‘Embracing change is paramout’: Dean Banks at the Pompadour adds à la carte menu

Banks said: “We’ve made the choice to embrace à la carte to answer a growing call from our guests who seek more flexibility.

“The new structure of our à la carte menu will accommodate diners who may not be able to invest in a full tasting experience, while providing the same excellent service and quality they would expect from a meal at the Pompadour.  

“Embracing change as an industry is paramount as consumer needs shift, and we see à la carte as an opportunity for fine dining, allowing venues to add an additional revenue stream and increase foot traffic with an experience that can entice guests to come back for more.”

Banks reached the final three of MasterChef: The Professionals in 2018 and opened his first restaurant, Haar in St Andrews, in 2019.

He took over the Pompadour space at the five-AA-star Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh hotel in 2021. It had previously been run by chef brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin from 2012-19, and then under chef Dan Ashmore.

Banks’ wider hospitality group now includes the Dune bar in St Andrews, fine dining venue AKSR by Dan Ashmore in Leith, seafood restaurant Dulse in Edinburgh, the Forager gastropub in Clackmannshire, and Temple Lane bar in Dundee.