In Central London, there are many cocktail bars within an ice cube’s roll of one another, ready to welcome you in from the well-heeled streets to sip bespoke cocktails, and take a moment from the frenetic energy of the city. The Lucky Club is a little different. Ironically, the venue stands out from the crowd by blending in…
Nestled on the ground floor of an unassuming townhouse, just one minute from Bond Street station, you’ll find The Lucky Club, an intimate bar in London’s Mayfair. This hidden gem is small yet bold, shining in a glow of neon pink lights, green flora, and with a buzzing atmosphere. The focal point of the room is the soft pink bar, packed with high quality spirits and fizz, perfect to mix an array of delicious cocktails.
Each Saturday, The Lucky Club hosts a ‘Bottomless Bao Brunch‘, where guests can indulge in 90 minutes of unlimited bao buns and free-flowing cocktails. Sounds like heaven? Yeah, we think so too.
Before the influx of bao buns arrive at your table on Saturdays, you’ll receive a palette-cleansing noodle salad. This starter is refreshing, but for those of you who like a little heat, there is a generous portion of hot sauce on the side, which you can drizzle atop the salad until your heart’s content.
Then, comes the main affair, presented beautifully in a bamboo steamer. Your freshly steamed buns will be served in rounds of six – a manageable amount, one would say – and they will keep coming until you resign defeat (or you reach 90 minutes; whichever comes first). The choice of filling is yours each ’round’: karaage chicken, with lettuce and house pickles; BBQ pork, coleslaw and house pickles; furikake fish, with ponzu mayo and red onion; or shitake mushroom, pickled mushroom, and crispy tofu. For our first round, we opted to try each bun (let’s call it research, rather than indecisiveness).
While the chicken was tender, the mushrooms were well spiced, and the fish was fresh, by round two, we went all in with six BBQ pork buns. The pork was super soft, but deliciously crisped on the outside, while the tart pickles make for an ideal accompaniment. There aren’t many situations where you can you identify your favourite on a plate and then just request more and more, after all.
While 90 minutes of unlimited food is enough to keep one busy, we can’t neglect the main draw of most bottomless brunches: the booze. On offer are espresso martinis, prosecco, mimosas and Lucky Marys (a spicy kimchi twist on the classic Bloody Mary). In a welcome feature at The Lucky Club, you don’t have to choose one drink and stick to it; you can flit between the four throughout the 90 minutes. The staff are attentive when it comes to refills and taking your next order, so you’ll make the most of the time left on the clock.
Away from the brunch, The Lucky Club has plenty to draw in diners throughout the week too. Dining centres around bao buns (of course), burgers and Asian small plates, all with a Japanese junk food twist. Think: hoi sin wings, chicken karaage burgers and brownies with miso caramel. The cocktail list is extensive too, with a whopping seven different variations of espresso martinis, including drool-worthy chocolate orange, matcha and cacao, and forest gateau editions. The venue also serves up other classics, such as a mean chilli mango margarita and a sweet Manhattan.
It’s indisputable; after a session at The Lucky Club, you’ll not only leave feeling full, but you’ll leave feeling happy… or is that lucky?