Bonita's, Palmerston Road, Southsea | Restaurant review

The restaurant, in Palmerston Road, only opened in September but given the number of photos I have seen shared on social media, it is clearly proving a hit.

There is a flower wall – literally a wall covered in fake flowers – with a swing, a phone box and if you haven’t seen the outside of the establishment you really can’t miss it, it’s very pink indeed.

If you are in need of a new Instagram post then this is the place.

A group of us are celebrating a friend’s birthday and we decide Bonita’s is the place for us.

After navigating everyone’s busy schedules we choose a Thursday night.

There are only a few other tables occupied and we are shown to the big pink booth, handed menus and told dishes come out when they are ready.

Only two of our number opt for cocktails and we order a French martini (£9) and an hibiscus d aiquiri (£9).

We are just a few minutes late for happy hour, which runs from 4pm until 6pm, but if you are on time then the drinks menu is just as large as the food menu so there is plenty to explore on the two-for-one offer.

Despite missing the chance to save a few pennies, we agree the cocktails have a good kick but could do with being a bit larger.

Nachos take our fancy and we order two for the table.

One of Dish Detective’s companions questions why some of the nachos are blue. Turns out they are made of blue corn.

A bit more cheese and more generosity on the salsa and sour cream wouldn’t have gone amiss, but it is a solid first plate.

Finally we have made a decision and order pork quesadilla with pineapple mustard salsa (£6), halloumi tostada with chipotle sauce (£7), cheese and chilli fries (£4.50) and chicken quesadilla with garlic and cheese (£6).

This place really is the best for sharing and trying a variety of dishes but no worries if you have a friend who, like Joey from Friends, ‘doesn’t share food’, as bonita bowls for £12 come with a choice of meats (or not), quinoa, guacamole, slaw and tortillas.

We all tuck in as the dishes start to arrive at the table and the halloumi tostadas come out on top as the favourite.

The Cypriot cheese has become enormously popular in the past few years, but Dish Detective has found a few restaurants that overdo the coating or under-cook the middle. Our compliments to the chefs at Bonita’s though as they batter them to perfection.

However, the quesadillas don’t quite live up to expectations and, apart from a little drizzle of sauce, the dish was dry and a bit beige.

A pot of sour cream and salsa would have sorted us right out.

The non-sharer of the group reports back on their Bonita bowl. Verdict: nice, but could do with a sauce.

One piece of advice – order slowly as the Mexican cuisine is deceptive and only two tacos in and you fear you won’t reach the end. It is also a carb-fest so a trip to the gym will be needed to burn it off, but it will be worth it.

Overall we feel the pull of this place is its aesthetic and drinks. The food is a little lacking – mainly in sauce –but thanks to ordering online we get free churros which are a welcome treat.

The place is still finding its feet so we will definitely be back in a few months. There is much potential here. Plus we need more Instagram fodder...

Bonita’s, Palmerston Road, Southsea

Ratings (out of five):

Food: 3

Value: 2

Ambience: 5

Child-friendly: 1