30 Best Movies Like Chef You Need to Watch
Chef is a 2014 American road comedy-drama film directed, written, co-produced by, and starring Jon Favreau. If you like movies like Chef you are in the right place, as we are bringing you all the best movies like it in one place.
Jon Favreau stars as a chef who, after a public altercation with a food critic, loses his job at a popular Los Angeles restaurant and begins to operate a food truck with his young son.
Let’s now check the best movies like Chef and choose your next watch below.
Tampopo (1985)
The truck driver stopped in front of a small, family-run restaurant specializing in freshly cooked ramen noodles. After being drawn into a dispute between the owner and a group of hooligans, the driver realizes that the owner is not very good at cooking. Driven by his love for food, he decides to turn that restaurant into a place where only the most delicious pasta is served.
Big Night (1996)
Primo and Secondo are two brothers who emigrated from Italy to open an authentic Italian restaurant in America. Primo is a passionate and talented chef, a brilliant culinary genius, but determined not to waste his gift by preparing established dishes that customers expect.
Secondo is the suave boss, who tries to keep the restaurant going, despite the few customers except for one poor artist who pays for his food with his paintings. The owner of the nearby restaurant “Pascal’s”, which is extremely successful (despite the mediocre food), offers a solution – he will invite his friend, a famous jazz musician, to play a charity concert in their restaurant.
Primo starts preparing his masterpiece, the feast of life, for the big night of the brothers…
Le Chef (2012)
Jacky Bonnot (Michael Youn) is a talented chef, but although he says he is “Mozart behind the stove”, he remains almost an amateur and works in worse restaurants whose clientele does not understand his high standards and culinary experiments. Moreover, when his wife becomes pregnant, he has to give up his adored but very insecure job and devote himself to a more stable and much more boring source of income.
On the other hand, his role model Alexandre Lagarde (Jean Reno) is a top professional, the most famous French chef who runs a restaurant named after him and has his own cooking show. However, he hasn’t been blooming roses lately either, because he is slowly running out of fresh ideas, and the unscrupulous owner of the restaurant is starting to interfere in his business and wants to replace him with a rising culinary star.
A chance meeting between Jacky and Alexandre opens up the possibility for both of them to solve their problems, but due to their incompatible characters, it also leads to a series of crazy situations and funny scenes between the two chefs.
Sideways (2004)
Unsuccessful and divorced middle-aged writer Miles, otherwise a great lover and connoisseur of wine, and his best friend Jack, once a popular actor in television series, set off on a trip through the California wine roads a week before Jack’s wedding.
While Miles wants to enjoy the charms of wine, Jack is more interested in the charms of women. The two friends become close to two attractive women of the opposite sex, both excellent connoisseurs of wine – the waitress Maya and the server Stephanie.
Begin Again (2013)
Gretta and her longtime boyfriend Dave have been a couple since college, but also musical partners (they write and perform music together) who moved to New York after he signed with a major record company. Dave will be hit hard by fame, and Gretta will remain on the sidelines, lonely.
Her situation suddenly improves when she is noticed by a disillusioned music talent scout just as she is performing her music in a cafe. He is charmed by her raw talent. The two will start collaborating and complementing each other in one hot New York summer to create excellent music.
Haute Cuisine (2012)
An Australian journalist comes to France where she catches the eye of Hortense Laborie (Catherine Frot), the chef. He soon found out that she had cooked for the President of France at the Elysee Palace for several years, so he tried to find out the details from Hortense herself, but without success. The story goes back four years ago when she was first invited to the Elysee Palace…
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
After learning that their bright and somewhat insecure seven-year-old daughter Olive (A. Breslin) has been accepted into the Miss California Children’s pageant, frustrated mother Sheryl (T. Collette) and father Richard Hoover (G. Kinnear) decide to take the girl to the town of Redondo Beach where an election is held.
Olive’s older brother Dwayne (P. Dano), a maladjusted young man who hasn’t spoken a word for nine months, and eccentric grandfather Edwin (A. Arkin), a man in poor health who openly snorts cocaine, and reclusive uncle Frank Ginsberg (S. Carell), a homosexual and unrealized suicide. After their vehicle soon breaks down during the journey, and they are all forced to start it by pushing, many details from the lives of each of them will gradually be revealed.
While Olive is a sensitive and insecure girl who believes that she is not beautiful enough to win the title of Miss, father Richard has been having business problems lately because his deal with his partner Stan Grossman (B. Cranston) fell through.
Young Dwayne is silent due to the fact that he despises his parents, whom he considers small-towners, and communicates through written messages, and Uncle Frank was driven to attempt suicide by breaking off his relationship with the much younger Josh (J. Shilton). Only Grandpa Edwin seems to have no problems.
Julie & Julia (2009)
Before Ina, before Rachael and before Emeril, there lived Julia, the woman who forever changed the way Americans cook. But in 1948, Julia Child (Meryl Streep) was an ordinary American woman living in France. Her husband’s work brought them both to Paris, and she, because of her tireless spirit, yearned to do something.
Fifty years later, Julie Powell (Amy Adams) feels stuck. She’s nearing her thirtieth birthday, living in Queens and working a dead-end job while all her friends are achieving amazing successes in life. Julie comes up with a seemingly insane plan to channel her energy; decides to spend exactly one year preparing all 524 recipes from Julie Child’s cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” – and keep an Internet diary of her experience.
Tortilla Soup (2001)
Martin Naranjo (Hector Elizondo) loves his job. From appetizers to fantastic desserts, he carefully designs each dish. Martin feels much better in the kitchen than at dinner, especially when his sexy new neighbor shows an appetite for much more than his culinary skills, and his three daughters have quite unusual surprises for him with lunch.
The Founder (2016)
The story follows Ray Krock as he teams up with two brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald, to start what will soon become an international chain of fast food restaurants that today serves 68 million patrons every day.
In addition to Keaton, one of the main roles is also played by Laura Dern, as Ray’s suffering and neglected wife, Ethel, from whom Krock divorced in 1961.
Burnt (2015)
Chef Adam Jones had it all – and lost it all. A rock star with two Michelin stars, bad habits and a reputation as the former enfant terrible of the Parisian hospitality scene, he would do everything – differently every time.
All he ever cared about was the thrill of creating an explosion of flavor. However, in order to get his kitchen and that third star that Michelin awards, which constantly eludes him, he will have to get the best on his side, including the beautiful Helene.
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)
Although he has lost his sense of taste, Zhu is an excellent cook, living with three adults, unmarried daughters for whom he prepares a rich Sunday lunch every Sunday. Jia Qian is the vice president of a large company and plans to move out of her hometown as soon as possible, Jia Zhen is a withdrawn and pious teacher, and Jia Ning is a student who works in a fast food restaurant.
As their mother died a long time ago, Zhu occasionally sees Ms. Liang and her daughter. There is a little conversation in the family, communication takes place over the food that Zhu prepares wholeheartedly. Jia Qian buys an apartment with her savings, and soon expects a promotion…
Scoop (2006)
London journalist Joe Strombel (I. McShane) is remembered by his colleagues as a man who was always faster than others in “sniffing out” sensational news. In another world, he meets the dead secretary of the rich lord’s son Peter Lyman (H. Jackman). She was poisoned by her employer when she discovered that he was a mass murderer who kills prostitutes and leaves tarot cards next to corpses.
He was called the “tarot-killer” in the newspapers. Joe would give who knows what if he were alive now and could expose Lyman in a sensational reportage. American student Sondra Pransky (S. Johansson), who writes for the school newspaper, is resting in London at the same time. Sondra visits a magic show by American Sid Waterman (W. Allen). When he locks her in a magic closet on stage to make her “disappear,” the ghost of Joe Strombel appears in that closet.
As soon as she tells him that she is a journalist, he tells her the truth about Lyman, expecting her to investigate the case and write an article. The only person Sondra can tell and ask for help is Sid. Through mutual acquaintances, Sondra arranges for Lyman’s father, a well-known lord, to invite them to a reception. There they meet the handsome and charming Peter, who likes Sondra at first sight…
Midnight in Paris (2011)
Owen Wilson portrays the character of the fiance, an infatuated nostalgic writer who is absolutely enchanted by Paris. In his nocturnal wanderings through the romantic streets and along the Seine, he will meet the main actors of the Parisian golden age from the 20s of the last century. With Hemingway, T.S. Eliot and Fitzgerald will visit iconic places. He will hang out with Picasso, Dalia, and their lovers and muses…
Today’s Special (2009)
Samir (Aasif Mandvi) is a chef in Manhattan who quits after not getting a promotion. His boss is clear: his kitchen simply lacks that something. Samir decides to go on an unpaid internship in Paris, but his father’s illness prevents him, so the young chef has to take over his restaurant in Queens. However, that restaurant specializes in Indian cuisine, which Samir has no idea about, but he will find out…
Small Time Crooks (2000)
Although he has already spent time in prison for failed robbery attempts, Ray (W. Allen) still believes that he is destined to one day finally do a “real” job and make a fortune. Now he has his eye on the local bank and has come up with a plan to break into it with ease. He will rent office space next to the bank and open a pastry shop in it, where his wife Frenchy (T. Ullman) will bake her famous cakes, while he and his partners will dig an underground tunnel in the basement.
When he finally manages to persuade his wife to help him with her culinary skills, Ray and his company get down to business. As expected, the robbery turns into a fiasco and Ray almost ends up in prison again. Fortunately, the policeman who caught him in the act became a big fan of Frenchy’s cakes and offered Ray his freedom if he in turn involved him in the increasingly lucrative cake business. Ray agrees and immediately founds a company for the production of sweets, which within a year becomes one of the richest companies in New York…
The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)
When a family from India moves to France and opens a “restaurant” opposite a famous restaurant run by the brilliant Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), there will be a forced mixing of completely different cultures – but also recipes and spices.
No Reservations (2007)
Head chef Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) lives her life as she runs her kitchen at the elite restaurant ’22 Bleecker’ in Manhattan – intense and down-to-earth which both charms and terrifies those around her. She energetically works each shift with incredible precision coordinating hundreds of dishes, preparing delicate sauces, adding spices and preparing each dish to perfection. Although she prefers to stay behind the scenes, she only leaves the sanctuary of her kitchen to receive compliments on her culinary creations or to confront a guest who dares to question her expertise. After work, she goes home and lies down before midnight to get up at dawn and beat her rivals in the morning selection of the freshest fish at the market.
The arrival of a brash new sous chef, the fiery and somewhat irresponsible Nick (Aaron Eckhart), poses a threat to Kate’s perfectionism. Nick is a rising culinary star who likes to listen to opera while working and make the kitchen staff laugh. His casual approach to life and cooking is very different from Kate’s, but the chemistry between the two is more than obvious, and disagreements ring like forks falling off a granite countertop.
It would be easier for Kate to deal with such turbulence at work if she didn’t have problems at home, her nine-year-old niece Zoe (Abigail Breslin), who recently and suddenly moved in with her and with whom she is trying to find a common language. Zoe is a bright, observant child who prefers breaded fish from the freezer to foie gras. Zoe clearly doesn’t fit into Kate’s routine, but Kate wants to give her a home, if only she knew how.
Weeks pass and Kate doesn’t know what worries her more – the fact that Nick’s gift appeals to the restaurant owner Paula (Patricia Clarkson) and the discerning clientele, or that he manages to win over the shy Zoe with his charm, who trusts him more easily than her. But when it comes to the line between rivalry and romance, Kate begins to question her decisions and beliefs that offer her independence and security for the first time in many years. If she wants to have a real relationship with Zoe, be happy with Nick and rediscover her appetite for life, Kate must try something bold and new and learn to express herself outside of the kitchen.
Love’s Kitchen (2011)
Rob Haley is a chef and restaurateur in London, who lost his wife. With the encouragement of his infamous friend and TV chef Gordon Ramsay, Rob decides to spice up his life by turning his pub into a gourmet restaurant.
Soul Kitchen (2009)
Zinos Kazantzakis (A. Bousdoukos) owns a disreputable restaurant in the suburbs of Hamburg, otherwise, a converted hangar, frequented by the poor and a punk band that never pays the rent. As the business is getting worse and there is no hint that the situation could change drastically, Zinos decides to sell the restaurant.
At the same time, his girlfriend Nadine (P. Roggan) gets a business offer in Shanghai and leaves him, but also because she thinks he neglected her too much. In order to get her back, he decides to go after her, but before that, he hires a new chef, also of Greek origin, who is enterprising and starts cooking excellent dishes and introduces a DJ as an entertainer.
Soon the restaurant dawns in a new guise, gets new customers, which completely changes this hole that was on the verge of collapse…
The Ramen Girl (2008)
American Abby (Brittany Murphy) comes to Tokyo to be with her boyfriend. But, immediately after her arrival, he leaves for Osaka. She wants to stay in Tokyo, but she speaks little Japanese and has no job.
Apply for a job as a ramen girl at a nearby ramen soup restaurant. The restaurant is run by the aged master Maezumi and his wife Reiko. Abby is faced with the difficult test of mastering the mastery of making this specialty.
The Guilt Trip (2012)
A plan to visit his mom takes an abrupt turn when an impulse drives Andy (Seth Rogen) to invite his mother, Joyce (Barba Streisand), on an eight-day trip across the country.
As they travel 4,800 kilometers, Andy is constantly annoyed by her eccentric behavior, but over time he realizes that they have more in common than he originally thought and that his mother’s advice might actually be just what he needs.
Ratatouille (2007)
Remy lives in Paris and has enough knowledge and passion to become a professional chef. But the problem is that Remy is a rat! Unlike the rest of his rat family, Remy does not want to eat garbage from the sewers and street garbage cans, but instead chooses fancy restaurants, inspired by Gusteau, the legendary Parisian chef.
One night, Remy decides to test his skills in Gusteau’s kitchen. But because he was careless, he was discovered by the cleaner Linguini, a clumsy young man who works in his kitchen. The two make a deal in which Remy will guide Linguini’s hands like a puppeteer, hiding under his hat.
The delicious dishes that are prepared together in Gusteau’s restaurant attract the attention of trained Parisian palates, but the question arises – would the restaurant operate with the same success if everyone knew that a rat was hiding behind the treats?
Delivery Man (2013)
David Wozniak does not take life seriously, nor does he take work seriously. And then he learns that his sperm donation to a fertility clinic back in 1994 mistakenly resulted in a total of 533 children.
Most of them threaten to sue the clinic, demanding the identity of their biological father. Will David come forward? A look at the lives of these young people could open his eyes to all that he should actually do in his own
The Intern (2015)
In this comedy about 70-year-old pensioner Ben, who is also a widower and feels very useless living such a monotonous life, Robert De Niro once again showed his great humorous side.
In order to get involved in society, feel useful and regain liveliness in his life, he decides to get a job as an editorial intern for a fashion magazine!
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
In the film, which he also directs, Stiller plays a seemingly ordinary man who spends his days in the office and leads a boring life. Walter finds an escape from his monotonous life in the world of imagination where he experiences the most wonderful adventures.
However, when it becomes likely that he and the colleague he likes will lose their jobs, dreamer Walter embarks on a real-life adventure that will be more miraculous than anything he could have imagined: he takes matters into his own hands and becomes the man he always wanted to be.
We Bought a Zoo (2011)
Based on the book of the same name and a true event, set in Southern California, it follows the path of a father who, after the death of his wife, took his children to the countryside and opened a zoo, hoping to provide them with a better and better life.
Mostly Martha (2001)
A romantic comedy about a depressed and lonely chef whose life changes fundamentally when she starts caring for her niece. Martha Klein (Martina Gedeck) is one of the best cooks in town and works in a famous Hamburg restaurant where she obsessively creates culinary masterpieces. Preparing food is the center of her world, but she cooks not with passion but with mathematical precision.
Martha’s main problem is that she prefers to cook instead of communicate: it is much easier to cook than to talk to people. But her life changes completely when she starts taking care of her eight-year-old niece Lena (Maxime Foerste), who comes to live with her after the tragic death of her sister. Lena is a withdrawn girl deeply shaken by the death of her mother, and Martha has a hard time fitting into her new role. To make matters worse, Martha’s boss hires a new chef, the singing and passionate Italian Mario (Sergio Castellitto)…
Babette’s Feast (1987)
During the late 19th century, a strict religious community in a Danish village takes in a French refugee from the Franco-Prussian War as a servant to the late pastor’s daughters.
