Lucky Cat

4.6

10 Reviews

$30 and under

Izakaya

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2 people

16 Mar 2025

22:00

Booked 11 times today

Good for groups
Lively
Innovative

The Lucky Cat is situated in Midtown NYC, a vibrant center of Japanese business and culture. Our large beckoning cat, an emblem of Japan's Maneki Neko tradition, warmly welcomes everyone. The restaurant is operated by chef and partner Koji Kagawa, embracing the 'Izakaya' concept—an informal Japanese gastropub typically frequented after work for drinks. Our menu offers authentic dishes served in a tapas style, perfect for sharing. Come and unwind with us! Irashaimase!

Additional information

Location
232 E 53rd St, New York, NY 10022
Phone number
(212) 838-5333
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Izakaya, Japanese, Ramen
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30–00:00 Fri, Sat 11:30–02:00
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
None

What 10 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.2Service
4.5Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

10 Reviews

R
Rei
Chicago4 reviews
4.0
Dined on 6 March 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Overall it was a good experience. Decent quality food and Japanese beer but felt slightly overpriced for the quality. The service weren’t the best but it looked busy and it is what it is.
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I
Ivory
Unspecified1 review
5.0
Dined on 28 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
HEHEHEHEHHEEH :333333 VERY YUMMER !!!!!! #yumdotcom OVER HERE!!!! U SHOULD EAT HERE IF UR CONSIDERING IT :3
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D
Doug
New York City5 reviews
4.0
Dined on 2 February 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Excellent izakaya experience with tons of delicious options. The menu is expansive and diverse and everything we tried was excellent. Just be careful, cause it can add up quick if you’re trying a bunch of the small plates. Thankfully the portions were perfect for sharing with our table our four. Looking forward to going back.
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L
Leslie VIP
New York City6 reviews
5.0
Dined on 19 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic ramen and Okonomiyaki! The ambience is very Japanese.
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L
Laura VIP
New York City22 reviews
3.0
Dined on 7 January 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
Food was very good! Service was disjointed, dishes didn't come out on time.
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M
Mark VIP
Chicago7 reviews
5.0
Dined on 29 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great service, food and ambience! Feels like you’re in a cool little restaurant in Tokyo. Highly recommend.
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S
Stanley VIP
London46 reviews
1.0
Dined on 27 December 2024
1. Overall 1
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
While the food, once it finally arrived, was of good quality, my overall experience was disappointing. Two-thirds of our order arrived 20 minutes late, with the only explanation being that it takes longer to prepare. This was puzzling since the items—seaweed salads, sushi rolls, and salmon bowls—are all quick to assemble and don’t require cooking. The bill included a 20% automatic gratuity for parties of five or more, which we expected. However, due to the delay in our order, we politely requested that the gratuity be reduced to 10%. It was at this point that the waitress informed us of a $50 per person minimum charge—something that was never mentioned during the booking process. This came as a surprise to us. To make matters worse, when one of our party accidentally broke a small side plate, the manager’s response was appalling. She insisted that we pay the full 20% gratuity due to the breakage. I have never encountered such a request at any restaurant, anywhere in the world, and it felt both unreasonable and unprofessional. Instead of addressing the situation with any understanding, the manager completely ignored our concerns. Despite the fact that the gratuity had already been charged, she refused to offer any resolution. Given the vast number of excellent restaurants in NYC, it’s baffling to see such poor customer service. I will not be returning, and I would advise others to think twice before dining here.
1 person found this helpful
V
Veronica
Miami3 reviews
5.0
Dined on 20 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
First time in this place and I can highly recommended now! Loved the service, the atmosphere and the food was fresh and very tasty. Had the dumplings, truffle fries, tuna tataki, and obviously ramen. Everything was delicious! Had a great night in NYC thanks to this place!
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J
Johnny
New York City3 reviews
5.0
Dined on 16 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Cute and cozy ambiance with the dimmed amber lighting, decor, and miyazaki film playing behind the bar. Service was great, staff was friendly and fast. We ordered a bunch; we especially liked the okonomiyaki (pork here instead of octopus) and the rest of the apps/entrees were decent. We weren't too fond of the omusoba, it was sauced similarly to the okonomiyaki above but for this dish wasn't a good balance for us. The whiskey sodas were refreshing but on the weaker side. Overall would come back and recommend.
1 person found this helpful
C
Camila VIP
Greater Boston9 reviews
5.0
Dined on 2 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Great sushi and japanese tapas. A bit spicy but loved it. Will def come back
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FAQs

Lucky Cat is rated 4.6 stars by 10 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

16 Mar 2025

22:00

Booked 11 times today

232 E 53rd St, New York, NY 10022

Additional information

Phone number
(212) 838-5333
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Izakaya, Japanese, Ramen
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30–00:00 Fri, Sat 11:30–02:00
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
None

Lucky Cat

Make a booking

Additional information

Menu

Starting at $16

ChahanUS$16.00

Fried Rice with Pork and Egg Scallion

Noodle

Veg YakisobaUS$16.00

YakisobaUS$18.00

Mentai PastaUS$19.00

Ramen

YasaiUS$16.00

Chicken RamenUS$18.00

Yuzu ShioUS$19.00

Sura TanmenUS$18.00

Donburi

ChahanUS$16.00

Chashu DonUS$17.00

Chicken Teriyaki DonUS$18.00

Katsu CurryUS$19.00

Sukitama DonUS$19.00

Choice of Appetizers

Karaage

Shumai

Kimchi

What 10 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is Lucky Cat restaurant rated?

Is Lucky Cat currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information