Dean Banks at The Pompadour bags three AA Rosettes

It’s the only restaurant in the capital to achieve this recognition at the March awards

One of the capital’s fine-dining restaurants, Dean Banks at The Pompadour, has been awarded three AA Rosettes at the AA Hospitality Awards 22-23.

This accolade goes to outstanding establishments who achieve standards that demand national recognition beyond their local area. The three and four rosette awards are announced twice per year, with the next round in September 2022.

Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media said: “We are delighted to recognise those restaurants that are achieving the highest levels of gastronomic excellence in our country.”

Dean Banks

Banks was a finalist in MasterChef: The Professionals back in 2018, before going on to open Haar in St Andrews, then his venue on the first floor of the capital’s five-star hotel Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian on Princes Street in June last year.

“To be acknowledged like this is fantastic for me and for the staff, for all the hard work that has been put into creating an amazing customer experience, like sourcing sensational produce direct from fishermen and farmers, all these things behind the scenes,” says Banks. “We are humbled as a team to gain this award after being open for such a short period of time”.

It’s one of the more expensive dining rooms in the city, and offers a selection of tasting menus, with dishes that include hand-dived scallop, dashi, kimchi and kaffir lime. However, they’ve also just launched a more affordable nine-course tasting menu, at £55 per head.

Among other things, the AA inspector said, “Expect fantastic local produce and an intensely sensory experience from dishes featuring king scallops, Loch Etive trout, or smoked lobster from St Andrews Bay”.

Dean Banks at The Pompadour interior

Food is served in the beautiful dining room, with its frescoes of Madame de Pompadour.

This was the only venue in the capital that received a three or four rosette rating at this round of the awards, though, among others, Timberyard currently hold three and 21212 and Number One have four. However, there were a few other Scottish restaurants on this three star rosette list: Tamburrini & Wishart at Balloch, The Auldgirth Inn in Dumfries and The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant in Crieff, which was also recently awarded a Michelin star.

www.deanbanks.co.uk

www.theaa.com

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