Bar Bambino Executive Chef Elizabeth Binder was born and raised in South Africa where she attended the internationally recognized Christina Martin School of Food and Wine in her hometown of Durban. After graduating, she landed her first cooking job at the small luxury hotel, Blue Mountain Lodge in Kruger Park. At the age of nineteen she was named the hotel’s Executive Chef. At Blue Mountain, her notoriety rose as she cooked state dinners for both F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela.

In 1990, when sanctions against South Africa were lifted, Elizabeth packed her bags to embark on a career that would take her around the world. Her first stop was the UK where she worked for Sir Terrence Conrad’s Del Ponte and at Clarke’s, owned by Alice Waters’ protege Sally Clarke. Subsequent travels took her around the globe – from the French Alps to Sydney, Australia – further developing her deep knowledge of cuisine and the experience of kitchens around the world.

Seeking her next culinary adventure, she headed to the United States where she fell in love with San Francisco. Her work in San Francisco has seen her part of Traci des Jardin’s original team at Jardiniere and working along side Loretta Keller at Bizou.

In 2006, after the birth of her first child, Elizabeth met Bar Bambino owner Christopher Losa. The two worked hand-in-hand to develop the menu and open Bar Bambino. In three short years they and their team have developed the restaurant into one of the most recognized and awarded restaurants in San Francisco’s Mission District. At Bar Bambino, Elizabeth has been able to fully develop her concept of rustically elegant cuisine, offering a pan-regional Italian menu that is grounded in tradition, but is heightened by her finesse with and respect for local, fresh, and extraordinary ingredients.