The pocket of North Melbourne that's home to wine bar Westwood, Japanese cafe 279 and Balinese restaurant Warung Agus just got hotter. Manze, which might be Melbourne's only wine bar with a Mauritian menu, is now open, bringing to fruition the hopes of chef Nagesh Seethiah to serve the food of his heritage in an attractive space that encourages people to linger awhile.

"There's a very definitive Melbourne culture around what restaurants are and what wine bars are and we want to bring different flavours to that," he says.

After several pop-ups and a short stint of takeaway, he's offering a $55 set menu of snacks, entree, main course and sides plus dessert. The line-up is a mix of Mauritian staples, with a heavy skew towards vegetables and seafood – the kinds of contemporary plates the chef served at Bar Rochford and Bar Liberty, but always featuring coconut, curry leaves and the spice blends he remembers from his childhood.

One dish sees lamb marinated in spices and house-made yoghurt, before being chargrilled and served with a mint, coriander and yoghurt sauce along with rice and grilled vegetables.

Poutou, a cylindrical steamed rice and coconut cake, will be accompanied by rotating seasonal greens (right now, asparagus) and a herb and coconut chutney.

Elsewhere, barbecued fish – regularly changing bycatch from sustainable suppliers Two Hands – is served in a broth of ginger, tomato and fresh herbs.

"We'll send different fish around the room and explain to people the fish and the story behind it," says Seethiah.

Working with a design by Sonelo Architects, Seethiah and his business partners, journalist Osman Faruqi and artist Jason Phu, overhauled a former Errol Street pizza shop to create a warm and inviting space that's tropical but without it feeling "themed". Cue bright colours, cork floors, rattan chairs, coloured tiles, and a mix of communal and standalone tables.

"I feel like I'm welcoming people into our own thing," says Seethiah. "It's not sterile like a new restaurant sometimes feels."

Front-of-house and drinks are in the hands of Moira Tirtha, founder of Veraison wine magazine, who is showcasing women winemakers and other less-represented groups across 30 or so bottles. Tirtha has also created a Kingston negroni with Beach House spiced Mauritian rum, Rondo aperitif and Maidenii vermouth.

Open Wed-Sun 5.30pm-11pm, Shop 2, 1-5 Errol Street, North Melbourne, manze.com.au