A new cocktail bar and restaurant has opened in Port Solent in Portsmouth

Blue Margarita had its opening night on Friday.

The cocktails and tapas restaurant welcomed guests in to enjoy live music and entertainment with a free buffet made by head chef Elena Marculet.

It is co-owned by Gianni Vaccaro, who also owns Italian restaurant O Sole Mio, which is a few doors down.

He said: ‘We’ve been waiting a long time for this. We’re here now and we’re ready to open and we’re excited to open for business and hope we’ll get good business and have put in a lot of effort to make something good in Port Solent.

‘We’ve got a good team and we’re hoping to succeed.’

His business partner Claudiu Babii also co-owns Blue Margarita.

The restaurant - which sits in the space that was previously Chimichanga - offers tapas, as well as salads and burgers - all of which is made fresh on site every day.

They also serve coffee and English breakfast as well as traditional Italian breakfast - which consists of a ‘cornetto’, which is the Italian version of a croissant and a cappuccino.

They also have a large selection of champagnes, wines and gins for guests to make their way through, as well as bartenders on hand to serve up their impressive cocktail menu.

On Friday and Saturday nights, focus will be put on the bar menu and live entertainment.

There will be live bands and singers performing after the restaurant closes at 9.30pm, as well as DJs, which will be open for over-25s to enjoy.

The space will also be available to be hired out for private functions, including parties and even weddings.

They already have six members of staff - all of whom are from the Portsmouth area - and will look to employ more if the business is a success.