ONE of the food scene’s best-known names is settling in well at its new home.

The Blue Man, owned by chef Maji Bensliman, launched in Brighton’s Manchester Street last July.

It is the fourth coming of his creation – Maji has been working in the city for more than two decades, and his business has had three homes before this one.

The name, he said, represents the sign of a traveller – someone who is always on the move.

The North African restaurant started life in Edward Street at the turn of the millennium before Little East Street in 2007.

Maji, 44, then set up a cafe bar in Queen’s Road which is still running – and is helping his new venture.

“People recognise the Blue Man because of the bar,” he said.

“That has definitely helped this place because they associate it with the bar.

“We are loving it and so are our customers.

“We’ve had some amazing reviews on TripAdvisor.”

It has been a steady project as Maji, who is of Algerian descent, looks to stamp his mark on this part of Brighton, but all his work is beginning to come together.

In comparison to his previous experiences setting up restaurants in the city, this, he said, has been much easier.

But it has not been without challenges.

Some still do not know the Blue Man lies just off St James’s Street in the listed building that used to be the restaurant Pomegranate – perhaps helping it keep its reputation as Brighton’s “hidden gem”.

“I think this has been easier than the other times because of having the bar,” said Maji.

“Having two places has definitely helped.

“We’ve been able to make small changes, but don’t want to just completely change the building – it’s part of Brighton’s history.”

The concept of the Blue Man stems from Maji’s mother, who, in the words of his business partner Jess Woodfall, is “the best chef on the planet”, and his heritage.

This restaurant, though, moves away from what customers at the cafe bar expect.

The Queen’s Road business is renowned for staying open late for people to enjoy a drink or two and listen to music, while if you take a trip to the Manchester Street you will encounter a more relaxed vibe based around the food.

The two-storey restaurant has a capacity of around 40 covers, and its decor is rich with Maji’s Algerian roots with paintings from his home country.

Maji and Jess have big plans for the next year, with the hope of hosting wedding receptions and business conferences.

There may even be a Blue Man recipe book in the pipeline.

“We are really looking forward to Christmas – we didn’t get to do it properly last year,” Maji said.

“We will also be opening for lunch in the summer which we are excited for.”

The couple also hope to continue working closely with independent businesses.

They currently have three types of ice-cream from Boho Gelato, specially designed for the restaurant, on the menu.

One of those is a fresh mint tea-flavoured sorbet.

“We don’t mind sharing our name with other independents,” said Maji.

“We’re not in competition with them – it’s more us against the corporates.

“Everyone’s doing different things.

“We don’t make ice-cream here, so we got help from Boho.

“We all help each other.”

They are looking forward to the coming months together, and have warmed to their new home with a strong team around them who share the same values when it comes to the kitchen and how to run a restaurant.

Jess added: “We’re going to explore lots of different things, and we’re hoping to have something special ready in time for Christmas.”