THE owner of a new bar and brasserie will open the restaurant for the first time today.

The Circus Bar, in Bake House Hill, Darlington, is the brainchild of Les Mooney, proprietor of Cafe Gulp.

With the success of the cafe since it opened four years ago in Darlington's Priestgate, Mr Mooney is hoping to tap into a different market with his new venture.

The Circus Bar opened on Friday and has been serving drinks and lunches all week, but today the brasserie restaurant will open to diners.

Mr Mooney has spent £75,000 refurbishing the premises over the past six weeks, turning the former Cafe Caffae business into a modern bar and restaurant, and creating 18 jobs.

Upstairs the bar is bright and airy, while the brasserie downstairs has a cosier feel. It is built into the cellar of the building, which was a wine merchants in the 19th Century.

The lunch menu, served in the upstairs bar and at tables outside, offers a continental choice, from a variety of salads, plates to share, a Circus Burger and stuffed baguettes.

The brasserie, which will be open from 6.30pm, has seating for up to 40 people.

It will serve contemporary cuisine, with an ever-changing menu providing a variety of dishes from lamb stuffed with black pudding, to cajun chicken served with mushroom creole sauce.

Mr Mooney said: "I saw this place a while ago. It has been empty for almost a year, and I thought it had bags of potential.

"We want to create something that is high quality, to achieve a certain standard that is also good value for money.

"We are aiming for a certain market that may be isn't tapped into in the town at the moment and, hopefully, with the right team of people, we can make a success of this like we have at Gulp."