List of famous chefs, with photos, bios, and other information when available. Who are the top chefs in the world? This includes the most prominent chefs, living and dead, both in America and abroad. This list of notable chefs is ordered by their level of prominence, and can be sorted for various bits of information, such as where these historic chefs were born and what their nationality is. The people on this list are from different countries, but what they all have in common is that they're all renowned chefs.
Everyone from Padma Lakshmi to Paul Oakenfold is included on this list.
From reputable, prominent, and well known chefs to the lesser known chefs of today, these are some of the best professionals in the chef field. If you want to answer the questions, "Who are the most famous chefs ever?" and "What are the names of famous chefs?" then you're in the right place.
Padma Lakshmi Padma Lakshmi is an American cookbook author, actress, model, television host and executive producer. Her debut cookbook Easy Exotic won her the "Best First Book" award at the 1999 ...more
Bethenny Frankel Bethenny Frankel is an American reality television personality, talk show host, author, and entrepreneur. She founded Skinnygirl Cocktails, authored four self-help books and hosted the talk ...more
Julia Child Julia Carolyn Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of ...more
Gordon Ramsay Gordon James Ramsay, Jr, OBE is a Scottish born British chef and restaurateur.His restaurants have been awarded 15 Michelin stars in total and currently hold 14. His signature restaurant, ...more
Kelis Kelis Rogers Mora, better known mononymously as Kelis, is an American singer-songwriter and certified chef. She has won Brit Awards, Q Awards, and NME Awards, and was nominated for two Grammy ...more
Anthony Bourdain Anthony Michael Bourdain is an American chef, author, and television personality. He is a 1978 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a veteran of numerous professional kitchens, ...more
Rachael Ray Rachael Ray is an American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray, and three Food Network series. ...more
Giada De Laurentiis Giada Pamela De Laurentiis is an Italian-born American chef, writer, television personality, and the host of the current Food Network television program Giada at Home. She also appears regularly ...more
Paula Deen Paula Ann Hiers Deen is an American celebrity chef and cooking show television host. Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates The Lady & Sons restaurant with her sons, ...more
Jamie Oliver James Trevor "Jamie" Oliver, MBE is an English celebrity chef, restaurateur, and media personality known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his global ...more
Bobby Flay Robert William "Bobby" Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of several restaurants: Mesa Grill in ...more
Dom DeLuise Dominick "Dom" DeLuise was an American actor, comedian, film director, television producer, chef, and author. He was the husband of actress Carol Arthur from 1965 until his death and ...more
Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice as well as his serio-comic performances in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.
Nigella Lawson Nigella Lucy Lawson is an English journalist, broadcaster, television personality, gourmet, and food writer. She is the daughter of Nigel Lawson, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, and ...more
Joan Severance Joan Severance is an American actress and former fashion model.
Paul Sorvino Paul Anthony Sorvino is an American actor. He often portrays authority figures on both sides of the law, and is possibly best known for his roles as Paulie Cicero, a portrayal of Paul Vario in ...more
Cat Cora Catherine Ann "Cat" Cora is an American professional chef best known for her featured role as an "Iron Chef" on the Food Network television show Iron Chef America and as ...more
Chris Cornell Chris Cornell is an American rock musician and singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter and rhythm guitarist for Seattle rock band Soundgarden and as former lead ...more
Martin Yan Martin Yan is a Chinese-born Hong Kong-American chef and food writer. He has hosted his award-winning PBS-TV cooking show Yan Can Cook since 1982.
Emeril Lagasse Emeril John Lagasse is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author. A regional James Beard Award winner, he is perhaps most notable for his Food Network ...more
Wolfgang Puck Wolfgang Johannes Puck is an Austrian-born American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and occasional actor. Wolfgang Puck restaurants, catering services, cookbooks and licensed products are run by ...more
Jane Asher Jane Asher is an English actress who achieved early fame as a child star, and has worked extensively in film and TV throughout her career. She was a key figure of 1960s showbusiness society as ...more
Peter Gordon Peter Gordon ONZM is a New Zealand-born, London-based chef.
Tom Colicchio Thomas Patrick "Tom" Colicchio is an American celebrity chef. He co-founded the Gramercy Tavern in New York City, and formerly served as a co-owner and as the executive chef. He is ...more
Jehane Benoît Jehane Benoît, OC was a Canadian culinary author, speaker, commentator, journalist, and broadcaster. After studying at the Sorbonne and the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris, she started ...more
Ruth Graves Wakefield Ruth Graves Wakefield was the inventor of the Toll House Cookie, the first chocolate chip cookie, which she created circa 1938.
Ming Tsai Ming Tsai is an American restaurateur, television personality, and celebrity chef of fusion cuisine. Tsai currently hosts Ming's Quest, a cooking show featured on the Fine Living Network, and ...more
Mario Batali Mario Francesco Batali is an American chef, writer, restaurateur and media personality. In addition to his classical culinary training, he is an expert on the history and culture of Italian ...more
Guy Fieri Guy Fieri is an American restaurateur, author, game host, and television personality currently working for Food Network. He co-owns five restaurants in California and is known for his television ...more
Katie Lee Zealand Katherine Rebekah "Katie" Lee is an American cookbook author, television food critic, cook, and novelist.
Isabella Beeton Isabella Mary Beeton, universally known as Mrs Beeton, was the English author of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, and is one of the best-known and posthumously best-selling cookery ...more
Marika Hanbury Tenison Marika Hanbury-Tenison was an English journalist, cookery writer, and explorer.
Lidia Bastianich Lidia Matticchio Bastianich is an American celebrity chef, television host, author, and restaurateur. Specializing in Italian and Italian-American cuisine, Bastianich has been a regular ...more
Isa Chandra Moskowitz Isa Chandra Moskowitz is an American author, magazine columnist, and former host of community access cooking show Post Punk Kitchen. She has authored several best-selling cookbooks, including ...more
Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine is an American chef and actress. She attended the Natural Gourmet School in New York City, and competed in the 2007 season of The Next Food Network Star. She currently ...more
Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ, is an English actor, singer and author. Lee initially portrayed villains and became best known for his role as Count Dracula in a string of ...more
Rocco DiSpirito Rocco DiSpirito is an American chef based in New York City.
Marcela Valladolid Marcela Luz Valladolid is an American chef and author. She is the host of the Food Network television series Mexican Made Easy, and a co-host of the Food Network television series The Kitchen.
Ina Garten Ina Rosenberg Garten is an American author, Emmy Award winning host of the Food Network program Barefoot Contessa, and former White House nuclear policy analyst. Known for designing recipes with ...more
Richard Deacon Richard Deacon, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was an American television and motion picture actor.
Jacques Pépin Jacques Pépin is an internationally recognized French chef, television personality, and author working in the United States. Since the late 1980s, he has appeared on French and American ...more
Judy Ann Santos Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo is a Filipino film and television actress, Pokémon trainer, Pokémon Gym Leader, host, product endorser, recording artist, and film producer. Santos began ...more
Sarah Kramer Sarah Kramer is a vegan cookbook author from Canada. She is the best-selling author of How It All Vegan, The Garden of Vegan, La Dolce Veganand Vegan A Go-Go!. She also recently released Go ...more
Madhur Jaffrey Madhur Jaffrey CBE is an Indian actress, active in radio, theatre, television and film as well as a food writer, authoring numerous cookbooks and television chef and entrepreneur who, alongside ...more
Eric Ripert Eric Ripert is a French chef, author and television personality specializing in modern French cuisine and renowned for his work with seafood. Ripert's flagship restaurant, Le Bernardin, located ...more
James Beard James Andrew Beard was an American cookbook author, teacher, syndicated columnist and television personality. Beard was a champion of American cuisine who taught and mentored generations of ...more
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Hugh Christopher Edmund Fearnley-Whittingstall is a British celebrity chef, television personality, journalist, food writer and "real food" campaigner, known for his back-to-basics ...more
Sara Moulton Sara Moulton is an American chef, cookbook author and television personality. She was the on-air food editor for Good Morning America, a morning news-and-talk show broadcast on the ABC ...more
Gail Simmons Gail Simmons is a Canadian culinary expert, food writer and television personality, and is the Special Projects Director with Food & Wine magazine. In addition to her role with Food & ...more
Mary Ann Esposito Mary Ann Esposito is an American chef and the television host of Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito, which started in 1989 and is the longest-running television cooking program in America. ...more
