Shanghai-style eatery brings social dining to party strip
Tuesday, 3 March 2026
A new addition to Courtenay Place’s dining scene, Lucky 8, is now open, offering sharing plates and cocktails in an elevated bar setting.
The restaurant began welcoming customers three weeks ago, after its planned launch last year was pushed back by street construction.
Owner Paul Wong said he’s pleased to finally have the venue - inspired by Shanghai bars that double as restaurants - finally open.
“The original Lucky 8 idea came from a social dining experience where you can go out and eat and have a few drinks… but don't have to go to a club,” Wong said.
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The eatery has a wide range of East Asian-inspired dishes on offer - including chilli chicken salad, glass noodles, teriyaki chicken skewers and shao mai - and the majority of Lucky 8’s plates are priced at $8.88.
When asked how he managed such an affordable price, Wong said, although inflation had affected the business, he had worked hard to keep his restaurant close to its original concept.
This meant offering good quality food at an acceptable price, although some of the menu’s items had increased in cost.
“I think 60% of the menu is still $8.88, and then my team just works really hard on efficiency, and making sure we get the right product - and a good product - to the customers.”
The restaurateur owns multiple restaurants in Auckland, with Wellington’s Lucky 8 the second of its kind to open.
Lucky 8 is on the first floor of the building that was once home to Estab 2.0.
The ground floor still under development but Wong was unable to comment on when that would be finished, or whether Lucky 8’s sister restaurant, Jungle 8, would be operating there.
He had previously said he wanted the Golden Mile construction to be completed before opening the Vietnam-inspired restaurant on the ground floor.
Wong said a short-term construction project for the road would be better than a long-term one.
However, Wong was positive about the state of the hospitality industry, saying it appeared to be more upbeat , with business up by 20% across the board.
Courtenay Place had a strong community of hospitality stalwarts, Wong said. When local operators started hearing about him opening a restaurant, he received a few calls telling him to come on down.
Since its launch, Lucky 8 was doing well, he said, with foot traffic competing with Auckland. The weekends were the busiest nights for the eatery.
He wanted to offer a dining experience where customers could try different foods, in a casual but still up-market restaurant/bar setting, he said.