Lucky Cat Mayfair By Gordon Ramsay. Discover Pan Asian Fine Dining.

Andy Mossack eats at Lucky Cat Mayfair by Gordon Ramsay. A Shanghai drinking den has never looked so fancy.

As 1930s Shanghai drinking dens go this is most definitely a step up. The default dark, smoky and sleazy feel has been seriously watered down for Mayfair’s well-heeled denizens. Still, the dark bit is retained along with black bamboo walls. A fair enough compromise I reckon considering the price tag, but perhaps not quite enough grit and grime to make the patrons feel they’ve experienced an authentic 30s Shanghai boozery.

That said, it is Grosvenor Square Mayfair after all, and now, after more than five years of service, Lucky Cat Mayfair by Gordon Ramsay, has proved to be very lucky indeed for Mr Ramsay. It has since spawned three more no less; Manchester, Miami and the recently opened Lucky Cat at 22 Bishopsgate, London’s highest restaurant.

Mind you, with the sheer number of waving Lucky Cats (or maneki-neko in Japanese) lining the walls here, its success shouldn’t be much of a surprise.

The Grosvenor Square location is a veritable Ramsay fiefdom. Part of the London Marriott hotel, the whole left side is Lucky Cat Mayfair by Gordon Ramsay, while the right side is the all-day dining Gordon Ramsay Bar and Grill. Both restaurants use the same entrance, so make sure you turn left!

Once you do, the size of the place doesn’t reveal itself at first. It is essentially an L shape, and this front area is long and narrow with a cocktail bar along the left side and over 300 maneki-neko lining the shelves of the right-side wall. All very art deco and red banquette.

Right at the end, propped on a dais, lies the famous Lucky Cat Raw Bar where skilled sushi chefs prepare bounteous amounts of fresh fish throughout the service. This is the point where you make a right turn, and the restaurant opens to a cavernous dining area where tables eventually give way to a separate chef’s table and a private dining area. An open kitchen consumes the rest of the space – a stage to culinary theatre.

I was there on a Friday night, so the weekend DJ was spinning soft sounds which gradually moves up a gear as late-night turns to early morning.

Tables were filling up fast, food was plated from both sets of chefs, and serving staff were everywhere. It was all a well-oiled operation and dare I say it, quite the spectacle.

I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.

Our server was Anne, a Lucky Cat veteran of many years. “I helped open Manchester” she told me “But Mayfair is home to me.”

We decided to abandon the three Taste of Lucky Cat set meals – Explore (£75) Journey (£95) and Signature (£125) for a dive into the a la carte menu, which is set up as a sharing plates format. You order everything up front and it comes out whenever its ready.

Under Anne’s tutelage we began with a snack. Padron peppers (£9.5) were an option, spicy edamame (£7.5) another, but we were guided to her “personal favourite” pea guac (£9.5) a generous bowl of mixed pea and avo guacamole with shrimp crackers. A dipping dream of a snack and a memorable start.

A raw bar sampling was up next. A vegetable summer roll (£10) fresh crunchy raw veg and herbs bundled into a soft silky transparent wrap, sliced in half with a wedge of lime. A taste of summer freshness. And a quite delicious chirashi (scattered) ceviche (£18) with a sensational sweetcorn hot sauce the hero ingredient for me.

No sooner had we stopped drooling over the ceviche Anne brought over our 6-piece nigiri selection (£32). Always a chef’s choice, ours was wagyu, salmon and monkfish topped with caviar and fish eggs. Delicate and beautiful bite-size nigiri.

Completing our delectable raw offerings, 6 fabulous salmon and avocado maki rolls surrounded by black and white rice. (£17) sided with fresh ginger and spicy wasabi.

By now the place was full, the music definitely trying to out do the chatter, and servers armed with trays laden with good stuff were skilfully weaving between tables to deliver the goods.

Anne was back armed with our mains. A plate of delightfully crispy battered monkfish tempura (£21.5) and two meat dishes, a melt in your mouth Robata charred and sliced short rib (£40) and a crispy pork belly and papaya (£23) doused in moromi miso and ginger. A side of grilled tenderstem broccoli (£15) with smoked emulsion was our nod to greens. All three were worthy contenders for best main, but the short rib won it for me.

Thankfully a pause in proceedings provided some rest to evaluate, and deserved praise for not only the quality of the food, but the service too. A true team effort that was nonstop all night.

Anne was back sensing we were ready to plunge into our final lap dessert. We had plumped for a yuzu and passion fruit soufflé with crème fraiche ice cream (£13) which came with a 15-minute wait warning as it was made to order. Perfect for me as I was distracted by the couple on our neighbouring table who were devouring the banoffee Lucky Cat which I had noted came with a hefty (£40) price tag.

I was baffled why a dessert would cost that much, until I saw it. It was a large chocolate version of a Lucky Cat filled with banana, dulce de leche, miso caramel and hot chocolate poured all over it when served. An indulgent treat for chocolate lovers no doubt, but not one for me.

Needless to say, our soufflé was a triumph. Steaming hot and light as a feather. A perfect finale to an epic dinner.

We left the DJ as she was readying the setlist for the late crowd. Weekends, the restaurant closes at midnight, but the bar stays open until the wee small hours.

Those waving Lucky Cats might well weave their luck charms but they’re no substitute for top quality food and well-drilled service and the Lucky Cat Mayfair by Gordon Ramsay has both.

I think the Mayfair set quite like this Shanghai drinking lark.

Food Images and DJ (C) Andy Mossack