Gordon Ramsay Brings Lucky Cat Back to South of Fifth as a Miami-Only Steakhouse
Lucky Cat Steak, a 152-seat Asian-inspired steakhouse from Gordon Ramsay, opens Nov. 25 in South of Fifth. It takes over his former Lucky Cat space with Wagyu cooked over a robata grill and a menu bui
MIAMI BEACH — Gordon Ramsay is giving his South of Fifth address a second chance, and this time he’s betting on steak.
Lucky Cat Steak is set to open Nov. 25 at 119 Washington Ave., taking over the space that held the celebrity chef’s Lucky Cat Miami, Miami New Times reported. The original restaurant served Japanese and Korean dishes and beef cooked over an open-flame robata grill. It opened in February 2024, and Ramsay’s team later announced what it called a “seasonal pause.”
The new version keeps the robata grill and Asian flavors but puts beef at the center. It also comes with a pitch aimed directly at local diners.
“Opening Lucky Cat in 2024 showed me that this city doesn’t always want a concept designed somewhere else; it deserves a restaurant created specifically for Miami,” Ramsay said in a statement quoted by New Times. In comments shared with Time Out Miami, he added: “So that’s exactly what we have done with Lucky Cat Steak.”
A 152-Seat Room Built Around the Robata
Ramsay developed the menu with Lucky Cat executive head chef Michael Howells for a 152-seat dining room and a lounge that stays open late. The beef program runs from USDA Prime dry-aged cuts to Texas Akaushi, Australian Blackmore Wagyu and Japanese A5 Miyazaki Wagyu, all finished over the robata.
Sushi is still on the menu, including wagyu maki, scallop sashimi and tuna-jalapeño crispy rice. There’s also snapper ceviche and wagyu gyoza. The team points to black cod croquettes and wagyu bulgogi tacos as its Miami touches, and mango and papaya show up throughout the menu.
Even one of Ramsay’s best-known dishes has been reworked. Gordon’s Fried Chicken becomes the “GFP,” made with crispy prawns instead of chicken. Sides include freshly rolled kimbap, yukhoe and crispy tofu bibimbap, served family style.
“We wanted to bring the spirit of Lucky Cat to Miami Beach, while ensuring that the city influenced the food in a meaningful way,” Howells said in a statement quoted by New Times.
Cocktails, With a Roll of the Dice
The bar program is built for South Beach nights. The Okinawa margarita is made with kumquat, Thai basil and salted shiso air, and there’s also a spicy passion fruit and mango margarita.
The signature Lucky Negroni lets the guest roll dice to pick the drink’s ingredients from six gins, six bitters and six vermouths. That works out to 216 possible combinations.
Dinner will run Wednesday through Saturday starting Nov. 25, with a late-night lounge. Time Out reports that reservations will be available on OpenTable and Resy.
The Business Logic of a Reboot
For Miami restaurant operators, the most interesting part of this opening isn’t the Wagyu. It’s the strategy.
Reopening a closed restaurant under a related name lets a group reuse a built-out space, a liquor license and a brand diners already know, while changing the parts that didn’t work. Ramsay’s own words describe the problem plainly: a concept designed elsewhere and dropped into Miami didn’t connect the way the team hoped.
The fix follows a pattern seen across Miami Beach. Restaurants lean into steak, which brings in high checks, add a lounge to sell more drinks later in the night, and adjust the menu with tropical and Latin flavors so it feels local instead of imported.
Timing matters too. A Nov. 25 opening puts Lucky Cat Steak in business right before Miami Art Week in early December, when South Beach is packed with visitors and big spenders. It also lands in a crowded month for openings. Other high-profile restaurants, many of them from out-of-town groups, have been opening across Miami-Dade ahead of the holidays.
Steak, and More Steak
There’s an obvious question, and New Times asked it with a wink: does Miami Beach need another steakhouse? The neighborhood already has plenty of options for expensive beef.
Lucky Cat Steak’s answer is that it’s a different kind of steakhouse. It mixes a Japanese grill, Korean sides, sushi and a party-friendly cocktail menu instead of the usual white tablecloths. Whether that’s enough to stand out on one of Miami’s most competitive dining strips will be clear after the high season.
Lucky Cat Steak opens Nov. 25 at 119 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Dinner is served Wednesday through Saturday. More information is at luckycatsteak.com.