Dean Banks: MasterChef star's stunning Scottish restaurant collects four prestigious AA rosettes

Haar St Andrews, which the acclaimed restaurateur and MasterChef The Professionals finalist opened in 2019, won a premium award at a London ceremony on Monday night.

The stunning restaurant with rooms was handed four AA rosettes, a prestigious award that is incredibly rare. There are only four other restaurants in Scotland who boast four rosettes and two with five rosettes.

This means Haar is now one of the seven highest rated in the country under the AA’s prestigious rankings, the only four rosette in Fife and the only one awarded any of the highest honours this year.

And Banks admits it is the fulfilment of a dream to land the additional rosette, especially for the restaurant he sees as the ultimate expression of his approach to food and hospitality.

“Haar is special, so being awarded four rosettes there means so much to the team and I, although of course I’m proud of the entire group,” he said.

“Haar is my baby, the flagship, the one that defines and sums up everything about me and my approach to all of this. It’s the absolute expression of me as a chef.

“That’s why I wanted rooms there – the idea I had was people are coming to my house for dinner and staying overnight. They’re guests in my home.

“I designed it all. My wife Isabela and son Felix have created a lot of the artworks there, my son Francisco and I did a lot of the physical work together on the renovations and changes.

“It’s a very special place and I think it’s a different kind of restaurant, so seeing it recognised in this way means the world.”

Banks's group includes Haar and Dune in St Andrews, Dulse, Dulse Leith and 1925 at the Pompadour in Edinburgh, and Temple Lane in Dundee, plus drinks brands Mond and Lunin Gin and home meal delivery services Haar at Home and Waagyu Burger.

Haar has been a tasting menu only restaurant since it launched back in 2021 in its existing form, but Banks has recently added an à la carte menu option.

The chef is very active on social media, engaging directly with customers and on industry issues. He said it was important chefs were not too set in their ways, but were open to moving with times and trends.

And of course he is very aware of the cost of eating out in the financial climate, and wants his restaurants to be available to as many people as possible.

“We have added a set menu at Haar, a la carte style at £85 for three course – you have to diversify,” he said. “Food is fashion in a way too.

“We have to move with the times, with appetites and trends and, of course, with budgets. We listen to what our customers tell us and try to take it in and learn from it.

“This award hopefully reflects that too. The big thing for me is this is not my award – it’s the team.

“I am incredibly lucky to have an amazing team around me now more so than ever. George Sharp, the executive chef, has really helped us push and refine the true vision of Haar since he joined us.

“Tasso Neofitos, our head chef, is at Haar every day, developing dishes, maintaining the consistency and quality – he’s a star. This achievement belongs to all of us. I want to push my team forward, give them the spotlight and help them reach their own dreams too.

“So this is a very special moment for all of us together. It says it all that I know if I am elsewhere in the group, Haar is still Haar.”

Hospitality as a sector has been battered in recent years with closures more and more common. Banks said he believed honours like AA Rosettes were more important now than ever before.

“Hospitality has been difficult since Covid and for me, awards mean more in these times when things are not so easy,” he said. “People in our restaurants work hard in the trade and when awards come along, it spotlights and recognises the hard work that goes in behind the scenes.

“I hope I can be a part of the hospitality industry that inspires new staff to join and stay within our amazing sector. This award also showcases the premium quality produce we have in Scotland and even more so in Fife.

“Showcasing that amazing produce is my whole philosophy, so thank you to our brave fishermen and farmers who tirelessly head out through rain or shine for being absolute legends and making my country great.

“Also of course, for customers an award like this is a badge of honour and seal of approval – it tells them they’re going to get a certain level of quality that’s worth spending money on.

“I am a chef by trade, all chefs drive to achieve awards and be in the books. Ultimately now getting four rosettes shows we are peeling away from the pack, becoming part of the leader group.

“That really is priceless. Thank you.”