Lucky Cat

Gordon Ramsey brings his fine-dining Asian-style restaurant Lucky Cat to Manchester in April 2023, setting up shop in the Grade II listed former bank on King Street, formerly occupied by old nemesis Jamie’s Italian.

The only other Lucky Cat currently operating is in London’s Mayfair, billed as an “authentic Asian eating house and vibrant late-night lounge, inspired by the drinking dens of 1930s Tokyo and the far east”. The Manchester branch will be serving up something similar, sprawling across three floors of the old bank, including the bank vault and the upper mezzanine balcony spaces above the main banking floor.

Expect chic, dark wood interiors, exotic lighting and exciting cocktails to accompany the menu of primarily Japanese dishes. As with the Mayfair branch, the offering will be fairly decadent, so if you like sushi, wagyu and black cod, this is a spot for you. Raw dishes are a staple, with options like wagyu beef tataki with truffle ponzu and wild herbs, sliced yellowtail with wasabi and apple or tuna tartare with kimchi and shiso.

From there, you’ll find plenty of dumplings (such as smoked brisket and yuzu mustard bao or pork and ginger gyoza) as well as an impressive sushi selection. The sashimi selection is the star of the show, featuring salmon, yellowtail, akami, chu-toro and sea bream, while rolls include fan-favourites like salmon and avocado or spicy tuna. From the grill, expect punchy combos like monkfish and bacon skewers with honey kombu spiced lamb chops. A good mix of health and indulgence.

If, however, you’re just stopping by for drinks, there are bar snacks such as padron peppers with holy basil and spicy edamame to accompany the cocktails. And speaking of drinks, a must-try is the lucky negroni, a cocktail decided by a roll of the dice (or rather three rolls). Each roll determines which of the six gins, bitters and vermouths will be used, meaning there are 216 possible combinations. Elsewhere you might see a more classic barrel-aged old fashioned or gimlet-esque ‘shiso smash’. Alcohol-free options are also available, including the likes of a lychee and lemongrass lemonade or coconut, mango and lime cooler.

All of this costs a pretty penny, so Lucky Cat should probably be saved for a special occasion, but you could say that a special occasion is the place’s opening, in April 2023….