Harrimans Grill Appoints Bin Lu as Chef de Cuisine
Acclaimed chef takes the helm at Forbes five-star restaurant at Salamander Middleburg.
MIDDLEBURG, VA — Harrimans Grill, the signature Forbes five-star restaurant at Salamander Middleburg resort, has appointed Bin Lu as chef de cuisine. Acclaimed for his precision, creativity, and refined approach to modern American cuisine, Lu brings more than 15 years of experience in top kitchens across the U.S. and abroad.
Lu joins Harrimans from The Restaurant at Blue Rock in Washington, Virginia, where he served as executive chef and general manager and spearheaded the reopening of the historic property. Previously, Lu led the kitchen at Pineapple and Pearls, the celebrated two-Michelin-star restaurant in Washington, D.C., where he served as head chef. He also worked under Eric Ziebold at Cityzen in D.C., and earlier in his career sharpened his skills at top culinary institutions including Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina in D.C., Manresa in California under David Kinch, and Attica in Melbourne, Australia, with Ben Shewry.
“I’m both excited and humbled to be joining Salamander’s exceptional team,” Lu said. “I look forward to working with the Harrimans team and helping create memorable experiences within this stunning setting.”
Born in Shanghai and raised in the U.S., Lu took an unconventional path to the culinary world. It wasn’t until his college years at the University of Virginia that he discovered his passion for cooking — trading textbooks for tasting menus and ultimately choosing the kitchen over a more traditional career track. That late-blooming passion has since propelled him to the forefront of America’s fine dining scene.
In his new role at Harrimans, Lu will showcase the rich agricultural bounty of Virginia through seasonal, ingredient-driven menus. The restaurant features bold and flavorful dishes celebrating the rich resources and history of the state’s most fertile region. The cuisine is locally driven and based on the bounty of Middleburg’s surrounding farms, butchers, and specialty seafood sourced from coastal waters, while the carefully curated wine program showcases renowned wines of Virginia, including a vertical tasting of RdV Lost Mountain vintages from 2012 to 2021, as well as strong representation from Napa Valley, Champagne, Burgundy, and Bordeaux. The octagonal-shaped dining room features sweeping views of Salamander’s pastoral estate and offers a dedicated Cooking Studio, expansive Culinary Garden, and firepits perfect for after-dinner drinks.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chef Lu to the Salamander Middleburg family,” said Scott Little, managing director of Salamander Middleburg. “His commitment to culinary excellence and boundary-pushing creativity aligns beautifully with our vision for Harrimans Grill as one of the region’s most exciting and elegant dining experiences.”
Located on 340 picturesque acres in the storied village of Middleburg — the heart of Virginia’s famed horse and wine country — Salamander Middleburg is located only 35 minutes from Washington Dulles International Airport. The luxury resort is one of only five properties in the United States and 26 globally to earn separate Forbes Five-Star Awards for its accommodations, restaurant, and spa. Designed to blend into the surrounding rolling countryside, it draws its architectural inspiration from owner Sheila Johnson’s nearby farm and offers a series of immersive experiences unique to the area, including Harrimans, the Salamander Spa, a treetop zip-line tour, and a 22-stall equestrian center with a riding arena. The resort has also recently developed Residences at Salamander, which offers luxury, built-for-sale homes within a pristine landscape.
Photos courtesy of Salamander Middleburg.
Posted on: April 30, 2025