Dean and Layla Gassabi

The father and daughter behind Edinburgh’s Maison Bleue in Victoria Street are opening a second restaurant in the Morningside area.

Dean and Layla Gassabi aim to have their new venue, Maison Bleue Le Bistrot, open Morningside Road in the second week of April.

The move is the first extension of the Maison Bleue brand, which is one of the best-known venues on the city’s thriving foodie scene after 18 years in the old town.

Dean, 58, said: “This is a major investment for us and comes just a year after the extensive refurbishment of our Victoria Street restaurant – which is a real sign of our confidence in the Maison Bleue name and brand.

“We have been looking around for a considerable time to find the right venue and were keeping a particularly close eye on Morningside. When this opportunity came on the market we knew it was perfect for us.”

Layla added: “While Le Bistrot will me unmistakably part of the Maison Bleue family, it will be different and distinctive in its own right.”

While the menu is still being finalised, it will veer toward traditional French with elements of Maison Bleue’s colonial specialiaties from North African, Creole and Vietnamese cuisine – often with a Scottish twist.

The family have many ties with the Morningside, not least since Layla was born in nearby St Clair Terrace and is a former pupil of George Watson’s College.