prawns, 2 butterflied lobsters and some mussels which came with a side of chips, rice and sauces (peri peri, garlic butter and garlic oil). We paired it with a bottle of delicious bubbly. We were also served warm bread and butter for the table which whilst very yummy, I’d advise against eating if you don’t want to be defeated by the platter! In fact, I’d advise eating any of the carbs if you want to conquer the platter in all its glory. The platter’s arrival drew wide eyes from my partner and I - it was a truly beautiful thing! The calamari was soft and juicy, the prawns and lobster were sweet and succulent, mussels were intensely flavoursome and the king clip meaty yet delicate at the same time! Quality and flavour all round was total melt in your mouth! The entire thing gave me last meal on death row vibes! I’d have been over the moon if this was my last and final culinary experience on this Earth! Excellent service and excellent food at a very reasonable total price of R1700 (roughly £40 each for the Brits out there). Exceptional value for money. If I lived here, this place would be getting a weekly visit. You’ll see from the pics that we were pretty aggressive in our attack, only leaving a teeny amount of calamari and a mouthful of kingclip. We went hungry and came out feeling like King Henry VIII. Great little find!

Written 23 December 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lord Prawn

Dear Maria1980Windsor, Apologies for the late reply. Thank you so much for dining with us. We are thrilled to know you had a great experience, I just loved reading your feedback. Thank you for the support and KIND WORDS. See you next time you are in Umhlanga. Warm Regards Gerhard and Team..

Written 11 March 2025

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

SweetnSourKraut

Warwickshire482 contributions

Prawns and more Prawns

Sept 2024 • friends

With over 100 photos of prawns already posted, you will already know what they look like! And yes, they taste as good as they look. We ordered king prawns, 1kg of queen prawns and a dozen of the Mozambican LM prawns. Served with melted butter, garlic butter and piri-piri sauce, they were truly excellent. Other options include lobster, crayfish and more prawns! Great simple food cooked well. Staff were friendly and efficient. Ambience on the covered terrace was very pleasant. Would definitely recommend.

Written 6 September 2024

Lord Prawn

Dear SweetnSourKraut, Apologies for the late reply. Thank you so much for dining with us. We are thrilled to know you had a great experience. Thank you for the support. See you next time you are in Umhlanga. Warm Regards Gerhard and Team..

Written 11 March 2025

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Flyer41748558397

1 contribution

Wonderful experience

Apr 2024 • friends

First visit to this restaurant for my wife and I and will not be the last. Lovely "old world atmosphere" which is rare. Tables are nicely spaced so you're not on top of other diners. The food was to die for, reasonably priced, and a good selection of specials to supplement an already comprehensive menu. Service was smooth but not rushed. My wife and I have a small list of "special" restaurants and this has been added. What was cute, this was our anniversary lunch with a couple of close friends and the tablecloth was covered with small "congratulations"

Written 29 April 2024

Lord Prawn

Dear Flyer417, Thank you for the 5 stars and beautiful review, Happy anniversary again, do pleased you guys had a great time, to many more beautiful celebrations with us. See you soon. Warm regards Gerhard and team

Written 1 July 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

FarAway02207625745

Pretoria1 contribution

Brilliant experience from Gerhard

Dec 2023 • family

Brilliant service from Gerhard and his team. I live in Pretoria and called Lord Prawns to book for my mum's 79th birthday in Umhlanga Rocks. Gerhard was most accommodating and on my behalf purchased gifts, flowers, and a cake for the lunch. This kind of service doesn't happen much in today's era and therefore I am immensely grateful to Gerhard for going the extra mile and making my mum's day so special!

Written 10 December 2023

Lord Prawn

Dear Dr Angie, Was done with great pleasure, your mom and dad loved everything, seeing the smile on her face made it all worth while. Still can't believe your mom turning 79, doesn't look a day older than 60.. Hope to meet you soon. Warm regards Gerhard

Written 9 January 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Heidi T

1 contribution

Lord Prawn good value

Aug 2023 • couples

On recommendation of waiter tried the Natal prawn curry. It did not disappoint. Heard a number of guests around us ordering lamb curry (which must be a favourite). My partner had the calamari and so enjoyed his meal. Even though there were a number of larger groups for dinner, waiters were attentive. Gerhard and his team can be commended. The fruit shake (as an alternative dessert) was refreshing and a must try (if you like real thick ice cream milkshakes).

Written 24 August 2023

Lord Prawn

Dear Heidi, Thank you for the Kind words and 5 stars. Glad you enjoyed the curry, the lamb curry is delicious. See you soon Warm regards Gerhard

Written 27 September 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ockert M

Pretoria947 contributions

Again, a wonderful experience.

Jul 2023 • couples

Whenever you re-visit a restaurant, you might worry that the same enjoyment and experience will not be recaptured as with the previous visit. This being our second visit, they had proved to me that they consistently maintained their excellent service and high quality of food. All staff on duty were very friendly, attentive, and ensured that every single patron that visits them is treated to the absolute best they have to offer. We kicked off our lunch with sharing a garlic roll, which was freshly made and served with sambals and a tamarind chutney, a refreshing and tasty accompaniment. For our mains we had their Seafood Paella and Mixed Seafood Curry. The Seafood curry was packed to the brim with the freshest seafood marinara and combined beautifully with the spicy tomato based sauce. This was served with rice and a crunchy poppadum. The Paella was equally delicious, also with fresh seafood and very tasty and it certainly delivers on its promise to be colourful and rich. The portion of Paella served was huge and there was more than enough to take home.

Written 11 August 2023

Lord Prawn

Dear Ockert, Thank you for the Kind words and 4 stars. I loved reading your review, I can imagine the food beautifully. See you soon Warm regards Gerhard

Written 27 September 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

paulsJ2059KV

37 contributions

Never disappoints for good seafood and large parties

Jan 2025 • family

Great Seafood at a good price, never a disappointment, possibly the best seafood restaurant in South Africa. The combination of grilled Calamari and Prawns never disappoints. Good wine selection and beers also.

Written 22 February 2025

Lord Prawn

Dear PaulsJ2059KV, Thank you so much for dining with us. We are thrilled to know you had a great experience. Thank you for the support and recommending our Grilled Calamari and Prawn. See you next time you are in Umhlanga. Warm Regards Gerhard and Team..

Written 11 March 2025

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Robin B

53 contributions

Calling all sea food lovers k

May 2024 • couples

Having read so many rave reviews, my wife and I had dinner here yesterday evening, and we were not disappointed. The food was delicious, and the size of the portions were enough to satisfy the hungriest of diners. The service was very good (sorry, I can’t recall the name of our waiter, or restaurant manager) All in all, a very pleasant experience, which I would not hesitate to recommend.

Written 15 May 2024

Lord Prawn

Dear F463Vkrobinb Thank you for the 5 stars and beautiful review, we very proud of our quality and size portion, you will never go home hungry from Lord Prawn. See you soon. Warm regards Gerhard

Written 1 July 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

swazi foodie

Manzini250 contributions

They have earned their name!

Oct 2024 • couples

What an eating experience! Great food, good wine and all with great service! The starters of Camembert, seafood in cheese sauce baked and lobster bisque was all come back dishes! The star of the evening was our own prawn platter with Kings, LMs and queen prawns. So good! Tiramisu was a winner to close it down! Will for sure eat here again! Well done!

Written 2 October 2024

Lord Prawn

Dear Swazijumbo, Apologies for the late reply. Thank you so much for dining with us. We are thrilled to know you had a great experience. Thank you for the support. See you next time you are in Umhlanga. Warm Regards Gerhard and Team..

Written 11 March 2025

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Quest22197683871

1 contribution

BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Dec 2023 • family

Lord Prawn is my wedding anniversary go to restaurant because it ticks all the boxes for my celebration dinner. The food, ambience, service and the vibe is absolutely incredible. I’ve been frequently visiting this restaurant for many many years and I must highly recommend their consistency for excellence in all areas of the best seafood restaurant. Gerard Rothman has always made us feel like family Definitely an excellent experience I love Lord Prawn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Written 27 December 2023

Lord Prawn

Dear Sandra and Family, Always a pleasure seeing you guys, thank you for these beautiful words and 5 stars. See you guys soon. Warm Regards and lots of Love Gerhard

Written 9 January 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sonja Beeston

4 contributions

Best food - worst scam

Jul 2022 • family

Second time this happened. Been going for years. They put 1x gratituaty between the food or drinks and include it with the total. At the bottom there is a space for TIP and then to fill in TOTAL amount. When you ask the waiter or manager - they say it is a new thing and it is supposed to be at the bottom. The manager even said that he had the computor people there to fix it. In the meantime they did exactly a year ago. We checked on other sites tonight after the ordeal and other people also complained about it and management or owner replied with an answer that do not even begin to address the real problem.

Written 14 July 2022

Lord Prawn

Dear Beeston5, Thank you for the review, and glad you enjoyed the food. We make mention of the pool system of staff we have in the menu story - All the front staff share and Kitchen receives their 10%. The waiter also presents the bill with a pen. Many regular customers sometimes add more. You make mention second time, means you are aware of it. Not sure what you mean it's a new thing, I never said that, however I did say when Ii came pass to ask how everything was, that we had a problem and our IT guy did have a look for us, and fix it, gratuity is last item on bill, on your bill the coke zero was below the gratuity. Please search on Tripadvisor gratuity South Africa and see what Tripadvisor say about it, not a scam. We will always continue giving great service with quality food and we apologize that you left the restaurant angry, I spoke to my waiters, they need to advise customers gratuity on the bill. Warm Regards Gerhard

Written 19 July 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rob_Crothall

Port Alfred7 contributions

Always a joy to eat at Lord Prawn!

Jun 2022 • none

Whenever we visit Umhlanga, we make a point of having a meal at Lord Prawn. The tables always have pristine white cloths, with precisely folded linen serviettes. Gwynn had the Queen Prawns and I had the Prawns Creole - both were excellent, as usual. Service was also all that we could wish for. Well worth a visit!

Written 17 June 2022

Lord Prawn

Dear Rob, Thank you for the kind words and 5 star, the Queen are beautiful and also used in Creole. See you guys soon and safe trip. Warm regards Gerhard

Written 18 June 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

noreally

Skerries99 contributions

Great food - and lots of it!

Jul 2024 • friends

Went for dinner with a party of six. Absolutely lived up to to its reputation for seafood. Everyone loved it. Quality was superb and portions were large (Some doggy bags were required). Staff and service were very good. Recommended.

Written 24 July 2024

Lord Prawn

Dear Noreally and Party, Thank you for the KIND words and 5 stars, We are pleased that you guys enjoyed the quality of our seafood and service, it's very important to us. See you again when in Umhlanga. Warm regards Gerhard

Written 25 August 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

UncleDom

London4869 contributions

A great choice for seafood

Mar 2020 • none

Great meal at The Lord Prawn while on a recent stay in Umhlanga, ok it is a little old fashioned and cosy but that adds to the charm of the restaurant, also it is extremely popular with locals as a place to celebrate birthdays, there was 3 on the night which I dined. Starter of tempura prawns (5) from the specials board, served with salad garnish was tasty, the prawns fresh and meaty, the prawn cocktail was just as good , the seafood sauce a little rich but the prawns were delicious. Mains of king klip fillet was perfectly grilled, the fish fresh and white, served with chips, butternut and spinach all washed down with some white wine which was reasonably priced, iced water available on request with no charge. Service was attentive , plates were cleared promptly and bill came when requested. There is both inside and outside seating so you have the choice of AC inside or fresh air on the outside terrace. I would not hesitate in returning if I was in the area again, a great choice for seafood.

Written 22 March 2020

LordPrawn

Dear Valued client, Thank you for the kind words, See you soon, Warm Regards Gerhard and Team.

Written 23 November 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Henry

2 contributions

Plastic In My Food

Jan 2020 • none

Disgusting food quality and offensive service!! I recently took my parents out for dinner to Lord Prawn in Umhlanga Rocks. An immediate red flag for me was the feel & atmosphere of the place, dreary and outdated. I had a bad feeling, though I nudged it away as it was my parent's selection (being their anniversary). The second red flag was the staff, they were arrogant and offered no warm welcome. The food was old and prepared horrifically. My tiny lobster at R160 was glued to the shell, super dry and overcooked, so were all the prawns we orders. There is no live fish tank, which means their stock is frozen and possibly sitting for months or more likely years. For a seafood restaurant in the heart of Umhlanga, this experience was extremely disappointing. To top it off! Halfway through my steak, there was a plastic tag lodged in the middle of my steak (Picture attached). The arrogant manager insisted that this never came from his kitchen and that it came from me! From the waiter to the manager (Gehard) not one apology was given to me or my family for this terrible experience. I paid a R920 bill including the waiter's tip as I was not looking for a free meal. The manager deducted the tiny piece of steak from the bill (at R60) as I not going to pay to literally eat poison. What quality of steak are they serving at R60?