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The Pompadour dining room in the Caledonian hotel, with white-clothed tables and turquoise chairs under an ornate plaster ceiling, painted wall panels and a gold-framed mirror.
Edinburgh

1925 at The Pompadour

The restaurant of the chef Dean Banks in the Pompadour, an A-listed dining room of 1925 in the Caledonian hotel at the West End of Princes Street, with views to the castle.

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Welcome

There are few dining rooms in Scotland as grand as the Pompadour, and an evening here feels like an occasion from the moment you sit down.

It's in the Caledonian hotel at the West End of Princes Street, a room that first opened as a restaurant in 1925 and is named after Madame de Pompadour, the favourite of Louis XV. The A-listed interior has hand-painted walls, an ornate plaster ceiling and great arched windows, and from some of the tables you look up to Edinburgh Castle. Today it's the restaurant of the chef Dean Banks, cooking modern Scottish food from local, seasonal produce with a French accent, from an à la carte menu at dinner and a menu of its own at lunch. It's in the Michelin Guide, and there's no dress code. Dinner is served from Wednesday to Sunday and lunch from Friday to Sunday, so book ahead through its own site and ask for a window table.

Close byLennoxA restaurant and bar from Nico Simeone on Queensferry Street in the West End, cooking beef dry-aged in house over fire, with small plates, handmade pasta and cocktails.4 min by roadSee itA long red leather banquette and dark tables in the dining room at Lennox, below lit shelves of books, vases and ornaments in dark wood panelling.
Before you go

Dinner from Wednesday to Sunday and lunch from Friday to Sunday; closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Book through its own site.

Where
In the Caledonian hotel at the West End of Princes Street, EH1 2AB.
Open
Lunch Friday to Sunday 12pm to 2.30pm; dinner Wednesday to Sunday 5pm to 10.30pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Booking
Through its own site; card details secure the table, with 48 hours' notice to change or cancel.
Dress
No dress code.
Access
Wheelchair accessible; say when booking if you need assistance.
Phone
07401 760638

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
5pm–10.30pm
Thursday
5pm–10.30pm
Friday
noon–2.30pm, 5pm–10.30pm
Saturday
noon–2.30pm, 5pm–10.30pm
Sunday
noon–2.30pm, 5pm–10.30pm

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Where it is

In the Caledonian hotel at the West End of Princes Street, EH1 2AB.

Close byThe West End and Princes Street.
  1. Ross Fountain in Princes Street Gardens with Edinburgh Castle behindRoss FountainA French cast-iron fountain of mermaids and cherubs, given to the city by a gunmaker and opened in 1872 beneath the castle rock.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. Edinburgh CastleEdinburgh CastleA royal castle on its rock at the top of the Royal Mile, in its time a palace, garrison and prison, and home of the oldest Crown jewels in Britain.Under a mile 2 min by road
  3. TimberyardTimberyardA family-run restaurant in an old warehouse on Lady Lawson Street, cooking from Scotland's larder, with a Michelin star since 2023.Under a mile 2 min by road
  4. A wooden table at Dulse seen from above, laid with oysters on the half shell, grilled lobster, scallops in their shells and a pan of langoustines, with glasses of white wine.DulseA seafood restaurant from the chef Dean Banks on Queensferry Street in the West End, with a wine and cocktail bar downstairs and the restaurant upstairs.Under a mile 4 min by road
  5. Cairngorm CoffeeCairngorm CoffeeThe West End cafe of Cairngorm Coffee, an Edinburgh speciality roaster, on the corner of Melville Place, open from seven.Under a mile 4 min by road
  6. Johnnie Walker Princes StreetJohnnie Walker Princes StreetJohnnie Walker's eight-floor whisky house on Princes Street, in the old House of Fraser building, with the Journey of Flavour tour and a rooftop bar.1 mile 5 min by road
  7. Restaurant interior with a living plant wall reading "beer, hae, meatKyloeAn independent steakhouse on Rutland Street at the West End, cooking Scottish beef from chosen farms and butchers, with an AA Rosette.1 mile 5 min by road
Directions
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The dark front of the Source Coffee Roasters at 4 Spittal Street, with a caffeine molecule drawn on the window and benches along the pavement.CafeThe Source0.4 miles
The blue front of Hey Palu on Bread Street in the sun, with its red sign, wooden slatted windows and the words Modern Italian Bar on the glass.BarsHey Palu0.4 miles
A breakfast roll with fried egg and cheese and two scones with jam and butter on a table at Preacher's Patisserie.CafePreacher's Patisserie0.4 miles
Woman in green jacket smiles beside a shop doorway with "History" posterShoppingArmchair Books0.4 miles

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