Gotham

In the fictional city of Gotham, there were at least nine major crime families, a dozen gangs, a police force drenched in corruption and a hard-working superhero who surely needed a stiff drink after a day at the office every now and then. It would seem surprising, then, that we know little about Gotham's nightlife. Where did a regular-lookin' Batman go to down a whisky and chat up a fine-lookin' Batwoman? And where could a crime gang just get a drink and a comfy seat? The people behind brash Oxford Street joint Slide have come up with a drinking hole they believe could have serviced Gotham's nocturnal creatures.

THE BAR DOESN'T ADHERE TO THE GOTHIC STYLE of architecture that characterised Gotham. The grandiose clockface that looms behind the bar suggests a Gotham-esque detailbut other than that the decor doesn't tell us much. We could be in a smooth New York bar. Or we could be on King Street Wharf. We could also be in a spin-off of Slide. It's all plush couches, sexy lighting, rough metal finishes, large booths, padded walls and attractive punters, all of which has a hint of insincerity but looks good regardless.

THE MENU IS IMPRESSIVE for a late-night Oxford Street joint, in fact any Oxford Street joint, full stop. To the eye it may lack cohesion – there's sushi bombs beside beef tagliata beside West Australian scallops – but who really cares about that? The food is good. Our picks are the home-cut chips with aioli ($7), the duck pancakes with shallots, cucumber and hoi-sin sauce ($13) and the homemade gelato scoops: coconut with a shot of French vanilla liqueur, lemon with a shot of lychee liqueur or blood orange with a shot of apricot brandy (all $15). The sushi bombs (Japanese risotto topped with salmon, tuna and kingfish, $14) are OK but not as good as the yakitori skewers ($14) or the perfectly greasy zucchini flowers filled with scallop and prawn mousse with pureed peas ($13).

ON THE COCKTAIL FRONT there are hits and misses, although the misses don't miss by much. A TBA (Mount Gay rum muddled with orange rind and grapes, mixed with some cinnamon, $16) is just slightly too weak and lacking in oomph but the caramelised nashi pear and sage margarita ($16) and the apple and blueberry crusta (applejack brandy and Luxardo cherry liqueur shaken with blueberries) are great. I can't get enough of the caramelised sugar around the rim of the huge wineglass the latter is served in.

AS WE LATER SHARE A BOTTLE of 2008 Republic sauvignon blanc semillon from Adelaide Hills ($38), we conclude that the best part about this newcomer is that it's fairly cosy and user-friendly without trying to be a small bar or an arty game changer. While the staff are lovely and attentive, Gotham is brash and immodest, just like the street it sits on. We don't know if Batman would love it but others will.