RESTAURANT

THE RESTAURANT

Midlothian Chef's Kitchen
Restaurant & Bar

Midlothian Chef's Kitchen is a signature restaurant owned by Award-Winning Chef David Dunlap and his wife, Brittany. Chef brings his knowledge and experience to his own location that features New-American dishes using local, hyper-seasonal Virginia ingredients. Enjoy a dining experience with thoughtful dishes that evoke memories.

Our Menu Changes Very Often - Click Here to View Menu


*Happy Hour is Only Available at the Bar*

Meet Award-Winning Chef David Dunlap
The foundation for Chef Dunlap's passion for food was laid early in life. Born in Washington State near Puget Sound, he recalls fondly his childhood days spent playing and harvesting in his family's orchards, foraging for huckleberries, picking strawberries and blackberries and tending to bees. After a job cooking at a local farmer's market in Boulder, Colorado, Chef Dunlap was inspired to enroll at the Le Cordon Bleu California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, CA.

Upon graduation, he worked under Executive Chef Jung at the five-star, five diamond, El Encanto Hotel in Santa Barbara, CA, where he learned to utilize fresh, seasonal ingredients. After two years at El Encanto Hotel, Chef Dunlap surfed down the road and took on the role as Chef de Partie at the five-star, five diamond, Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara, CA. Here, Dunlap learned about food and wine pairings, and how to develop and execute menus that met the expectations and palates of some of the world's most famous and prestigious celebrities.

With a growing family, and the desire to achieve the "next step" in the culinary industry, Chef Dunlap and his family moved to Virginia to be closer to family, and to take on the next job opportunity. In 2008, in Washington DC, Dunlap opened Alain Ducasse’s Adour Restaurant as Chef de Partie. This was an amazing opportunity for Chef Dunlap whom looked up to Ducasse and "soaked everything in" since he knew this was a once in a life time experience to learn from the Chef that holds the most Michelin stars in the world. It was there, working under Ducasse, that Chef Dunlap developed the finer points of his culinary approach.

Ready for the next step, (and after having to decline the move to Monaco with the Ducasse team due to three young kids), Dunlap moved up on the culinary ladder and took a role as Sous Chef at the 1 Michelin star, Plume Restaurant at The Jefferson Hotel in DC. Chef Dunlap was then recruited by, The Inn at Little Washington, which holds 3 Michelin stars, and was promoted to Executive Sous Chef. Working at The Inn at Little Washington was life changing for David. Working directly with Chef Patrick O'Connell and learning from him while having the opportunity to work with some of the best ingredients possible, shaped Chef Dunlap's career forever. 

A couple years later, an opportunity became available for an Executive Chef position at The Ashby Inn. Chef Dunlap jumped on this chance to be an Executive Chef. He celebrated three years at Ashby Inn in Paris, Virginia and from there he became the Executive Chef of Quirk Hotels, Quirk Richmond and Quirk Charlottesville for five years. Due to the pandemic, in May of 2020, Chef's position as Corporate Executive Chef, was removed.

In July 2020, David's wife, Brittany Dunlap, came across the empty commercial property on Busy Street. It was there that Brittany saw a vision, and Chef Dunlap knew it was time to have their own restaurant. They decided that with David's culinary experience, and Brittany's background in business and marketing, (as crazy as it sounds) would open an 100% family-owned business in the middle of the pandemic.

Welcome to Midlothian Chef's Kitchen, where the Dunlap's like to say "We are inviting you into our home, to have drinks and dinner with us, and have a great time!"  We treat you like family, our staff is our family! Come open minded, not in a rush, wanting to sit down and unwind, listen to some good music, drink some great cocktails and have a food experience that will get you talking and will evoke memories!
Awards/Recognitions
  • 2011 Relais & Châteaux Grand Chefs Event, London
  • 2014 James Beard Rising Star Chef of Virginia Dinner Series
  • Broad Appetit Best Dish Award 2016, 2017, 2019
  • Broad Appetit Best Dessert Award 2018, 2019
  • 2017 Rising Star Chef of the Year by Two Roads Hospitality
  • 2018 Juror's Award for Best Chili Dish benefitting Visual Arts Center of Richmond
  • 2019 Charleston Wine + Food Guest Chef
  • 2020 StarChef
  • 1 of the 32 Restaurant Stars on the Rise in 2020 by FSRMagazine
  • 2021 Dine Like a Local Award Winner by The Scout Guide for Best Restaurant for Dinner
  • 2021 50 Restaurants We Love by Richmond Magazine
  • 2022 Best Restaurant in Chesterfield by Richmond Magazine
  • 2022 Best Chef in Richmond by Richmond Times-Dispatch
  • 2022 Best Hidden Gem by Richmond Times-Dispatch
  • 2023 Diners Choice Award by OpenTable
  • 2023 Best Chef in Richmond by Richmond Times Dispatch
  • 2024 Diners Choice Award by OpenTable
  • 2024 Best Chef in Richmond by Richmond Times Dispatch
2021 Best Restaurant for Dinner Winner
2021 50 Restaurants We Love

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Planning a party? There’s no better way to celebrate a special occasion than by having an amazing dining experience. We cater to weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and any other occasion you can celebrate. 
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