Who is the best chef in the world?

As a lover of food, you’ve probably wondered who holds the title of the best chef in the world. While taste in cuisine is subjective, there are individual awards and recognitions to exceptional professional chefs who are the best in their line of work—ever heard of Michelin Star restaurants? Well, there are Michelin chefs as well.

Some top chefs worldwide dedicated their entire careers to earning even just one coveted star in recognition of their culinary skills. While Michelin Starred restaurants typically reach up to three stars, you’ll be of surprise to learn that chefs earn over quadruple that number. Check out some of the best chefs in the world of fine cuisine.

What are Michelin Stars, and how important are they in the culinary world?

The history of Michelin stars comes from the tire manufacturer Michelin that is based in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The company is well-known for its Red (hotels and restaurants) and Green (sites and activities) travel guides. The Michelin Stars found in the Red Michelin Guide are only awarded to the best restaurants in the world.

No one is particularly sure what standards are set for restaurants to earn a star. One star is excellent and worth your while, two stars are even better and worth a detour, but three stars are the main goal because then the restaurant becomes a place worth a unique journey. The guide is in over 24 countries as a prestigious award given to exceptional dining experience.

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Who gives out Michelin Stars?

Only known as The Inspectors, these are the anonymous critics that give out Michelin Stars to both restaurants and chefs. The Inspectors are prohibited from speaking to the press or letting their presence known to be fully immersed in the everyday condition of the restaurant and chefs they are rating. These critics are commonly former chefs who the Michelin Guide officially trains in France.

Who is the highest Michelin star chef?

Joël Robuchon — 32 Stars

Photo Credit: Eater.com

Among the Top 10 Chefs in the world, Joël Robuchon has earned the most Michelin Stars throughout his career. The late French chef and restaurateur passed in 2018 but not before he was crowned as the “Chef of the Century” by the guide Gault Millau in 1989. He was also awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France in cuisine in 1976.

Chef Joël liked to mentor the youngest chefs he could find to pass on his skills and knowledge to the next generation. One of his former proteges? The celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay. The late chef specialized in French cuisine and has 12 restaurants named after his honor, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, located in big cities worldwide.

Best chefs in the world

While only a few can get top star ratings from the Michelin Guide, every chef who has earned their star deserves all the recognition. Hailing from the United States, Asia, the United Kingdom, Australia, Latin America, and all over the world, these chefs have proven time and again that their cooking is worth praising.

Alain Ducasse — 21 Stars

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Considered one of the best chefs globally, Alain Ducasse is the current living chef with the most Michelin Stars. Among his other list of achievements, he is the first chef to own restaurants awarded three Michelin Stars in three different cities.

His specialty is world-class French cuisine, and in 2015, his meals were of delivery to astronauts orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station.

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Gordon Ramsay — 16 Stars

One of the most familiar faces on this list is celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. He is widely known for his hot temper on his famous show Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef.

He owns and is of association with over 20 restaurants all over the world. His main restaurant, Chelsea, has been constantly awarded 3 Michelin Star for the last 18 years.

Martin Berasategui — 12 Stars

More than any other Spanish chef, Martin Berasategui is a 12 Michelin Star chef. The Basque chef earned his first Star at the young age of 25, the Restaurante Martin Berasategui.

The same restaurant has been on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for over six years. Chef Martin is also one of the few chefs with two triple Michelin-star restaurants.

Anne Sophie Pic — 8 Stars

Photo Credit: Eater.com

French chef Anne Sophie Pic holds the record for a female chef with the most Michelin stars. Not only is she among the best chefs in the world, her family’s restaurant, under her leadership, also gained three Stars.

She is not hesitant to share her culinary lineage from Valence with the rest of the world as she continues to open more restaurants in the name of French gastronomy.

Thomas Keller — 7 Stars

While being a Michelin chef may not be such a big deal to Americans, Thomas Keller is the most decorated chef in America in terms of Michelin Stars.

His most famous restaurant, The French Laundry, just celebrated its 25th anniversary and was awarded the best restaurant on the planet on more than one occasion. Chef Thomas’ French-style cooking has also made him an established name in France.

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Seiji Yamamoto — 7 Stars

Photo Credit: Foodion.net

One of the most iconic Japanese chefs in history is Seiji Yamamoto. He is famous for his dedication to learning the science of cooking. Once, he even sent in an eel for a CT scan to better understand its anatomy.

One of Japan’s gastronomic luminaries, Chef Yamamoto, was the first-ever winner of the American Express Icon Award. His specialty is incorporating avant-garde cooking with Japanese traditions.

Heston Blumenthal — 6 Stars

British chef Heston Blumenthal is best for his innovative cooking style. He owns the world-famous Fat Duck, a restaurant in the U.K. Blumenthal, just like Yamamoto, was of fascination with the science of cooking. He even became a fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry to understand the composition and techniques of cooking better stars.

Top Michelin star restaurants

There are over hundreds of Michelin Star restaurants all over the world. Some are famous, while others have a great history with the locals. While France is understandably the place with most Michelin-award restaurants because of the company origin, many countries and big cities are coming in a close second.

Some of the most popular and well-renowned Michelin fine dining restaurants include Robuchon au Dôme in Macau, Fat Duck in the United Kingdom, Central in Peru, Atelier Crenn in California, and Den in Japan.

Some of these places have been around for decades. While some are somewhat new. However, all of them will give you the level of service and cuisine that proves how worthy they are of those Stars.

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Final Thoughts

There are undoubtedly many talented chefs all over the globe. They represent the gastronomy of their country of origin, or they may specialize in the cuisine of another culture apart from their own.

You may think that traveling the world to taste a particular cuisine is a bit too many stars. However, this is a luxurious hobby for many. While not many are widely of recognition by casual diners, many food connoisseurs follow these chefs. They also sing high praises of their work.