Chef's Table

Chef's Table is an American documentary series created by David Gelb, which premiered on video streaming service Netflix on April 26, 2015. The series takes viewers inside both the lives and kitchens of a variety of acclaimed and successful international chefs, with each episode placing the spotlight on a single chef and exploring the unique lives, talents and passions which influence their style of cooking. The series has been nominated for and awarded a variety of awards, including 8 Emmy nominations. Season 7 was released on November 27, 2024 and season 8 entitled "Legends" is planned to be released in 2025, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the show.

Background

Each episode of the series focuses on a specific chef, and explores their personal philosophies and approach to cooking. Creator David Gelb considers it a follow-up to his documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. He teamed up with Brian McGinn to develop Chef's Table with Boardwalk Pictures and Netflix became interested in it. Both documentaries make use of cinematography and production techniques based on traditional filmmaking rather than reality television.

Seasons

Episodes

Volume 1 (2015)

Volume 2 (2016)

Chef's Table: France (2016)

The first spin-off, titled Chef's Table: France premiered on September 1, 2016.

Volume 3 (2017)

Volume 4: Pastry (2018)

Volume 5 (2018)

Volume 6 (2019)

Chef's Table: BBQ (2020)

A second spin-off, titled Chef's Table: BBQ premiered on September 2, 2020.

Chef's Table: Pizza (2022)

A third spin-off, titled Chef's Table: Pizza premiered on September 7, 2022.

Chef's Table: Noodles (2024)

A fourth spin-off, titled Chef's Table: Noodles premiered on October 2, 2024.

Volume 7 (2024)

Chef's Table: Legends (2025)

A fifth spin-off, titled Chef's Table: Legends premiered on April 28, 2025.

Reception

The series has been well received since it aired in 2015 and has been praised for its cinematography, score, and production.

Chef's Table has been parodied numerous times. Gods of Food, which satirizes Chef's Table and the restaurant industry, was created Rekha Shankar for by the YouTube comedy channel CollegeHumor. The IFC series Portlandia parodied the series in an episode about an airport sushi chef.