Dean Banks and the story of Dulse

From Arbroath to Edinburgh

Dulse is the Edinburgh home of chef Dean Banks. Dean grew up in Arbroath, a fishing town on Scotland's east coast. That's where his love of local produce started. He was in a professional kitchen by 15, at the Old Brewhouse in Arbroath. At 16 the head chef took a night off and left him running the pass. That night convinced him this was what he wanted to do.

After two years at Angus College he trained at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant in Cornwall and worked at Number One at the Balmoral in Edinburgh. Then came seven years as a private chef around the world. Along the way he worked in and visited more than 40 countries.

In 2018 he came home and reached the final of MasterChef: The Professionals. A year later he opened his first restaurant, Haar in St Andrews.

"Welcome to my house"

When Dulse opened on Queensferry Street in 2022, Dean called it his neighbourhood-friendly restaurant in Edinburgh: a home away from home, where you can turn up as you are. That's still the idea at both restaurants.

Why "Dulse"?

Dulse is a red seaweed that grows on Scotland's coastline and has been eaten here for centuries. It's salty, savoury and a little smoky. It turns up across our menus, from Dulse seaweed potatoes to our seasoning.

Two restaurants, one kitchen ethos

Dulse West End on Queensferry Street is Dulse Seafood & Wine: a wine bar downstairs and a dining room upstairs, with tasting menus and oysters under the vines. Dulse Leith on Constitution Street opened in November 2024, a few minutes from the Shore. It's the seafood shack and home of Leith's only Scottish seafood boil.

Both cook with the same idea. Find the best Scottish seafood, from Shetland mussels and Orkney scallops to Skye and Crail langoustines and St Abbs lobster. Then let it lead. Both hold two AA Rosettes and are listed in the Michelin Guide.

Small and independent

We're a small independent team, not a chain. The people who cook your dinner and pour your wine are the ones who built Dulse. They care about every plate. It's why guests come back.