The background

Opened on the ground floor of the Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair in the summer of 2019, Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay is inspired by late-night drinking lounges in Toyko and Shanghai. The menu was inspired by Gordon Ramsay’s travels throughout different culinary hotspots in Asia. The open kitchen and signature raw curve bar add drama to this vibrant sharing-plate restaurant.

The space

Walking through Grosvenor Square on a Friday night, you really can’t miss Lucky Cat, even if you wanted to. Giant red neon letters spell out the restaurant’s name across the windows of the ground floor at the Marriott Hotel. As you ascend the black staircase, you’ll hear the vibrant pumping of uplifting beats welcoming you into the weekend and, as it turns out, one of the most fun and delicious evenings you can have in Mayfair. We were seated in a corner booth, which faced out into the spacious restaurant – perfect for people-watching (and chef-watching at the open kitchen towards the back of the restaurant) given that flowing conversation was made tricky by the music. The seductive glow of the aforementioned red signage and row upon row of shiny lucky waving cat ornaments behind our table added an extra layer of charm to our evening.

The food and drink 

As you’d expect, the menu is varied, and sharing is encouraged. Our waiter recommended we order six dishes between us from the raw & salads, maki, tempura, dumplings & bao and vegetables & rice sections of the menu, as well as a main dish each, and we happily obliged – although it was hard to whittle it down. We opted for the moreish baby squid as a snack to start us off, followed by sliced yellowtail with wasabi and apple, California rolls, prawn and shisho tempura, pork belly bao (an absolutely delectable, can’t-stop-thinking-about-it stand-out dish), and mixed mushroom dumplings (phew!). A smorgasbord of delights ensued as the dishes arrived at our table, chopsticks in one hand, Bushi cocktail (pandan-infused pisco, junmai sake, shiso syrup, lemon, lime) in the other. For mains, we shared a mouth-watering rare bread sirloin with weeping tiger sauce, lime and fragrant herbs with a side of fluffy egg fried rice. And just when we thought our meal had been memorable enough, our dessert, the Black Forest Lucky Cat, arrived ceremoniously at the table. A giant dark chocolate waving cat, deliciously destroyed by warm chocolate sauce, courtesy of a waiter, to reveal a cacophony of umeboshi cherry, crème fraîche, and more chocolate. An absolute treat and a half!

The bill

For a real feast for two with cocktails, expect to pay £300

The verdict

Oh, what a night! Great food, friendly service, fabulous atmosphere – we will be back!

Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay, London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, W1K 6JP; gordonramsayrestaurants.com/lucky-cat/