04 August 2011

Gotham: Cocktail Bar and Dining, Darlinghurst (15 July 2011)

35 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Phone: (02) 9283 1891
http://www.gotham.net.au
CLOSED - Noticed January 2012



Music for drinking not eating

Thanks to Natalie Triglone from Folke for inviting me to dine with a party of four at Gotham to sample some of the cocktails and dishes. I’d recently visited on 19 May for some pre drinks before The Falconer close next door and thought the menu looked pretty tempting to come back one day to try. Overall I really enjoyed the food but would have loved the place more if the music wasn’t so damn loud. It’s totally fine if you’re there for some drinks and bar snacks but when you’re trying to dine and have a nice conversation the noise factor can become a bit too intrusive for a relaxed dining experience. Gold star goes to the men’s toilet though for having privacy screens — you don’t see that very often these days, and it’s very much appreciated.

Starting the night with a Hemingway Daiquiri ($16) is not for the faint-hearted. It had a liberal amount of alcohol just like the one at La Bodeguita Del Medio — Mr Hemingway was on a good thing. On the other side of the scale the Mocktail ($7) was done really well and had plenty of nice flavours for the designated driver. Complimentary bar snacks (pictured above) on a Friday between 5 and 7 pm were a nice bonus for anyone drinking at the time. The Lychee & Ginger Martini ($16) had the right combination of flavours and the Mai Tai ($18) was a bit stronger on the alcohol. Large sized Stuffed Green Olives ($12.50) were crumbed & deep fried and flavourome — how could you go wrong. The Grilled Sourdough with Crushed Cherry Tomato Olives Basil & Goats Cheese ($9.50) had lovely fresh flavours and ingredients but not the easiest thing to eat with grace. I thought it might have been presented a bit more orderly for easy picking up and eating. The Crisp Chicken Wings with Lime Mayonnaise ($12.50) were good and I’d happily order again. A generous serve of Fried Zucchini Flowers with Parmesan & Lemon ($10.50) were good value and tasty. Batter was thin but perhaps a touch more crispiness would have been even better.

Crisp Skin Chicken ($24) was nicely done and had a decent crisp skin as hoped. The Linguine with Tomato Garlic Basil Olives & Extra Virgin ($18) had lots of flavour although I thought the pasta could have been a little more al dente for my liking and there was a noticeable amount of oil in the dish. The smashed olives and freshly shaved parmesan added extra depth of flavour. The Grilled Angus Sirloin with Fries & Beurre Marchand ($26) was cooked to medium rare as ordered. Had a little bit of gristle but was acceptable. The fries were good although I have a pet hate about them getting soggy with the juices on the plate. I tend to prefer if served in a side dish like at Mad Cow to keep them crispy at all times. The Panfried Fillet of Ocean Trout ($25) was well liked with crispy skin as hoped and the Salad of Torn Iceberg with Mint Parsley & Mustard Vinaigrette ($8) had plenty of flavour and crispness although I wondered if it could have been presented a bit nicer like Kingsleys iceberg salad. For dessert the Warm Madeleine with Sauternes ($11) was a table pleaser and I really liked the use of toffeed pecan scattered around the Warm Chocolate Brownie with Double Cream ($11) making it extra decadent.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:
PROS: Nice décor and lighting, Flavoursome dishes, Nice presentation, Fresh ingredients, Daily specials available, Upstairs function space available, Reasonably priced ‘To Share’ menu, Privacy screen in men’s toilet
CONS: Music too loud for relaxed dining, Once you’re seated in a booth you’ll need people to move out if you need to get out again
WORTH TRYING: Anything on the menu that tickles your fancy. The Stuffed Green Olives, Crisp Chicken Wings and Fried Zucchini Flowers go well as bar snacks to share

Hemingway Daiquiri - White rum shaken with maraschino liqueur & grapefruit ($16), Mocktail ($7)

Lychee & Ginger Martini - Muddled lychees & fresh ginger shaken with vodka & crème de gingembre ($16), Mai Tai - Havana Anejo shaken with two rums, lime & orgeat ($18)

2009 Norfolk Rise Pinot Grigio, Mt Benson, SA ($9), 2009 Baby Doll Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, NZ ($9)

Complimentary bar snack between 5-7 pm on Friday

Stuffed Green Olives - Crumbed & Deep Fried ($12.50)

Grilled Sourdough with Crushed Cherry Tomato Olives Basil & Goats Cheese ($9.50)

Crisp Chicken Wings with Lime Mayonnaise ($12.50)

Fried Zucchini Flowers with Parmesan & Lemon ($10.50)

Crisp Skin Chicken with Roast Potatoes Watercress & Anchoide ($24)

Linguine with Tomato Garlic Basil Olives & Extra Virgin ($18)

Grilled Angus Sirloin (150 day Grain Fed) with Fries & Beurre Marchand ($26) ordered medium rare

Fries get a little soggy with all the juice

There was a little bit of grizzle but not too much. It's better when you don't get any at all though

Panfried Fillet of Ocean Trout with Lentil Vinaigrette ($25)

Salad of Torn Iceberg with Mint Parsley & Mustard Vinaigrette ($8)

Warm Madeleine with Sauternes ($11)

Warm Chocolate Brownie with Double Cream ($11) — the toffeed pecans were a nice touch

Specials each day

Bar area

Intimate booth seating

Seating options

Front bar section near entrance

Back lounge area with comfy couches

Mens toilet has privacy screens — tick of approval




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6 comments:

Steve Marshall said...

There's a change occuring in the centre of Sydney and feedback like this Simon I think helps people understand what is worth eating and what's best to pass on by. I don't eat out much unless CA is in town and then we look for good food. This week was such a time. After reading this post I wondered if you had sampled Red Oak on Kent and 333 (upstairs) on George. I searched your blog and didn't get any results.

Tina@foodboozeshoes said...

Eww, a gristle shot...? lol

I think Gotham has some pretty impressive food for what's really a bar.

Anonymous said...

Nice detail to give customers a complimentary bar snack. Looks like food is not great and I don't like loud music either but proper alcohol content in cocktails + bar snacks would make the place worth a visit.

chocolatesuze said...

all that cheese on the zucchini flowers yum!

sugarpuffi said...

so much booze simon! :P love the look of the zucchini flowers smothered in cheeeeeseeeee

Madam Wu said...

I know a certain someone who will go nuts for those zucchini flowers if they're as good as they look! In fact, all of the food looks better than I expected judging from the look of the place outside and its' location right on Oxford St. Good to know! Could this be a new Fri night thing?

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