A Complete Guide to Netflix’s ‘Chef’s Table’

With sweeping cinematography, dramatic musical cues, and seemingly unlimited access to the world’s fine dining stars, Chef’s Table is Netflix’s most compulsively-watchable food series. Over the last four years, the documentary project from Jiro Dreams of Sushi director David Gelb has become so popular that it has inspired numerous knock-offs, and more than a few parodies.

A big draw of the series is that it offers behind-the-scenes glimpses at some of the world’s most sought-after dining experiences. Many of the restaurants featured on the series are prohibitively expensive and/or generally impenetrable to the average diner, so there’s a certain voyeuristic appeal. For fine dining obsessives, Chef’s Table offers valuable insights into the major culinary movements that are blooming around the world. And most episodes of the series also double as travel profiles of the places where the chefs cook and call home.

As the program grew in popularity, Gelb and co. were (rightly) criticized for the show’s lack of diversity, although the latest seasons suggest that the creators of Chef’s Table are widening their scope. In recent years, the series has also increasingly profiled chefs who operate more affordable restaurants than the ones that top the World’s 50 Best list.

Here are guides to all 34 episodes Chef’s Table that have premiered on Netflix so far, with plot summaries and information about the chefs and their restaurants, as well as notable quotes from each chapter. (* denotes an Eater favorite)

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Season 1

• Massimo Bottura*
• Dan Barber
• Francis Mallmann
• Niki Nakayama*
• Ben Shewry
• Magnus Nilsson

Season 2

• Grant Achatz
• Alex Atala
• Dominique Crenn*
• Enrique Olvera
• Ana Roš
• Gaggan Anand*

Season 3

• Jeong Kwan*
• Vladimir Mukhin
• Nancy Silverton*
• Ivan Orkin
• Tim Raue
• Virgilio Martinez*

Season 4 (Pastry)

• Christina Tosi*
• Corrado Assenza*
• Jordi Roca
• Will Goldfarb

Season 5

• Cristina Martinez*
• Bo Songvisava
• Musa Dağdeviren*
• Albert Adrià

Season 6

• Mashama Bailey*
• Dario Cecchini
• Asma Khan*
• Sean Brock

Chef’s Table: France

• Alain Passard
• Alexandre Couillon
• Adeline Grattard*
• Michel Troisgros

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Further Reading:

• Map: A Guide to the Restaurants of Netflix’s Chef’s Table by Greg Morabito
• ‘Chef’s Table’ Is Finally Doing the Work by Pelin Keskin
• Where Have I Heard This ‘Chef’s Table’ Intro Music Before? by Greg Morabito
• Review: Two Hits and One Misfire From ‘Chef’s Table’ Season 3 by Joshua David Stein
• Review: Humans, Not Heroes, Are the Stars of ‘Chef’s Table’ Season 3 by Joshua David Stein
• ‘Chef’s Table: France: Relationships, Not Food, Make Must-See Television by Joshua David Stein
• ‘Chef’s Table’ Season Two: The Good, the Bad, and the Binge-Worthy by Joshua David Stein
• Review: How ‘Chef’s Table’ Exposes the Gap Between Intent and Reality by Joshua David Stein
• TV Review: Netflix’s ‘Chef’s Table’ Digs Deep Into Creative Life by Joshua David Stein