One of my guilty pleasures is watching Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. There’s just something gripping about seeing the foul-mouthed celebrity chef rip apart a restaurant and put it back together again (you can guess my excitement when it got a recent reboot in 2023). But it’s obviously not just the stress-inducing TV programme that has put Gordon Ramsay on the culinary map.
The prolific, Michelin-starred chef has restaurants across the globe, spanning a variety of cuisines, including four Asian-inspired restaurants named Lucky Cat in London, Manchester and Miami, with the first having opened in Mayfair in 2019 - the same branch that recently beckoned me in.
The restaurant is a suave and sophisticated spot for date night.
DesignMyNight Review Of Lucky Cat Mayfair
The restaurant was undeniably chic and sexy, feeling like a mingling ground for Mayfair’s after-work crowd and social elite. Bartenders expertly shook cocktails to the sounds of jazzy house music, which oozed around the buzzy chatter from those making their way through the unique drinks list. The bar attached seamlessly to the restaurant, which was found further at the back and blended bamboo walls with a geometric-patterned ceiling and lines of gleaming golden lucky cats waving at us in unison.
We nestled into our intimate booth table, which overlooked the sushi bar with whole fresh fish hanging from hooks behind it, and waited for our order to be taken. The service was a tad slow, which was surprising considering it wasn't particularly busy at this time. Not only did it take quite a while to get our initial drinks orders taken, but it took even longer for them to come out. However, when they did arrive, we thoroughly enjoyed both; I went for an Okinawa Margarita (£21), a clear, subtly sweet and tangy concoction made with Olmeca Altos Plata tequila and shikuwasa Japanese citrus liqueur, while my partner decided on a Gohan Old Fashioned (£26) – a smoky and smooth tipple, featuring Laphroaig washed in sushi rice, that went down dangerously easily.
Everything on the menu was very well-presented.
Our first dish to arrive from the Lucky Cat London menu, the sashimi selection (£44.50), was a pure celebration of premium-quality fish, featuring generously sized, faultless slabs of heaven – the salmon was so beautifully fatty without even a little stringiness, the otoro literally melted in our mouths, and the akami? It was incredible. We also dived into a couple of wagyu nigiri (£18) which had been lightly torched and were so tender and rich, although there wasn’t anything particularly special about the salmon avocado rolls (£17) and spicy tuna rolls (£20.50), which were a bit flimsy and simple, considering the upmarket venue. The monkfish tempura (£21.50) was also a tad bland and needed more seasoning, but it gets points for the perfectly crisp tempura batter. To pair with our meal, we were recommended a bottle of the Peter Laurer No 16 Riesling (£32 for 375ml), which brought a refreshing, crisp acidity that paired well with our seafood-heavy order.
We also shared the Korean spiced black cod (£46) which, owing to its firm yet succulent texture and subtle spicing, had been cooked to perfection, and went well with the accompanying pickled daikon and little pool of gochujang sauce. We paired this with a side of egg fried rice (£20). This was theatrically mixed up with a slow-cooked egg by the waiter at the table, but when it came to actually eating it, it was just a tad too sticky and stodgy for my liking.
Overall: Lucky Cat Mayfair Review
I had high hopes for Lucky Cat - not only have I always wanted to visit one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants, but I also have a penchant for Chinese and Japanese cuisine, so I was super excited to try it out. The interiors were beautifully glam, and it had an exclusive yet laid-back feel, which was great for our date night. And while some dishes needed a tad more seasoning here and there, overall the food was tasty and involved some really premium ingredients.
💰 Price: £450 for two, plus service. 📍 Address: 10 Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6JP. 👌 Perfect for: Date nights and special occasions. ⭐ Need to know: They have a 9 Lives cocktail menu, which are all £9 each. |
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