A CAFE bar has expanded to open a restaurant in a different part of the city.

The Blue Man, a Brighton-based company that serves North African cuisine, launched last week in Manchester Street.

The restaurant, owned by Maji Bensliman and his partner Jess Woodfall, replaces Pomegranate, which closed after a fire in December 2015.

Maji, 44, said: “We are looking to create a family atmosphere at this restaurant.

“Everyone is welcome here and we want to make sure people really feel the Brighton vibes as well as the North African ones.”

Algerian Maji, who also works as a chef in the restaurant, first considered taking on the property a year ago and made concrete plans at the start of this year.

His cafe bar in Queen’s Road, Brighton, is well known for its food and for staying open late for drinking and music.

But Maji wants his new venture to be different.

He said: “I want this to have a more relaxed feel.

“We are going to be opening from 5.30pm to 10.30pm Monday to Saturday but we are not staying open late like at the café in Queen’s Road.

“We are all about hospitality and that’s what it is like in North Africa. We serve all our customers with a smile and we want them to feel welcome.

“We aren’t going to have sittings – people will be able to stay and chill out, not made to feel like they have to leave.”

Maji and Jess say the restaurant will start opening for lunch as well in the next month or two.

The restaurant is a 40- cover capacity with a bar that sources Sussex drinks from Albourne and Ridgeview vineyards and features Algerian paintings to keep the ties between the two places Maji regards as home.

It is split between two floors, with the upstairs providing a more private setting.

It is to be used mainly for functions, but will also be used for drop-in customers.

Maji also sources his produce from suppliers around the county.

The Blue Man began in Edward Street in 2001 and Maji said: “It feels like I am back where it all began, coming back to this area of the city.

“A lot of people in Brighton know about Blue Man.

“We were one of the first North African restaurants to set up in Brighton.”

Jess said the Blue Man is often described as a “hidden gem” in the city.

She said: “Sometimes when people come in they think we just serve Moroccan food or from one country in North Africa.

“We want people to know that we serve cuisine from the whole of North Africa and we offer a range of dishes.”