Gordon Ramsay doesn’t do things by halves. Why open just one restaurant when you could open three? And why take to the skies unless you’re making it the highest restaurant in the UK? This Lucky Cat towers over the city from the 60th floor of 22 Bishopsgate, as part of the chef’s latest venture. We hear cats like high places – this one must be especially pleased.
The setting is impressive. After an ear-popping lift ride, it’s hard not to be awed by floor-to-ceiling windows that frame panoramic views of the capital, where even The Shard sits below you. Inside, Lucky Cat mirrors its Mayfair counterpart, decked to the nines with black and gold tones; faux-marble tables, abstract light fixtures, and a sprawling backlit bar ensure the space feels every bit as glitzy as its postcode suggests.
There’s a lot going on, with theatrical touches woven into the experience. A golden cat figurine holds your chopsticks, a resident DJ spins nightclub beats, and a ‘roll the dice’ cocktail experience lets fate pick your Negroni ingredients. But when a cocktail pushes £20 and arrives mostly as ice (albeit embossed), it feels as if the gimmicks might have gone too far.
We opt for one of the tasting menus - the best way to explore an extensive menu that spans snacks, bao buns, tempura, Wagyu and more. A series of ten sharing dishes arrive in waves, loosely resembling a three-course affair. All in all, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We start with a vibrant green pea guacamole; a playful twist that contrasts crispy shrimp crackers with refreshing coolness. Juicy tempura-style prawns are another highlight, smothered in a sticky sweet and sour sauce that is smartly balanced with charred pineapple and slices of pickled onion.
Some things are more puzzling, and Lucky Cat often doesn’t quite manage to balance the bold flavours combinations it wants to shoot for. A pile of beautiful fatty Wagyu tartare comes neatly dressed on a cylinder of sushi rice, finished with crunchy pops of roasted brown rice. It’s undeniably tasty, but the construction of the dish only really allows for one indulgent bite, leaving us holding a lot of leftover rice. Some things are lacking oomph, like a salmon fillet with underpowered miso and burnt orange glaze; others are too bullish, like a coconut sorbet which disappears under an aggressive hit of ginger. The latter was accompanying a mandarin panna cotta which appeared to have split.
For the jaw-dropping views and glamorous setting, Lucky Cat will undoubtedly become one of London’s most talked about dining destinations. But when it comes to the food, it leans more style-over-substance, and at these prices, that’s hard to ignore.