Southsea's newest restaurant Pacifico dishes up Latin-Asian fusion

The amalgamation of two cuisines is going down a storm at a new restaurant which opened after months of refurbishment work.

Friends, Rob Lee, Jodie Day and Ben Hamer have joined forces to open Pacifico, which is being housed in a distinctive building on the corner Kings Road and Flint Street after previously trading as a Thai eatery.

The launch of the new Pan Pacific restaurant, which combines Latin and Asian cuisine to create something entirely unique, comes following the permanent closure of Koh Thai which had been part of the Southsea food scene for more than a decade.

Rob, who is no stranger to the hospitality industry, said: “I’ve had a few restaurants in the past. Maya, in Southsea, was mine which I sold a few years ago and Baja in the centre was also mine and we recently sold it to Ugly Bird. The location just didn’t work for us. The city centre died a death and I found out Koh Thai had vacated. I’ve always loved the building so I messaged the owner and asked what the deal with it was and he said it was available. I couldn’t say no. It is such a lovely building.

“It has been really positive so far. It’s a tricky time of year, everyone is feeling the pinch but so far so good. We are not trying to be a traditional Mexican or a traditional Asian restaurant but we’re taking inspiration and combining the flavours.”

The site has undergone major changes after the trio oversaw a painstaking renovation to create a trendy dining space that serves up a range of innovative dishes including shiitake tostadas, miso corn, edamole, adobo belly and more, with fusion cocktails also on the menu.

The 41-year-old added: “It’s come together really nicely. The building sells itself but have done a lot of work to make it beautiful inside. We are really pleased with how it has all come together. We will constantly be improving and we’ve got a lot of ideas in our mind. We want it to be lively at the weekend but during the week it is a sophisticated restaurant and bar.”

Pacifico is open between Wednesday and Saturday from 5pm.