For three years, Moroccan bar and restaurant Nou Nou offered an authentic taste of North Africa in the heart of Kemp Town.

But its French owner Pascal Madjoudj has finally decided to close the exotic venue. Pascal, who also owns Brighton’s French restaurant La Fourchette on Western Road, has now re-opened the venue under the new name of La Fourchette Kemp Town.

The venue will preserve its exotic decor and will still offer a limited menu of North African specialities, but Pascal will be focusing his attentions predominantly on his speciality – French cuisine.

“I lost the passion for Nou Nou,” he admits.

“Although I grew up in North Africa, my heart and expertise is in French cooking. I had to rely on others to cook the Moroccan and Lebanese dishes, which were difficult for me.

“I haven’t cooked for three years because I have been busy running La Fourchette restaurant and La Fourchette Patisserie in Hove, but now I’ll be in the kitchen of La Fourchette Kemp Town. I can’t wait.”

Pascal admits Nou Nou’s North African menu wasn’t pulling in the punters during the week, although tables were booked up at weekends.

“It is not in British people’s culture to go to North African restaurants all the time,” he says. “People are much more likely to go out regularly for French cuisine and now they will have the choice.”

Pascal has kept his Lebanese chef to serve up four of the most popular North African dishes on the menu, including Nou Nou’s best-seller, barania of lamb tagine cooked with 25 spices.

“I love this dish so I couldn’t lose it,” says Pascal. “The lamb shank is braised in the oven for three hours with cinnamon, apricot and sweet spices, so the meat gets nice and tender and the juices provide a full flavour.”

But the rest of the Moroccan menu will be stopped to make way for Pascal’s popular French creations.

“I’ll be doing foie gras, confit duck and cassoulet – all classic French dishes,” he says.

“But my signature dish will be head of fillet steak served with wild mushrooms, pommes Lyonnaise and Bearnaise sauce. I roast the steak with garlic, onion, thyme and olive oil and cook it so the outside is crunchy but the inside is almost raw – it’s delicious.”

Fans of Nou Nou’s authentic Morrocan decor – a souvenir from Pascal’s childhood – will be pleased to know it is staying, as is the venue’s cosy Morrocan bar, Kemia.

“We’re trying to create the best of both worlds,” Pascal explains. “French food is always popular but when summer comes, we’ll have a North African barbecue with spicy chicken and lamb, Lebanese rice, spicy potatoes and Lebanese salad served on the terrace.”

A £7 lunchtime menu will also be offered serving up everything from navarin of veal with rice to veggie cous cous, until 4pm.

Review by Sureka Fernando