Food has always been considered an art form, but in recent years, practicing the culinary arts has become more popular than ever. If you see yourself pursuing a career in a kitchen, or if you just want to work on your chops at home, you might want to learn a bit more about these guys...
Heinz Reitbauer, Austria
Reitbauer started his career by studying under the greats in France and England before opening a restaurant with his family. There, Reitbauer was appointed Chef de Cuisine and saw great success while operating under his family name. In 2012, Reitbauer was awarded two Michelin stars for his efforts.
Christian Bau, France
Like most notable European chefs, Bau's journey began with an apprenticeship that landed him his first kitchen jobs. He was drafted to the military in Germany, where he worked in the mess hall kitchens before he was discharged back into the fine dining environment. From there, he earned three Michelin stars at a restaurant that was eventually renamed to "Viktor's Fine Dining by Christian Bau."
Nadia Santini, Italy
Santini is one of the best female chefs in the world and is considered to be the best female chef in Italy. She is known for her personal blend of traditional Italian cooking and French cuisine, as well as her whimsical and bubbly personality. She began to gain some attention in the 1980s, and she is still considered to be one of the greatest Italian chefs out there.
Heston Blumenthal, England
Blumenthal started his restaurant journey with no formal training, apprenticeship, or any experience within a Michelin starred kitchen. He let his creativity drive his career, and his artistic, fantastical culinary endeavors paid off when he was awarded three Michelin stars and the best restaurant in the world trophy in 2005. Oh, and he got knighted by the queen that year too!
Victor Arguinzoniz, Spain
Victor Arguinzoniz is considered to be the modern master of grilling, but you'd never get him to say that. He is a perfectionist to the bone in the kitchen, but outside of the world of polished plates, he is quite shy and reclusive. He grew up on a farm that had no electricity or heat, so he learned how to cook by grilling food over the hearth that heated his childhood home.
Peter Goossens, Belgium
Goossens has owned the title of "best restaurant in Belgium" for the past 15 years. His restaurant is the legendary Hof Van Cleve, a three Michelin star holding establishment that is almost as legendary as the chef that built it. Goossens worked for everything he has, and it took him several years to get noticed by the Michelin board, but as soon as he was recognized, he became a culinary star.
Virgilio Martinez, Peru
Known for his unique, colorful, and daring dishes, Virgilio Martinez brings cuisines from all over the planet to highlight his South American ingredients. Martinez fell in love with culinary cultural identity when he was extremely young. Fascinated by the Chinese, Japanese, and Italian restaurants that were in the heart center of the capital of Peru, Martinez knew that he wanted to cook from the time he was a child. He moved to Canada to attend law school, which he then dropped out of and studied at Le Cordon Bleu in London. He traveled across Europe and Asia cooking before he decided to open his own restaurant in Peru.
Tetsuya Fujiwara, Japan
Fujiwara was born in Japan, but he got the majority of his training while cooking his way through France, Italy, and Spain. After his training concluded, Fujiwara returned to Japan and took over his family restaurant that had been open since 1935. He equally fuses European and Japanese cuisine in a beautifully unique way, earning him three Michelin stars.
Jerome Banctel, France
Banctel's name has become synonymous with modern "Parisian" style cooking. His restaurant overlooks the Champs-Elysees garden in Paris, and his cuisine reflects the history and significance of the dishes that were created near there many years ago. However, he has recently added a Japanese twist to his cuisine, which has blossomed his restaurant from a local following to a two Michelin star status.
Andreas Caminada, Switzerland
This Swiss chef earned his first three Michelin stars by the time he was 33 years old at a tiny restaurant buried deep in the belly of a medieval castle in the small town of Furstenau. Every single restaurant Caminada touched has turned to gold. He even opened some "casual" spots outside of the Furstenau limits that have, despite being labeled as "casual," earned their own respective Michelin stars. Caminada wants to prove that world-class food doesn't just have to be for the elites of the world.
Rasmus Kofoed, Denmark
You might have heard of this man before, possibly because of his intoxicatingly bubbly social media presence. Kofoed began cooking in Copenhagen, traveled through Belgium, and then back to Copenhagen until he was able to open his own restaurant that he named "Geranium." Geranium has won three Michelin stars, putting Kofoed's name on the culinary map with his fellow Copenhagen culinary masters.
Enrico Crippa, Italy
Crippa got his start in the restaurant industry when he was just 16 years old. After studying in Milan, he moved to japan to work in Kobe and Osaka. He became famous for his use of raw vegetables and the sheer number of ingredients that he could pack into a leaf salad (his most famous dish is a salad with 51 ingredients). Because of this, he was able to earn three Michelin stars.
Dominique Crenn, United States
Crenn is one of the few women that have battled to end up on this list. She knew from a young age that the restaurant industry was extremely difficult to break into as a woman, so she earned a master's degree in business and finance instead of going to culinary school. After making enough cash to sustain herself, she took an apprenticeship in San Francisco that snowballed her career forward. She ended up becoming the first female head chef in Indonesia at a point, and she later opened her own meat-free two Michelin star restaurant.
David Kinch, United States
Kinch was born in Pennsylvania. He attended Johnson and Wales' culinary school and immediately moved to New York post-graduation. After he cooked his way through the Big Apple, Kinch saw a massive disparity in the quality of ingredients that are available on the west coast as opposed to the east coast. He relocated to California and opened his first restaurant. Since then, he has earned three Michelin stars.
Dan Barber, United States
Barber is both a culinary genius and an arborist innovator. He isn't as famous for his cooking as he is for his establishment of new crossbred fruits and vegetables. He led the farm-to-table era of cooking in the United States and was appointed to the President's Council on Physical Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition by President Obama during his time in the White House. Barber doesn't have any Michelin stars, but he has a dozen or so James Beard awards.
Jonnie Boer, Netherlands
Boer started his illustrious career when he was just 24 years old by becoming the head chef of a restaurant that's located in a 16th-century monastery library. Three years later, he bought the restaurant. One year later, he earned his first Michelin star. By 1999, he became the youngest chef in the Netherlands to earn two Michelin stars. One year after that, Boer was knighted.
Mauro Colagreco, France
Colagreco was given the world's top chef award as of the beginning of 2020. He is connected to Mirazur in Menton, France, but he is of Italian and Argentinian descent. He was trained in Buenos Aires, and he worked in some of the best restaurants in Argentina before he migrated to France to continue his training. Right now, Colagreco and Mirazur have two Michelin stars.
Christophe Bacquie, France
Bacquie began his training in hospitality at the age of 16 in France. He chose to pursue a career in the back of the house, although his original studies were in restaurant management. After he graduated, he moved back to his home island of Corsica. He worked in restaurants there for 12 years and was awarded his first two Michelin stars in the process. He later moved to France to work at the Monte Cristo, which was renamed to Le Castellet to honor Bacquie's time there.
Franck Giovannini, Switzerland
Giovannini didn't come from money, but he did have the skills to land himself an apprenticeship with one of the greatest chefs in Switzerland. From there, he cooked in Vancouver, New York, and Boston before returning home to work for one of the best restaurants in the area. From there, he transformed one of the best restaurants in the area into the undisputed best restaurant in Switzerland, and he earned himself three Michelin stars.
Arnaud Donckele, France
Donckele is the former best chef in the world, he received that title in 2019. He was trained in humble family cooking environments since he was 12 but was then offered an apprenticeship under Arnaud Donckele. He gladly took the offer and transferred his home expertise to a restaurant format. Since then, Donckele has been awarded three Michelin stars at the restaurant La Vague d'Or in Saint-Tropez, France.
Emmanuel Renaut, France
Renaut grew up in the mountains of France. He spent his childhood skiing and foraging in the bountiful wood before he shifted gears and moved to Paris to begin his career in the culinary arts. After touring Europe's finest food cities, Renaut moved back to the mountains of France to source local produce and get back to his roots as a cook. Leaving the city proved to be a fantastic professional move for him because he has been awarded three Michelin stars since then.
Eneko Atxa, Spain
Axta left his comfortable hometown of Amorebieta, Spain to go to Hospitality school when he was just 16. After he graduated, he worked his way up to a head chef position and won numerous awards with his unique style of cooking. Five years later, he opened his own restaurant, focusing on Haute-style cuisine. He has earned two Michelin stars for his efforts, and his restaurant is still considered to be one of the best in the world.
Joan Roca, Spain
Roca was born into a family of culinary experts, but he refined his craft in a way that completely separated him from his roots. He started cooking at nine years old in Spain, but he moved to France to train under George blue later on. When he returned to Spain at the age of 22, he opened his own restaurant next to his parents. This restaurant did so well that he had to relocate down the block from his family home. In 2013, Roca's restaurant was named the best restaurant in the world, and he was awarded three Michelin stars.
Olivier Bellin, France
Bellin's grandmother ran a restaurant that served fare from their family farm. Bellin was infatuated with the cooking process and energy of a kitchen at an extremely young age, and he learned hearty traditional dishes as a foundation for his creativity. He decided to leave home to pursue an apprenticeship when the time came. He ended up cooking his way through Paris and opening a few places before he decided to pack it in and return home to his family restaurant. He began cooking there once more in 1998, and by 2004, he earned his first Michelin star.
Yannick Alleno, France
Alleno grew up cooking in cafes around Paris (literally "grew up," he was cooking in kitchens since he was around seven years old). When he turned 15, he trained under some of the greatest chefs in Paris at the time. He earned his first Michelin star in 1999, and then another in 2002. He then moved to open his own restaurant, earning himself two Michelin stars in the process. In 2003, he was awarded his fifth just three years later. Alleno is one of the most decorated chefs of all time.
Claude Bosi, England
Bosi began cooking at a young age in his parent's restaurant. By the time he could leave, he enrolled in a catering college in Lyon, France, and he picked up an apprenticeship that landed him in Paris. He cooked his way through the city for several years before he decided to move back to England and open his own restaurant. In 2000 he opened his first restaurant, Hibiscus, which earned a Michelin star within the same year. He closed down the restaurant to renovate and re-orient his cuisine, and in 2017 he opened Bibendum in the same spot. Lo and behold, that restaurant earned two Michelin stars in its first year in service.
Alain Ducasse, France
If you haven't heard the name Alain Ducasse before, we're genuinely surprised that you made it this far into this list. Ducasse has more Michelin stars than anyone who has ever lived (he has been awarded 17). He owns 36 restaurants around the world, but his pride and joy can be found in the Dorchester hotel in London, UK.
Jannis Brevet, Netherlands
Brevet worked as a small-time cook until his wife bought one of the most famous restaurants in the Netherlands and appointed him as the head chef. Having grown up in the area, Brevet knew that he needed to serve strictly local ingredients and elevate his level of cuisine to something he had never worked in before. He earned three Michelin stars, and currently, Brevet's restaurant is considered to be the best in the Netherlands.
Michel Troigrois, France
Troigrois's father and uncle literally revolutionized the culinary scene in France before he was even born. So, naturally, Michel Troigrois was destined for greatness from the get-go. He has carried the three Michelin star standard at La Maison Trosigros since his uncle passed away in 1983. His restaurant is still active today.
Yoann Conte, France
Conte grew up in the hotel and restaurant industry since his parents owned both a hotel and a restaurant. When he was just ten years old, Conte was shipped off to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc to ski and study pastry. After he learned enough, he took some cooking jobs in Paris, where he earned a Michelin star. Today, he owns three restaurants and helps manage the hotel and restaurant his parents own. He has two Michelin stars to his name.
René Redzepi, Denmark
If you've spent a minimal amount of time researching highly acclaimed restaurants, you've definitely run across the name "Noma" before. After all, it's no small feat to run the world's best restaurant three years in a row, and then again one year after the mark was missed. Redzepi set the bar for how chefs should be sourcing their ingredients. The entirety of Noma's menu is sourced within Copenhagen, and virtually all garnishes and special additions to his dishes are foraged. Redzepi is one of the most, if not the most, impressive chef who ever lived, and you should try to visit Noma at some point in your life.
Laurent Petit, France
Petit had a bit of a difficult ride to get where he is now. He was the son of a butcher while growing up, he decided to go to culinary school, but then ultimately decided to join the military. After he finished his service, he entered the hospitality industry. By the time he was 24, he opened his own restaurant. He bounced around for a dozen years, but then settled and opened a spot with his wife in 1992. Eight years after opening their restaurant, Petit was awarded his first Michelin star. By 2018, he had three.
Seiji Yamamoto, Japan
Yamamoto spent his entire career learning to perfect a particular Japanese cuisine called "kaiseki." This is similar to western "Haute-style" cuisine, meaning "of the highest luxury" or "high-level." Japanese kaiseki cuisine focuses on the multi-course tasting menu style of service while maintaining the highest standard of ingredients and technique. Yamamoto was granted 3 Michelin stars within 5 years of opening his first restaurant, solidifying him as one of the best chefs in Japan, and the world.
Pascal Barbot, France
As soon as Barbot was legally allowed to step into a kitchen, he started making waves. While working his way through the finest establishments in Paris, he met his counterpart, Christophe Rohat. the dop opened a restaurant together in 2000. From 2000 to 2007, Barbot and Rohat were awarded three Michelin stars for their technical excellence.
Alain Passard, France
Passard is quite possibly the greatest mentor in the history of culinary arts. He trained innumerable Michelin starred chefs over the years and has held an absurdly high ethical and professional standard for himself and his employees for the entirety of his career. In the 20 years that Passard has owned his restaurant, he has never served a dish with meat in it. He was one of the first haute cuisine restaurants to be completely plant-based and has earned three Michelin stars throughout his career.
Martin Berasategui, Spain
Berasategui was birthed into one of the most notable restaurant families in Spanish history. He was taught the basics by his parents and aunt, who owned Bodegon Alejandro in San Sebastian, Spain. He left for France at the age of 15 to study with the best chefs of the time period. He returned to Spain and opened his own restaurant with his wife. Over time, he accumulated 12 Michelin stars, which made him the most decorated Spanish chef of all time.
Yoshihiro Narisawa, Japan
Narisawa got his start learning under European chefs before returning to his home country of Japan to open his own European restaurant. He focused on fusing Japanese and French cuisines, but he eventually just started making his own style of food that has become synonymous with his last name. His restaurant has two Michelin stars, one of which was awarded to celebrate his use of soil (yes, SOIL) as an edible ingredient.
Grant Achatz, United States
If you've ever watched Chef's Table on Netflix, you probably know this guy's story. After graduating from culinary school at 21 years old, Achatz worked at the French Laundry and other legendary spots around the world before he settled down and opened Alinea. Achatz suffered from acute cancer of the tongue and jaw, in turn, he lost his sense of taste for a period of time. A crippled artist must learn to make the best of their situation though, so Achatz created other sensory experiences around his dishes. This innovation brought him three Michelin stars.
Eric Frechon, France
Frechon is one of the current pack-leaders in the realm of modern French cuisine. While others have deviated to using extremely experimental techniques, Frechon has focused on the basics of French cuisine. His attention to detail and his ability to refine dishes that were formerly thought to be at their peak of quality earned him three Michelin stars.
Clare Smyth, England
Located in London, Smyth went through hell and came back to become the only female chef in the city. She was raised on a tiny farm in Ireland, where she fell in love with sourcing ingredients and growing the very food she cooked. She worked under Gordon Ramsey, and later won three Michelin stars under his name, In 2017, she opened her own restaurant and earned two Michelin stars by 2019.
Albert Adria, Spain
Adria started cooking under the wing of his older brother when he was just 16 years old. While fumbling around in the kitchen for a few years, Adria fell in love with the pastry and dessert side of things. Over the years, Adria opened and closed restaurants, worked as a consultant, and took frequent breaks to figure out his next move. But, recently, he opened a Michelin starred restaurant with his brother that is doing particularly well.
Pierre Gagnaire, France
Gagnaire is one of the most decorated chefs of all time. He has spent the entirety of his career cooking in Paris, earning himself 14 Michelin stars along the way. Recently, he has taken a step back from busy dinner service and is focusing on being a consultant for other restaurant owners in London, Las Vegas, Dubai, Tokyo, Seoul, and Hong Kong.
Quique Dacosta, Spain
Dacosta got his start while working as a dishwasher in a pizza place. From there, his interest in food blossomed into a job at a restaurant called El Poblet at 17. He continued to work there for his entire career, through name changes, menu changes, management changes, all the way until he was offered the restaurant to call his own. He earned three Michelin stars, despite being a poor, self-taught man with no connections.
Eric Pras, France
Pras started his career much like many other male chefs from France. He obtained an apprenticeship when he was 15, and from there he just ran up the ranks. After spending his life in the industry, he took over the 90-year-old Maison Lameloise in Burgundy. The restaurant already had three Michelin stars, and he has held them for the past 10 years.
Gilles Goujon, France
Goujon started working as a cook in his teens when he accidentally stumbled into an apprenticeship with one of the greatest chefs in France at the time. By the time he was 20, he was the assistant head chef at Raguenau, a three Michelin star restaurant. By the time he was 30, Goujon opened his own restaurant in a small town far away from Paris. His goal was to bring people out of the city and feed them locally sourced foods. Over the course of his career, he earned three Michelin stars.
Yoshihiro Murata, Japan
Murata was born into the restaurant industry, his parents owned a fine dining restaurant in Kyoto, Japan. He developed a love for cooking at a young age, and he eventually shipped off to France to study culinary arts. He then returned to Japan and opened his own restaurant. Shortly after that, he opened three more. In total, Murata has achieved seven Michelin stars, among numerous other awards for being a cultural leader in contemporary Japanese cooking.
Sergio Herman, Belgium
Herman grew up on the Netherlands-Belgium border ina seafood restaurant that was owned by his family. When he was old enough, he shipped off to culinary school. Immediately after that, he got a job at a two Michelin star restaurant in Holland. He returned to cooking at his family restaurant, but his new approach didn't sway the locals that had loved the simplicity of the original dishes. However, Michelin took notice and awarded him three stars over the course of three years. He eventually decided to open his own restaurant and return his parent's restaurant back to them. He earned two more Michelin stars, and then another two when he opened his second restaurant.
Bjorn Frantzen, Sweden
Oddly enough, Frantzen was a professional football player before he started to pursue a career in the culinary arts. Before he played football professionally, Frantzen attended culinary school and cooked in the military. When his sports career was over, Frantzen went back to cooking. It wasn't long before he opened his own restaurant. In one year, his restaurant earned a Michelin star, and after the next year, he won his second.
Arnaud Lallement, France
Lallement was born into culinary greatness and essentially became the pupil of his master chef parents the day he was born. Lallement knew he wanted to be a chef by the time he was five years old. When his father unexpectedly passed away, Lallement took over the family restaurant. In the single year after his father's passing, he regained the one Michelin star that the restaurant had lost the year prior, and he got nominated for second soon after.
Michel Guerard, France
Guerard was the top pastry chef in France before he decided to build out on that idea and open his own place in 1965. He fell in love with the daughter of a hotel/spa owner, of which he transformed their on-site restaurant to be a three Michelin star kitchen. His impact on the Parisian culinary world rivals that of all other legends, Guerard just prefers to stay quiet and humble about it.
Daniel Boulud, United States
Boulud got his star in Lyon France at the age of 14. By the time he was 17, he was working in a three Michelin star restaurant in Paris. He worked at three other three-star restaurants before he eventually decided to travel across the pond to New York. There, he worked around at some of the top restaurants before opening his own spot. Over the years, Boulud earned numerous James Beard awards and one Michelin star. Now he owns more than 10 restaurants.
Massimiliano Alajmo, Italy
Alajmo comes from a long line of Italian restauranteurs. When he was old enough, he attended a restaurant management school, and upon graduating, he and his brother took over his family kitchen. By the time he was 28, he earned three Michelin stars. He was the youngest chef to ever earn that many stars.
Daniel Humm, United States
Humm was born in Switzerland, but he relocated to the United States to challenge himself on a culinary journey. He settled in San Francisco, and after he gained a massive amount of critical attention, he started to work on buying the restaurant he worked in. Over his career, Humm has been given seven James Beard awards and three Michelin stars.
Hans Haas, Germany
After working for 30 years in the same kitchen, Haas was able to refine his craft far enough to earn a Michelin star. Two years after he earned his first, he received his second. He focuses on simple, affordable dishes that can be appreciated by any audience.
Stefano Baiocco, Italy
Baiocco has wowed his guests for years with his garden approach to cooking. He focuses on delicate vegetables and leaves, mostly served raw with minimal seasoning. His unique approach to gastronomy earned him three Michelin stars over the course of his career.
Peter Knogl, Switzerland
Knogl grew up working in his grandfather's small restaurant. He never had enough cash to study the craft, so he simply worked his way up through kitchens until he was at the top of the game in Switzerland. Over the course of his career, he has been awarded three Michelin stars.
David Toutain, France
Toutain was a prodigy chef since he began in the industry. He got his start on Chef Alain Passard's kitchen court at the age of 20, by the time he was 23, he practically ran the kitchen. He moved on to other endeavors in Spain and New York City, only to return to France to open his own restaurant. He earned his second Michelin star last year.
Andoni Luis Aduriz, Spain
Aduriz grew up in a small town that touches the Spanish/French border called San Sebastian. This area is called the Basque region, and the cuisine is lovingly called "Basque cuisine." Aduriz had a pretty short culinary career before he opened his own restaurant with a colleague he met while cooking through California. His restaurant, Mugaritz, earned two Michelin stars in 2006, and he has held them since.
Olivier Nasti, France
Nasti began his training late in his life. He got his start in Belfort, France, where he worked under chef Marc Haeberlin. From there, he took the information he learned about creating Michelin star dishes and he opened his own spot. He earned his first Michelin star in 2005, then his second in 2014.
Thomas Keller, United States
Keller grew up in South Florida, where he worked at the same restaurant his mother worked at in Palm Beach. He saved up enough money to move to France, where he took an apprenticeship at a Michelin star restaurant in Paris. After three years, he moved back to the states to open his own restaurant in New York City. From there, he moved to California and made a name for himself at Per Se, a three Michelin star restaurant.
Bruno Oger, France
Oger made it his life goal to become a Michelin starred chef when he was just 12 years old. He apprenticed under numerous French chefs before opening his own restaurant at 29. He earned his first Michelin star in just one year, and his second ten years later.
Hideki Ishikawa, Japan
When Ishikawa was 20 years old, he moved to Tokyo with the intention of working in the fashion industry. He was struggling to find work in the fashion world, so he found a job in a cafe that he only expected to work temporarily. Seventeen years later, he's still working as a chef. But now, he owns his own three Michelin star restaurant.
Paul Pairet, China
Pairet is one of the more interesting three Michelin starred chefs in the world. He was born and trained in France, but his travels led him to Istambul, Sydney, Hong Kong, Madrid, Singapore, and finally, Shanghai. Pairet opened his visionary restaurant in 2015, which has landed him a spot on the world's 50 best restaurant's list every single year.
Angel Leon, Spain
Leon began his career by traveling around Spain to discover local cuisines and ingredients. He then attended hospitality school and moved to Miami shortly after graduating. He decided to move back to Spain to open a chemistry driven kitchen while focusing on ingredients that came from the sea. He currently holds three Michelin stars.
Jacob Jan Boerma, Netherlands
After working at some popular restaurants in the Netherlands, Boerma and his wife decided to open their own place with no former managerial experience. They kept their opening quiet, but on the second day, a representative from the Michelin board dined there. He was gifted his first Michelin star on the third day they were open. Over the years he has been granted three stars, but recently he closed his restaurant to work at a spot in Amsterdam.