Great Movies About Working in a Restaurant

Over 400 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Great Movies About Working in a Restaurant
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Vote up the best movies about restaurants, chefs, cooks, waiters, and waitresses.

The quick-paced energy of the kitchen often leads to tension that you can cut with a knife. The top movies about working in a restaurant find chefs, waiters, and waitresses pursing their love of food and navigating complicated relationships. This is a list of the best cooking movies including everything from Waitress to Waiting... to Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

What films will you find on this list of great movies about restaurants? Chef tells the story of an elite chef who gives up the restaurant life to start his own food truck. Jon Favreau wrote, directed, and starred in this 2014 film. The animated hit Ratatouille is another fantastic movie about working in a restaurant, following a rat with culinary aspirations. Love was on the menu in Mystic Pizza, starring Julia Roberts. Other good movies featured on this list include Big Night, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and No Reservations.

Which of these restaurant movies is your favorite? Give the best films a thumbs up and please add any great features that are missing.

Most divisive: East Side Sushi
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  • Waiting...
    1
    Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris, Justin Long
    194 votes
    • Released: 2005
    • Directed by: Rob McKittrick

    In this hilarious and often cringe-worthy comedy, a group of wisecracking, jaded restaurant employees make the most of their mundane jobs by engaging in wild antics and dishing out sarcastic humor. Between dealing with outrageous customers and navigating personal drama, they know how to turn a tedious shift into an unforgettable experience. But when one coworker has a change of heart about his career path, it forces the rest to reevaluate what's essential in life.

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  • Ratatouille
    2
    Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano
    136 votes
    • Released: 2007
    • Directed by: Brad Bird

    Set in the culinary capital of Paris, a peculiar partnership between a young aspiring chef and an exceptionally talented rat changes the city's food scene forever. Far from being just another critter scavenging for scraps, this rodent is a true epicure who steers his human sous-chef towards a Michelin star destiny. Their heartwarming adventure shows that anyone - or anything - can defy expectations and cook up a storm worthy of gastronomic acclaim.

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  • Chef
    3
    Jon Favreau, Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo
    121 votes
    • Released: 2014
    • Directed by: Jon Favreau

    A once-celebrated professional cook unexpectedly gains viral fame when his public meltdown goes disastrously awry. In the aftermath, he leaves his high-stress kitchen gig behind to rediscover his creative soul through launching a food truck business alongside his son and best friend. As their passion for exceptional cuisine ignites, so does their newfound bond – proving it's never too late to reinvent oneself both professionally and personally.

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  • Burnt
    4
    Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Omar Sy
    86 votes
    • Released: 2015
    • Directed by: John Wells

    A fiery-tempered yet exceptionally skilled chef embarks on an ambitious personal journey as he seeks redemption in the competitive world of haute cuisine. Haunted by past mistakes and weighed down by self-destructive tendencies, it's not just extraordinary plating that stands between him and earning that elusive third Michelin star; it's also the potential for inner healing. This intense character study explores the fine line between obsession and artistry when working at the highest level in any field.

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  • No Reservations
    5
    Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin
    63 votes
    • Released: 2007
    • Directed by: Scott Hicks

    A career-focused New York City chef unexpectedly inherits custody of her niece after a family tragedy and finds herself faced with new challenges in her personal and professional lives. While attempting to balance her responsibilities at work with becoming a guardian, she unexpectedly finds romance with an unconventional colleague. This charming rom-com explores the power of love when everything feels like it's hanging by a fraying thread.

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  • Boiling Point
    6
    Stephen Graham, Vinette Robinson, Alice Feetham
    29 votes
    • Released: 2021
    • Directed by: Philip Barantini

    This fast-paced drama captures a harrowing day in the life of a head chef as he deals with relentless pressure, demanding diners, and the constant threat of a looming meltdown. Under the strain of simmering tensions among staff members and tight deadlines, his ability to hold both dishes and relationships together is put to the ultimate test. Boiling Point poignantly showcases how the quest for culinary perfection can push one to their physical and emotional limits.

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