They say fortune favours the bold, and at Lucky 8 a bold approach to social dining has created Ponsonby’s new lucky charm. Its sign is a large black cat perched above an enigmatic black door, which leads upstairs to the new-guard opening.

Another Fortune Cat, known as Maneki Neko in Japanese (and now Chinese) culture, also looks over diners as they enter the loft-like space with exposed brick, large street-facing windows.