New bar and bistro opens in Southsea

Restaurant Forty-6 has opened in Osborne Road, taking the place of what once was burger restaurant 6oz Burgers.

The new place will serve gourmet food from light lunches to dinner to bar snacks to accompany their range of cocktails.

It will open from midday until late most days and there are plans to open earlier for breakfast in the future.

The food, which is hand designed by owners Dee Duncan and Mike McAllister, is prepared using a sous vide method of cooking, which means it is slow-cooked using temperature control and vacuum for a cleaner and more ‘indulgent’ form of cooking.

Mike is currently the restaurant’s head chef and works with a few other chefs.

He and Dee transformed the interior and turned it into a modern and contemporary restaurant with plant decorations from floor-to-ceiling.

As well as offering the traditional bar and restaurant services, they also offer a separate room for private hire, including Christmas parties and birthdays.

They had a private opening with friends and family on Friday, November 8 and officially opened the doors to the public on Saturday, November 9.

24-year-old co-owner Dee said: ‘It was so nerve-wracking, we didn’t know what to expect because it was all new, but the staff absolutely smashed it and I’m so happy with how it all went.’

The meals are picture-perfect and combine modern British food with a Japanese twist.

They are produced using locally and sustainably-sourced ingredients.

The owners, who both come from a background of hospitality and have worked in restaurants in the city, have already hired several members of full and part-time staff, including a cocktail mixologist, front-of-house and kitchen staff.

They have an extensive wine list, stocking some brand new wines as well as their own house wines and an intricate cocktail menu, which features dry ice and botanical decorations.