Food and Restaurant Movies + TV Series
by FilmCuckoo | created - 24 Nov 2015 | updated - 2 months ago | PublicThis is my constantly expanding list of big screen movies, videos, TV movies or TV miniseries which revolve around food, cooking, gastronomy, kitchen or restaurant life, or where food is just a significant MacGuffin.
Because this is a compilation of films in one very particular subject field, I have chosen to include all titles that are in any way relevant to the culinary arts, being fully aware there are some really bad stinkers among these. However, in contrast, on this list there are also many truly remarkable cinematic masterpieces, which for one reason or another, are either totally unknown or criminally underappreciated.
NOTE: This list does not include any documentaries, cooking demos, game shows or reality TV shows. For obvious reasons all cannibalism related titles are also excluded.
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1. Dinner Rush (2000)
R | 99 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
At a popular NYC Italian restaurant on a dramatic, busy evening, there are 2 gangsters, cop detective, food-critic, ex bookmaker owner, his chef son, indebted gambler sous-chef etc.
Director: Bob Giraldi | Stars: Danny Aiello, Edoardo Ballerini, John Rothman, Frank Bongiorno
Votes: 6,025 | Gross: $0.11M
A true modern classic. Unusually well written screenplay with an incredible ensemble cast. Makers of this movie have managed to show the cooking in exceptionally high quality and standard. For me this is a bit like "The Godfather in the kitchen". Truly undervalued urban cinematic masterpiece.
2. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)
Not Rated | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A senior chef lives with his three grown daughters; the middle one finds her future plans affected by unexpected events and the life changes of the other household members.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Sihung Lung, Kuei-Mei Yang, Wang Yu-wen, Chien-Lien Wu
Votes: 23,185 | Gross: $7.29M
Ang Lee's unforgettable masterpiece, where food and human nature are used as a backbone in one of the best movies ever made. This is a must-see film! - NOTE: After you've seen this one, it will be well worth checking out the Hollywood remake of this film, called "Tortilla Soup" directed by Maria Ripoli.
3. Tampopo (1985)
Not Rated | 114 min | Comedy
A truck driver stops at a small family-run noodle shop and decides to help its fledgling business. The story is intertwined with various vignettes about the relationship of love and food.
Director: Jûzô Itami | Stars: Ken Watanabe, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Koji Yakusho
Votes: 22,545 | Gross: $0.22M
The original, the best, and the mother of all Ramen -movies. This is the movie that started the demand for Japanese food -movies.
4. The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)
PG | 122 min | Comedy, Drama
The Kadam family leaves India for France where they open a restaurant directly across the road from Madame Mallory's Michelin-starred eatery.
Director: Lasse Hallström | Stars: Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, Charlotte Le Bon
Votes: 87,584 | Gross: $54.24M
A really good film! Superb story with fantastic cast. Refreshing, original, fresh concept and wonderfully portrayed clashes of two very different cultures, which from the outlook don't seem to have nothing in common, except for the fact that good food is good, no matter which culture it hails from. Highly recommended, you will not be disappointed!
5. The Chef (2012)
PG-13 | 84 min | Comedy, Drama
A veteran chef faces off against his restaurant group's new CEO, who wants to the establishment to lose a star from its rating in order to bring in a younger chef who specializes in molecular gastronomy.
Director: Daniel Cohen | Stars: Jean Reno, Michaël Youn, Raphaëlle Agogué, Julien Boisselier
Votes: 18,153 | Gross: $0.34M
This movie takes a hilarious attitude towards molecular-cooking. Jean Reno's and Michel Youn's double drag act scene is the funniest such cinematic performance since Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in "Some Like it Hot". You just can't stop laughing - this slipping noodle eating sequence could seriously split your sides!
6. Vatel (2000)
PG-13 | 103 min | Biography, Drama, History
Vatel is the cook of Prince Condé. When the prince invites Louis XIV to hunt, he has to give lavish banquets in order to fall in his favor. But when Vatel falls in love with the king's mistress, love and duty come into conflict.
Director: Roland Joffé | Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Julian Glover
Votes: 8,253 | Gross: $0.05M
Fictionalized yet based on a real life story of a real person and an actual historical event - the last extravagant 3-day banquet held at the famous Château Chantilly for the benefit of King Louis XIV and his entire Versailles court entourage, carefully orchestrated behind the scenes by François Vatel, a legendary Maître d'Hôtel, who worked for Louis XIV's cousin, and the owner of Château Chantilly, Prince of Condé-Bourbon, shortly after Vatel's previous employer, the infamous Nicolas Fouquet was convicted and thrown in jail for embezzling on an unprecedented scale from the French State.
Here's a piece of Trivia: François Vatel is often, but erroneously cited as the inventor of Chantilly Cream.
7. The Lunchbox (2013)
PG | 104 min | Drama, Romance
A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system connects a young housewife to an older man in the dusk of his life as they build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox.
Director: Ritesh Batra | Stars: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Lillete Dubey
Votes: 60,845 | Gross: $4.23M
A Fantastic Indian masterpiece with a refreshingly original and novel approach to anything but a traditional love story. Also, worth pointing out the very simple, yet complicated backbone of the story: India's "Dabba" food delivery system is well known for being the most effective and error-free organization in the World! The fact that the love story depicted in this movie happens only because of that 0,01% error margin, says it all. This is truly a must see film!
8. Burnt (I) (2015)
R | 101 min | Comedy, Drama
Adam Jones is a chef who destroyed his career with drugs and diva behavior. He cleans up and returns to London, determined to redeem himself by spearheading a top restaurant that can gain three Michelin stars.
Director: John Wells | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Daniel Brühl, Riccardo Scamarcio
Votes: 132,826 | Gross: $13.65M
Another surprise! Really well written story which is almost brutally honest about the madness that is in reality attached to a game of chasing the coveted Michelin star, and how destructive life-destroying process it can be. Includes a major surprise plot twist, which is truly a massive jaw dropper! I mean, if anyone would claim they guessed the plot twist in advance, I would be inclined to say they are either lying or they have a unusually remarkable gift of perception. Producers include Gordon Ramsay and Mario Batali and it shows revealingly in the dishes, which are heavily influenced by low fat modern French Haut Cuisine, well known to be favored by both Ramsay and Batali.
9. Big Night (1996)
R | 109 min | Drama, Romance
New Jersey, 1950s. Two brothers run an Italian restaurant. Business is not going well as a rival Italian restaurant is out-competing them. In a final effort to save the restaurant, the brothers plan to put on an evening of incredible food.
Directors: Campbell Scott, Stanley Tucci | Stars: Tony Shalhoub, Stanley Tucci, Marc Anthony, Larry Block
Votes: 22,820 | Gross: $11.88M
Stanley Tucci's and Tony Shalhoub's cult classic dinner movie. Presents many lesser known Italian food masterpieces. The entire plot device and sequence involving the planning and making one of their signature specialty, "Timpana" is in its simplicity a truly remarkable featured eye candy, that will make you want to get into the kitchen as soon as possible!
10. Cook Up a Storm (2017)
98 min | Comedy, Drama
A Cantonese street cook and his chief rival, a French-trained Michelin-starred chef, discover they have a lot in common as they prepare for a world-famous culinary competition. An ... See full summary »
Director: Wai-Man Yip | Stars: Nicholas Tse, You Ge, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Jung Yong-hwa
Votes: 3,051
Truly an unexpected surprise of how good this film turned out to be! The cooking and food in this film are shown in exquisite standards. And what's even better, they are showing us at the same time both Chinese higher classic cooking and modern French fusion at its best! -As in most world cinemas, Chinese cinema has its own conventions and visual styles, which can be a bit overpowering and obfuscating for inexperienced western audiences, but for once they are really done with tastefully and without exaggerating too much, so it won't really bother in the course of the film all that much. Cooking shown is highly inventive, and most of the dishes have a distinct and easily recognizable influence from Heston Blumenthal's, Ferrano Adrià's and Rene Redzepi's molecular cooking styles. As it has been said: All cooking is basically just chemistry and how well we know it.
11. Ratatouille (2007)
G | 111 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous Paris restaurant.
Directors: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava | Stars: Brad Garrett, Lou Romano, Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm
Votes: 824,540 | Gross: $206.45M
Animated food has never looked so good! Surprisingly realistic portrayal of how the kitchen brigade system actually works. Also some of the misogyny in professional kitchens portrayed in this film, is very realistic and unfortunately true, especially in French kitchens, where female chefs are a true rarity.
12. Tortilla Soup (2001)
PG-13 | 102 min | Comedy, Romance, Drama
A Mexican-American master chef and father to three daughters has lost his taste for food, but not for life.
Director: Maria Ripoll | Stars: Hector Elizondo, Jacqueline Obradors, Tamara Mello, Jude Herrera
Votes: 5,279 | Gross: $4.45M
This is an American remake of Ang Lee's "Yin shi nan nu" ("Eat Drink Man Woman"), now moved into L.A. Mexican-American family surroundings, and it works pretty well, doesn't have anything to be ashamed of when compared to Ang Lee's original masterpiece.
13. Chef (2014)
R | 114 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A head chef quits his restaurant job and buys a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family.
Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman
Votes: 231,652 | Gross: $31.42M
Surprisingly good, optimistic and realistic food movie. If you don't start craving for a "Cubana" after watching this... -then there is something really wrong with your appetite. This movie also manages to lift in status such humble dish as "Grilled Cheese Sandwich" - by explaining precisely how it SHOULD be done, when done properly.
14. Mr. Church (2016)
PG-13 | 104 min | Comedy, Drama
"Mr. Church" tells the story of a unique friendship that develops when a little girl and her dying mother retain the services of a talented cook - Henry Joseph Church. What begins as a six month arrangement instead spans into fifteen years and creates a family bond that lasts forever.
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Britt Robertson, Natascha McElhone, Xavier Samuel
Votes: 31,241 | Gross: $0.69M
Superbly written story, one of the best screenplays I have ever seen. This film oozes eccentrics, without being too distracting nor does it slip into surrealism. Eddie Murphy manages to convince in his role which is very different from his usual repertoire. We don't even get to hear his famous laughter, as the comedy in this movie is very toned down, and so is the entire plot, which has obviously been given some sort a special treatment in which all distractions and possible sources of conflicts, which could have altered the way this story is being told. All clear references to things like race issues, alcoholism, cancer, death and such are not discussed at any point, not even referenced in anyway, even when they're glaringly obvious, preventing any of it coming up as points of discussion. For a story supposedly based on real life, this is a bit strange self-censorship, but I admit it also does help telling the story it wants to tell in a very focused - yet overtly sanitized and unpolished way. Yes, it is a weird and baffling choice, which really is very hard to understand. However, my personal opinion is that this is one of the best American movies released in the past 20 years! Critics really, really, really hated this film, but all I can say is that please ignore what most of the professional critics have said about this film they obviously didn't even want to understand. Cooking in this film is presented extremely thoughtfully, which presents a refined style of home cooking with typical Southern flavor. Highly recommended film to all film and food lovers!
15. The Founder (2016)
PG-13 | 115 min | Biography, Drama
The story of Ray Kroc, a salesman who turned two brothers' innovative fast food eatery, McDonald's, into the biggest restaurant business in the world, with a combination of ambition, persistence, and ruthlessness.
Director: John Lee Hancock | Stars: Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Linda Cardellini
Votes: 177,166 | Gross: $12.79M
Those who are not familiar with the history of McDonald's, this will be a learning experience of how one of the worst examples of American corporate greed was born. All in all... This is a very good film, however the way the story is presented, there are plenty of unforgivable gaps and time lapses, and for those reasons, the normal character development looks like it has been discarded, which is a real shame, because it is so obvious there would have been much, much more to tell regarding all the main characters. The very unscrupulous manifestation of greed which comes out on top, is brought vividly forward by Michael Keaton, who is perfectly cast as Ray Kroc. His feverish, almost deadpan delivery works especially well in this context.
16. East Side Sushi (2014)
PG | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
An immigrant single mother disenfranchised by her regular life decides to take a chance working at a Japanese restaurant and realises her dreams to become a sushi chef to provide a better future to her family.
Director: Anthony Lucero | Stars: Diana Elizabeth Torres, Yutaka Takeuchi, Rodrigo Duarte Clark, Kaya Jade Aguirre
Votes: 4,585 | Gross: $3.50M
One more surprise find. For a small budget indie movie, this is just too good to be true! - The story has a sense of novelty, even though it has few too much used cliches, but still it manages to impress with its sense of realism. Low key of the film is its soundtrack, which is minimal, and mainly just manages to irritate. Also, acting is at points abysmal. I can only imagine what they could have accomplished with a large budget. As for indie movies, this is a must see!
17. Midnight Diner (2014)
119 min | Comedy, Drama
A cook opens a restaurant that only serves from midnight till dawn. One day, he discovers an obituary urn. Follow the stories of his regulars tangled around this urn.
Director: Joji Matsuoka | Stars: Kaoru Kobayashi, Saki Takaoka, Tokio Emoto, Mikako Tabe
Votes: 2,514
Yet another surprise find! Turned out to be way much better than expected, with completely original take on restaurant, food and humanity. Based on a Japanese TV-series, which is truly quirky and a bit weird, even in Japanese standards!
18. Haute Cuisine (2012)
PG-13 | 95 min | Biography, Comedy
The story of Danièle Delpeuch and how she was appointed as the private chef for François Mitterrand.
Director: Christian Vincent | Stars: Catherine Frot, Arthur Dupont, Jean d'Ormesson, Hippolyte Girardot
Votes: 6,863 | Gross: $0.21M
Really interesting story, seriously nice presentation of some of the most simple of the French classics, such as "Black Truffles on Toast".
19. A Tale of Samurai Cooking: A True Love Story (2013)
122 min | Drama, History
During the Edo Period of Japan, an excellent cook marries the heir to a renowned cooking family. However, her husband is a terrible chef. With the help of her new mother-in-law, she begins to teach him the ways of the culinary arts.
Director: Yûzô Asahara | Stars: Aya Ueto, Kengo Kôra, Kimiko Yo, Riko Narumi
Votes: 573
Another fantastic mixing of well established genres, a Jidaigeki-samurai-food movie... First of it's kind.
20. The Big Feast (1973)
NC-17 | 130 min | Comedy, Drama
A group of men go to a villa in the French countryside where they resolve to eat themselves to death.
Director: Marco Ferreri | Stars: Marcello Mastroianni, Michel Piccoli, Philippe Noiret, Ugo Tognazzi
Votes: 14,697
I expected this one to be more like "Delicatessen", an exploration into world of surreal, but found instead a marvelous pastiche, which dives unafraid into the depths of hedonistic, unrepentant, ultimate pinnacle of seeking culinary and gastronomic pleasure, without any consideration for ethics or thinking if it has "too many calories". Vegans, this movie is definitely not for you.. they suck too many bone marrows and eat "soft-eyed deers" in this one!
21. Chocolat (2000)
PG-13 | 121 min | Drama, Romance
A French woman and her young daughter open up a chocolate shop in a small remote village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community.
Director: Lasse Hallström | Stars: Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina
Votes: 201,930 | Gross: $71.51M
Focuses more on the delights of confectionery, but still a good one. One of Johnny Depp's best.
22. Food Luck (2020)
104 min | Drama
Yoshito Sato grew up with his mother Yasue after his father passed away. His mother ran a yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurant that his father had left behind. Yoshito enjoyed eating his ... See full summary »
Director: Jimon Terakado | Stars: Chizuru Azuma, Hakuryû, Ken Ishiguro, Miwako Kakei
Votes: 154
Food and restaurant movies are very popular subjects in Japanese film and television industry, so therefore its not that surprising to find a Japanese film which concentrates only on one narrow niche of Japanese cuisine. This film is about "Yakiniku", where customers grill the carefully prepared meat themselves right on the grill inserted on the table in front of them. This has a good an interesting story arc, and like so many other Japanese films, teaches the viewer a lot about Japanese food and food culture. Highly recommended film!
23. Delicatessen (1991)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Crime
Post-apocalyptic surrealist black comedy about the landlord of an apartment building who occasionally prepares a delicacy for his odd tenants.
Directors: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Marie-Laure Dougnac, Dominique Pinon, Pascal Benezech, Jean-Claude Dreyfus
Votes: 90,027 | Gross: $1.79M
On the realm of surreal existentialist films, you will either love or hate this, depending on your level of understanding abstract concepts. Includes a "surprise" plot twist involving food.
24. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989)
NC-17 | 124 min | Crime, Drama
At Le Hollandais gourmet restaurant, every night is filled with opulence, decadence and gluttony. But when the cook, a thief, his wife and her lover all come together, they unleash a shocking torrent of sex, food, murder and revenge.
Director: Peter Greenaway | Stars: Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren, Alan Howard
Votes: 41,731 | Gross: $7.72M
Includes a plot twist which won't come out as any major surprise to anyone watching the film. Soooooooooooo predictable.
25. Udon (2006)
134 min | Comedy, Drama
A dramedy about the relationship between an aspiring comic and his stubborn noodlemaker father.
Director: Katsuyuki Motohiro | Stars: Yûsuke Santamaria, Manami Konishi, Tortoise Matsumoto, Takeshi Masu
Votes: 466
This movie is very good as a comedy, and on the side explains everything in-and-between you have ever wanted to know about noodles.
26. The Ramen Girl (2008)
PG-13 | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An American woman is stranded in Tokyo after breaking up with her boyfriend. Searching for direction in life, she trains to be a râmen chef under a tyrannical Japanese master.
Director: Robert Allan Ackerman | Stars: Brittany Murphy, Toshiyuki Nishida, Tammy Blanchard, Soji Arai
Votes: 11,097
What ever one might think of Brittany Murphy's so called "acting skills" - This is still a very good movie, that could have been so much better with a better actress who possibly could have even shown just a little bit more interest for the subject at hand.
27. The Chef of South Polar (2009)
125 min | Comedy, Drama
Nishimura has a passion for cooking, but never would he have imagined the task before him now: He is unexpectedly assigned to a south polar mission to serve as head chef at the Dome Fuji ... See full summary »
Director: Shûichi Okita | Stars: Kengo Kôra, Masato Sakai, Kôsuke Toyohara, Katsuhisa Namase
Votes: 1,550
Classic High-End cuisine under the extreme conditions. Another first of its kind, and a very good one at that.
28. Mostly Martha (2001)
PG | 109 min | Comedy, Romance, Drama
When a headstrong chef takes charge of her equally stubborn 8-year-old niece, the tensions between them mount... until an Italian sous-chef arrives to lighten the mood.
Director: Sandra Nettelbeck | Stars: Martina Gedeck, Maxime Foerste, Sergio Castellitto, August Zirner
Votes: 8,566 | Gross: $4.16M
Really good, manages to capture the essence of the art of cooking perfectly. (The American remake of this, with Catherine Zeta-Jones doesn't really stand any comparison with this superb original.)
29. Delicious (2021)
112 min | Comedy, Drama, History
France, 1789, just before the Revolution. With the help of a surprising talented young woman, a chef who has been sacked by his noble master finds the strength to free himself from his position as a servant and opens the first ever restaurant.
Director: Éric Besnard | Stars: Grégory Gadebois, Isabelle Carré, Benjamin Lavernhe, Guillaume de Tonquédec
Votes: 5,640
This film reminded me once again, that French filmmakers really do understand the process and the medium much more maturely than their American counterparts. When many young American directors quite obviously seem to get some sort of enjoyment out of torturing movie goers, the French directors and screenwriters really understand the meaning of emotional pay-off for the viewer, which too many of the American "wanna-be auteurs" do not seem to grasp. This is an excellent piece of classic cinema - HIGHLY recommended!
30. Hunger (II) (2023)
TV-MA | 146 min | Drama, Thriller
A woman running her family's noodle restaurant receives an invitation to join the fine-dining industry under the tutelage of an infamous chef.
Director: Sitisiri Mongkolsiri | Stars: Nopachai Chaiyanam, Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, Emilio Ferreira, Alex Gravenstein
Votes: 16,536
This movie was yet another real surprise, as I can't remember seeing a food related film from Thailand before. Couldn't find any other, when searched, but I may need to do later a more meticulous search. This movie can give the viewer an eerie feeling "I have seen this before" - So, thematically this is in all likeliness very true. However this movie is one of the very few food films, where the high end cuisine and its often unseen sheer madness, brutality, pretentiousness, and authentic questions of the real value of high end cuisine is shown in light of - however diluted - sense of realism. Even when at a certain point of watching this film you very strongly feel that you can guess the course of the plot and the obvious but elusive ending, you might still get one or more unexpected plot twists. Not to take anything away from the obvious and logical ending, which unfortunately is too easy to guess in advance, this still provides a viewer a sense of rewarding film experience. I am not really all that familiar with Thai-cuisine, but I did recognize the definite influence of French modern fusion into ethnic food. As in most South East Asian cuisines, a wok is a base foundation for much of the cooking, and this is clearly shown in its more advanced and innovative ways - this is something that amateur home cooks could easily take something to try if they happen to use a wok from time to time. Wok is not an easy cooking vessel to master, and this film proves this.
31. Fast Food Nation (2006)
R | 116 min | Comedy, Drama
An examination of the health risks involved in the fast food industry as well as its environmental and social consequences.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Greg Kinnear, Bruce Willis, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Wilmer Valderrama
Votes: 25,145 | Gross: $1.00M
Quite an interesting film, which loses some of its potential for failing to take full advantage of a delicious recipe for a comedy, which has turned this movie into slightly unnervingly standard drama, however ensemble piece, this is. What makes this film look and feel like an unfinished movie, is much thanks to a bit underdeveloped script, which would have had a lot more punch to it with slightly more thoughtful writing.
32. Mio's Cookbook (2020)
131 min | Drama
When Mio was young, she lost her parents in a great flood and also became separated from her best friend Noe. Afterwards, Mio found her talent in cooking and eventually became a cook. ... See full summary »
Director: Haruki Kadokawa | Stars: Honoka Matsumoto, Nao Honda, Mayumi Wakamura, Atsuko Asano
Votes: 366
Another modern Japanese period piece entirely focused on food. Not quite as good screenplay as "A Tale of Samurai Cooking: A True Love Story" (2013) - But it does have an interesting story, which may be a bit weird for those who are not all that familiar with Japanese culture, history and certain conventions.
33. Chef's Special (2008)
Not Rated | 111 min | Comedy, Romance
Javier Cámara (Talk to Her) stars as Chef Maxi, a culinary genius/drama queen with too much on his plate.
Director: Nacho G. Velilla | Stars: Javier Cámara, Lola Dueñas, Fernando Tejero, Benjamín Vicuña
Votes: 2,242
The food and the restaurant serve only as a backstory, and this movie doesn't concentrate all too much on the food aspect, as the main focus is on the problematic relationships between family, employees and customers, plus there's the gay angle, which does produce some surprisingly well played comedy, and sets a lighthearted over all mood.
34. When Do We Eat? (2005)
R | 86 min | Comedy
A family's Passover gets screwy after the patriarch unknowingly ingests a hit of Ecstasy.
Director: Salvador Litvak | Stars: Lesley Ann Warren, Michael Lerner, Shiri Appleby, Jack Klugman
Votes: 1,539 | Gross: $0.43M
A delightful surprise! Quirky, lighthearted, funny and for a change, a truly original movie, which draws a lot of comedy from Jewish customs and rituals, which also means that viewer who is not familiar with Jewish traditions, may struggle understanding the movie and most of the jokes. With all that in mind, this is still worth watching! Michael Lerner is absolutely hilarious in this one!
35. I Served the King of England (2006)
R | 113 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A look at the glamorous life at an old-world Prague hotel.
Director: Jirí Menzel | Stars: Ivan Barnev, Oldrich Kaiser, Julia Jentsch, Marián Labuda
Votes: 8,192 | Gross: $0.62M
One of the better czech films I have seen for a long time, the last really good czech film was "Dark Blue Sky". This is a bit quirky, however well written with a sense of true originality, which at least for me reminded me for some reason films like "Forrest Gump" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". Some of the food presented in this movie is stunningly brilliant, which are easy to recognize by most food lovers, such as breaded veal cutlets, venison in mustard sauce... etc.
36. Mediterranean Food (2009)
102 min | Comedy, Romance
Sofia's story, the best chef the world, and the two men who helped her to become a legend.
Director: Joaquín Oristrell | Stars: Olivia Molina, Paco León, Alfonso Bassave, Carmen Balagué
Votes: 1,170
One of the better Spanish made food movies, which in this case doesn't really surprise, as the advisors for this movie are from "El Bulli" and "Celler de Can Roca", both selected number of times as the best restaurant in the world - and it shows in this movie. The plot is slightly odd, and very slightly annoying, but I put much of this to way that Olivia Molina plays her lead role. I can't help, but wonder, would another Spanish actress have performed better... such as Candela Pena or Penelope Cruz. Still... not bad movie at all.
37. The Emperor's Cook (2015)
54 min | Biography, Drama, History
A young man named Akiyama Tokuzo cannot find his passion for living. One day he tasted meat cutlet for the first time and have been absorbed to learn about Western style cuisine. He set out... See full summary »
Stars: Takeru Satoh, Haru Kuroki, Sei Ashina, Ryû Morioka
Votes: 733
A true story following the life development of Tokuzo Akiyama, a real legend in Japan, the very first Japanese born French Cooking Academy graduate, who worked several decades for the Japanese emperor Hirohito. Interesting evolution story, which unfortunately carries totally unnecessary love story on the side, which is not helped even when Akiyama's love interest is played by Haru Kuroki, one of the most talented Japanese actresses of all time.
38. Lampaansyöjät (1972)
96 min | Comedy, Drama
Valtteri and Sepe, two ordinary white-collar guys from southern Finland drive up north to implement a plan they've been hatching for months. Because they simply love the taste of lamb, ... See full summary »
Director: Seppo Huunonen | Stars: Leo Lastumäki, Heikki Kinnunen, Pentti Auer, Elina Hoffrén
Votes: 484
A classic Finnish film from 1972, which is very much a black comedy about obsession for cooking and eating lamb - and particularly a lamb which has been acquired using only illegal methods - in another words: by stealing or poaching! And because this is a Finnish film, a lot of heavy drinking on the side is also to be expected. It is worth considering, that if this film would have been released outside Finland in the 1970s, it would have become a world cult classic! Sadly, it is still virtually unknown outside of Nordic film buff community. Weirdly, some critics have called this movie a heist film - probably because there are hilarious scenes involving elaborate schemes and careful planning how to get this much coveted food product, and exaggerated fears of getting caught - which, as the viewer will notice, is very much part of the thrill.
39. Bread of Happiness (2012)
114 min | Comedy, Drama
Young married couple Rie and Sang move from Tokyo to Lake Toya in Hokkaido Prefecture to start a bakery restaurant named Mani. Sang bakes bread and Rie makes food. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, the customers leave in a happy state.
Director: Yukiko Mishima | Stars: Tomoyo Harada, Yô Ôizumi, Kanna Moriya, Yûta Hiraoka
Votes: 765
Bake yourself to Happiness! A super heart warming audiovisual experience, which leaves no-one out cold!
40. Le Grand Chef (2007)
113 min | Comedy, Drama
A young, incredibly talented chef quits the profession after a contest to head a world-class restaurant ends in tragedy. Retiring to a small rural town with his grandfather, he finds a new ... See full summary »
Director: Yun-su Jeon | Stars: Kim Kang-woo, Im Won-hee, Lee Hana, Maeng Bong-hak
Votes: 702
First ever Korean food related movie. Slightly disappointing and highly predictable story line.
41. Today's Special (2009)
R | 99 min | Comedy
In this super-feel-good foodie comedy, young Manhattan chef Samir rediscovers his heritage and his passion for life through the enchanting art of cooking Indian food.
Director: David Kaplan | Stars: Dean Winters, Aarti Mann, Kevin Corrigan, Jess Weixler
Votes: 6,733 | Gross: $0.40M
Didn't quite live up to the expectations. Could have been a lot better with more deeper story, and further character development. Now it just leaves a bland taste in mouth...
42. Ramen Samurai (2011)
116 min | Comedy, Drama
Hikari (Dai Watanabe) receives news that his father passed away. Hikari decides to take over his father's ramen shop. To do so, Hikari quits his job at a design company and goes back to his... See full summary »
Director: Naoki Segi | Stars: Satoshi Izumi, Dai Watanabe, Sayaka Yamaguchi
Votes: 70
Râmen comedy, where the most fun stuff is drawn from the flashback sequences, portraying our antagonist's father, who "just happens" to be a psychotic drunk running a popular Râmen stall.
43. The Song of Lunch (2010 TV Movie)
50 min | Drama, Romance
A London publisher recounts a lunchtime reunion with a former lover, in poetic monologue.
Director: Niall MacCormick | Stars: Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Andi Soric, Siubhan Harrison
Votes: 2,537
Charmingly different, original story with brilliant acting all around. Alan Rickman does one of his greatest roles in this dialogue and narrative driven film poem, where eating experience has been simplified to the extreme, making underlines for how people really eat (and drink) while having dinners at restaurants. Recommended without a reserve.
44. Sweet Bean (2015)
Not Rated | 113 min | Drama
Burdened with a heavy and ever-increasing debt, a dorayaki baker hires a kind ageing woman, after tasting her delicious surprise. Little by little, she unravels her beautiful inner world. Could she be holding the secret to his success?
Director: Naomi Kawase | Stars: Kirin Kiki, Masatoshi Nagase, Kyara Uchida, Miki Mizuno
Votes: 12,702 | Gross: $0.12M
Slightly depressing and a truly tragic story, which is amazingly based on a true story. A very good art-house movie. A legendary Japanese actress, Kiki Kirin makes a truly magnificent role as the main character, whose fact based tragic story won't leave anyone with dry eyes, after the film ends.
45. Soul Kitchen (2009)
99 min | Comedy, Drama
In Hamburg, German-Greek chef Zinos unknowingly disturbs the peace in his locals-only restaurant by hiring a more talented chef.
Director: Fatih Akin | Stars: Adam Bousdoukos, Moritz Bleibtreu, Pheline Roggan, Anna Bederke
Votes: 40,428 | Gross: $0.27M
Truly interesting, original story, which is partially ruined with idiotic dialogue and seriously bad acting. Having spouted this harsh criticism for the acting, I must in contrast also inform that cinematography and set design are stunningly superb in this film, without even a tiny bit of exaggeration, the film is in that sense pure eye candy, which in turn creates a weird and confusing feeling for the viewer. In all honesty - I just can't think of even one positive thing to say about any of the actors, who just don't seem to care at all what their performances look like. If I had to guess - I would at least suspect there have been some real issues between the director and the cast. Maybe it's just easier to put the blame on the directors shoulders? Because what is perfectly clear is that someone needs to be blamed for this very much wasted opportunity for a really good film.
46. Shiawase no kaori (2008)
124 min | Drama
Takako starts to work as an apprentice at a Chinese restaurant. Her boss Wang Qing Kuo is a short-tempered cook and although they don't get along well in the beginning, they gradually become friends while Takako's cooking skill develops.
Director: Mitsuhiro Mihara | Stars: Miki Nakatani, Tatsuya Fuji, Sei Hiraizumi, Hôka Kinoshita
Votes: 185
Wok yourself to happiness! The basics of Chinese cooking in Japan - Interesting and well written story.
47. My Dinner with Andre (1981)
PG | 110 min | Comedy, Drama
Two old friends meet for dinner; as one tells anecdotes detailing his experiences, the other notices their differing worldviews.
Director: Louis Malle | Stars: Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn, Jean Lenauer, Roy Butler
Votes: 25,764 | Gross: $5.25M
Eat-talk-talk-eat-talk-eat-talk-talk-talk-eat. That pretty much summarizes this movie, and somehow it works so well! A classic among all dialogue-movies.
48. Spanglish (2004)
PG-13 | 131 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A woman and her daughter emigrate from Mexico for a better life in America, where they start working for a family whose patriarch is a newly celebrated chef with an insecure wife.
Director: James L. Brooks | Stars: Adam Sandler, Téa Leoni, Paz Vega, Cloris Leachman
Votes: 88,534 | Gross: $42.73M
Not a bad movie, although the food isn't the main focus, it only serves as a background story, yet there are couple of brief scenes of actual cooking in the restaurant kitchen - however the food they are shown cooking is not the same they are later eating... :-D
49. A Chef in Love (1996)
PG-13 | 100 min | Comedy, Romance
The story of Pascal Ichak, a larger-than-life French traveller, bon vivant, and chef, who falls in love with Georgia and a Georgian princess in the early 1920s. All is well until the ... See full summary »
Director: Nana Dzhordzhadze | Stars: Pierre Richard, Nino Kirtadze, Micheline Presle, Jean-Yves Gautier
Votes: 818 | Gross: $0.60M
Not a bad movie at all, the story is very unique type, and quite charming, however, like so many other this type of films, it fails to fulfill its potential for a great classic.
50. No Reservations (2007)
PG | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The life of a top chef changes when she becomes the guardian of her young niece.
Director: Scott Hicks | Stars: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin, Patricia Clarkson
Votes: 78,781 | Gross: $43.11M
This an American remake of the original German made "Bella Martha" a.k.a. "Mostly Martha" (2001) - They've also changed the story, removing some of the key moments from the original German film. Catherine Zeta-Jones is as obnoxious as usual.
51. La cena (1998)
126 min | Comedy, Drama
A multitude of characters face personal problems while having dinner in a roman restaurant.
Director: Ettore Scola | Stars: Fanny Ardant, Antonio Catania, Francesca d'Aloja, Riccardo Garrone
Votes: 1,362
An Italian conversation filled dinner movie, where the main focus is not in the food, but in the diners interaction with each other, while they are eating very typical Italian dishes of Lazio region. Not a bad movie at all, but they could have gotten much more out of this, by using food as a more involving plot device. Acting is top form, and so is the direction. The screenplay is a bit dull and somehow routine, but still, this movie is really good for Saturday or Sunday afternoon matinee entertainment - A really good appetizer for a grandiose lunch.
52. The Slammin' Salmon (2009)
R | 99 min | Comedy
The owner of a Miami restaurant indebted to the mob institutes a contest to see what waiter can earn the most money in one night.
Director: Kevin Heffernan | Stars: Michael Clarke Duncan, Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Jeff Chase
Votes: 15,521 | Gross: $0.04M
Wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. This movie does have few authentically funny gags, lots of slapstick and sight gags, but the plot is plain, unimpressive and border-lining dumb. However, worth a watch, unless you don't have anything else to watch. Food is not in anyway in the main focus, the waiters and the customers are.
53. A Boy and His Samurai (2010)
108 min | Comedy
After praying for a new job, a samurai is transported through time to today's Japan.
Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura | Stars: Shioli Kutsuna, Ryô Nishikido, Hitomi Satô, Keisuke Horibe
Votes: 684
Silly as a fish riding a bicycle, but somehow they have managed to get this working... -just barely!
54. Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978)
PG | 112 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
One by one, the greatest Chefs in Europe are being killed. Each chef murdered in the same manner that their own special dish is prepared in. Food critics and the (many) self-proclaimed greatest Chefs in Europe demand the mystery be solved.
Director: Ted Kotcheff | Stars: George Segal, Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Morley, Jean-Pierre Cassel
Votes: 2,603
Who-dunnit involving the world of cuisine- Yet another first of its kind. Entertaining, though... -although, because of the 'who-dunnit' motif, wouldn't necessarily enjoy watching this the 2nd time, knowing (and remembering) the end solution, which is also slightly too predictable for an experienced movie enthusiast.
55. Love's Kitchen (2011)
PG-13 | 93 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rob Haley (Dougray Scott), an up-and-coming chef and restaurateur in London, is grief-stricken when he loses his wife. With encouragement from his infamous friend and real life TV Chef ... See full summary »
Director: James Hacking | Stars: Dougray Scott, Sarah Sharman, Katrine De Candole, Lee Boardman
Votes: 3,785
Not really a "great" film - still worth a watch, though. Includes a semi-hilarious cameo appearance by Gordon Ramsay, who cannot act even to save his life - can be described only as embarrassing. So much for trying to be yourself on film, and be natural...
56. Just Desserts (2004 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 92 min | Comedy, Romance
Marco Poloni's family owns a bakery in the Bronx and it seems that they have fallen on hard times and his family is considering selling the bakery. Marco then decides to enter a baking ... See full summary »
Director: Kevin Connor | Stars: Lauren Holly, Costas Mandylor, Dorie Barton, Andy Lauer
Votes: 1,300
Makes good use of the natural chemistry between Lauren Holly and Costas Mandylor, which has been proven to work so well in "Picket Fences". Slightly neglects the food side of things, when sorting out their feelings towards each other.
57. Trattoria (I) (2012)
Not Rated | 82 min | Comedy
This funny and heartwarming dramedy set in the exciting San Francisco culinary scene follows Sal Sartini, a workaholic chef who must repair the bond he had with his son before he risks losing everything again.
Director: Jason Wolos | Stars: Tony Denison, John Patrick Amedori, Kandis Fay, Lisa Rotondi
Votes: 202
This film could have had a lot going for it, but turned out to be near rubbish in every aspect, except the visuals regarding cooking Italian food, which in turn is nothing new or creative, actually making hurt to my sense of taste. Completely unexplained, abrupt interruptions of utterly useless documentary clips in regular intervals, not only destroyed the little of this movie could have offered, but on top of all, have absolutely NOTHING to do with the movie, or its boring, cliche-filled pointless plot. Undoubtedly these completely unnecessary documentary clips were put there to extend the length of this already useless food movie, because without those clips, this would have been barely a 60 minute movie. What a waste of film! -None of the actors seem to have any motivation, and who ever wrote this, is a complete amateur, who should use his/her 'talent' writing dog food commercials. Not a good film, however not the worst food movie I've seen, either.
58. Patisserie Coin De Rue (2011)
115 min | Drama
A film about mouthwatering desserts and the journey of a cake-maker's daughter from Kagoshima to Tokyo, as she finds herself in the company of a legendary former patissier.
Director: Yoshihiro Fukagawa | Stars: Yôsuke Eguchi, Yû Aoi, Urara Awata, Nathan Berg
Votes: 344
Another pastry-confectionery type of food film. Just barely interesting story, which is pretty standard, and won't bring any "big" emotions to surface. Wouldn't want to watch a second time.
59. Kamome shokudô (2006)
102 min | Comedy, Drama
Where are we welcome? On a quiet street in Helsinki, Sachie has opened a diner featuring rice balls. For a month she has no customers. Then, in short order, she has her first customer, ... See full summary »
Director: Naoko Ogigami | Stars: Satomi Kobayashi, Hairi Katagiri, Masako Motai, Jarkko Niemi
Votes: 2,722
Japanese restaurant in Helsinki, Finland - most definitely a very original and unique story, which makes this worth a watch! However, overall look and feel is very amateurish, and one could say very Kaurismäki -styled, which does work, if you have a penchant for this type of art-house auteur films.
60. Shokudo katatsumuri (2010)
118 min | Drama
After a bad breakup, a young woman returns to her hometown and opens a menuless restaurant.
Director: Mai Tominaga | Stars: Leon Shibli Ahmad, Kyôko Enami, Hikari Mitsushima, Tomokazu Miura
Votes: 237
Disappointing. The story is so bonkers and meaningless, doesn't make any sense at any point - Creates more questions than answers them, and on top of that you are made to feel really bad for the antagonist of this film, "Rinco", who is so sweet and lovable, but still manages to get the raw end of things.
61. Waitress (2007)
PG-13 | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Jenna is a pregnant, unhappily married waitress in the deep south. She meets a newcomer to her town and falls into an unlikely relationship as a last attempt at happiness.
Director: Adrienne Shelly | Stars: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Jeremy Sisto, Cheryl Hines
Votes: 48,818 | Gross: $19.07M
Story is quite boring, could have been a really good, if there would have been more sensible dialogue and at least on some level believable story behind this. The pies look really good though... -Even Agent Cooper would have approved.
62. Toast (2010 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 96 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
The ultimate nostalgia trip through everything edible in 1960s Britain.
Director: S.J. Clarkson | Stars: Oscar Kennedy, Victoria Hamilton, Colin Prockter, Ken Stott
Votes: 10,459
Disappointing... draws too many things from the really bad "naughty" British comedies of the 60s and 70s.
63. Julie & Julia (2009)
PG-13 | 123 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
Julia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book.
Director: Nora Ephron | Stars: Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina, Stanley Tucci
Votes: 128,840 | Gross: $94.13M
Sadly, a very disappointing film, that could have been so much better. Incomprehensible decision to cram two stories (and books) into one film, makes absolutely no sense at all! Jumping randomly from one place to another with only one loose connection: The most annoying cook in the world, Julia Child. It is obvious this has started from two separate scripts, which have been forced into one. -If the movie would have concentrated telling JUST the Julia Child story, with Meryl Streep playing her, there might have had a LOT of potential for a classic. But as it stands now, it is simply just a one BIG mess!
64. A Touch of Spice (2003)
108 min | Drama
A Greek boy grows up to become a talented cook after political turmoil forces his family to leave Turkey.
Director: Tassos Boulmetis | Stars: Georges Corraface, Ieroklis Michaelidis, Renia Louizidou, Tamer Karadagli
Votes: 14,892
Slightly annoying at times, but the story works, so not really all that bad film.
65. Bagdad Cafe (1987)
PG | 95 min | Comedy, Drama
A lonely German woman ends up in the most desolate motel on Earth and decides to make it brighter.
Director: Percy Adlon | Stars: Marianne Sägebrecht, CCH Pounder, Jack Palance, Christine Kaufmann
Votes: 15,191 | Gross: $3.59M
A bit disappointing indie cult classic from 1987, which fails to claim its full potential, with unrewarding plot, which is so superficial, that it makes watching some commercials more appealing option, instead of having to watch this piece of film a second time.
66. What's Cooking in Paris (1966)
Not Rated | 85 min | Action, Comedy
Top-notch french restaurant owner Monsieur Septime is involved into crime when one of his famous guests disappears.
Director: Jacques Besnard | Stars: Louis de Funès, Bernard Blier, Maria-Rosa Rodriguez, Venantino Venantini
Votes: 6,602
Disappointing film. I for one have never understood Louis de Funès's popularity. It's not that he is a bad comedian, it's just that almost every single movie he has ever made, are pretty much just mediocre mass-entertainment, with few brilliant exceptions here and there, this is in the former category, where the plot is non-existent, containing only a few decent gags, while the rest of it just falls short. They won't even try to focus in food all that much, the restaurant acts only as a convenient backdrop. Not worth a 2nd watch.
67. The Pickle Recipe (2016)
PG-13 | 97 min | Comedy
Desperate for cash, a down on his luck party emcee is corrupted by his shameless uncle to steal his grandmother's top secret pickle recipe.
Director: Michael Manasseri | Stars: Jon Dore, Lynn Cohen, Miriam Lee, David Paymer
Votes: 188
Interesting concept, which doesn't really live up to the expectations. The actual main plot theme is not only totally unrealistic - it is poorly executed - however, this film is not a total waste of time, just a bit flavorless.
68. Peking Duck Restaurant (1990)
136 min | Drama
A fiction about the founder Mingquan Yang, and the early ages of Quanjude Restaurant, the most famous Peking duck restaurant. Yang bought the Dejuquan restaurant and changed the name to ... See full summary »
Director: Rong Gu | Stars: Baoguo Chen, You Ge, Yong You
Votes: 21
69. Open Tables (2015)
76 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Within the walls of the trendiest Chicago restaurants, behind the closed doors of private dinner parties, and on the banks of the Seine in Paris, OPEN TABLES explores true love, love lost and the importance of a good main course.
Director: Jack C. Newell | Stars: Bill Arnett, Desmin Borges, Bethany Cofer, Stew Cofer
Votes: 79
70. American Cuisine (1998)
92 min | Comedy
an aspiring master-chef on a US military vessel is dishonorably discharged/quits his post and and instead feeeloling sorry for himself, uses the oppotunity to go to Paris, France and apply ... See full summary »
Director: Jean-Yves Pitoun | Stars: Jason Lee, Eddy Mitchell, Irène Jacob, Isabelle Petit-Jacques
Votes: 926
71. Eating L.A. (1999)
90 min | Comedy
An obese, hypochondriac dad and his aspiring rock star son take an 'eating trip' of Los Angeles while they attempt to heal their ailing relationship, cope with the father's Binge Eating ... See full summary »
Director: Steven D. Binder | Stars: Greg Lewis, Robert Vitelli, Jenny Murano Lounibos, Nicholas R. Oleson
Votes: 91
72. Bon appétit (2010)
91 min | Drama, Romance
A romantic comedy centered on two young cooks and a female sommelier working in a famous Zurich luxury restaurant.
Director: David Pinillos | Stars: Unax Ugalde, Nora Tschirner, Giulio Berruti, Herbert Knaup
Votes: 1,184
73. Italian Fast Food (1986)
89 min | Comedy
The Film centers around an American-style fast food restaurant in Milan, the employees who work there and the clients that frequent the place.
Director: Lodovico Gasparini | Stars: Enzo Braschi, Gino Cogliandro, Edoardo Romano, Mirko Setaro
Votes: 138
74. Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart (1985)
PG | 84 min | Comedy, Drama
In San Francisco, an immigrant widow welcomes the new year with some unhappiness: she's sixty-two now, she wants to make a trip to China to pay last respects to her ancestors, a fortune ... See full summary »
Director: Wayne Wang | Stars: Laureen Chew, Kim Chew, Victor Wong, Ida F.O. Chung
Votes: 623
75. What's Cooking? (2000)
PG-13 | 109 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Four families in LA of different ethnicity (Latino, Asian/Vietnamese, African and Jewish) gather together for Thanksgiving dinner.
Director: Gurinder Chadha | Stars: Joan Chen, Julianna Margulies, Mercedes Ruehl, Victor Rivers
Votes: 2,914 | Gross: $1.04M
76. Osso Bucco (2008)
R | 86 min | Comedy, Romance
Trapped in his favorite restaurant during the worst snow storm in Chicago history, Jelly Dinotto, a lovable, misfit mobster, has one night to escape the family business and win the heart of... See full synopsis »
Directors: Fred Blurton, Gary Taylor | Stars: Mike Starr, Illeana Douglas, Christian Stolte, Antoine McKay
Votes: 119
77. Bitter Feast (2010)
Not Rated | 95 min | Comedy, Horror, Thriller
A celebrity chef exacts revenge on a food blogger who torpedoes his career.
Director: Joe Maggio | Stars: James Le Gros, Joshua Leonard, Amy Seimetz, Larry Fessenden
Votes: 1,654
Avoid seeing this film at all costs! - Absolutely rubbish in every sense!
78. In China They Eat Dogs (1999)
Not Rated | 91 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Two brothers, one cold and ruthless, the other sensitive and reluctant, and their brutal misadventures.
Director: Lasse Spang Olsen | Stars: Kim Bodnia, Dejan Cukic, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Tomas Villum Jensen
Votes: 23,035
While the food is not necessarily the main focus in this movie, it does have an important role to play in this Danish indie classic. A very unusual, and delightfully mad version of the Mexican stand-off at the end is so brilliant, that it could overshadow Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and Guy Ritchie any day, any time!
79. Final Recipe (2013)
97 min | Drama
Hao's only hope is that his grandson Mark enters a prestigious university, but Mark's dream is to follow his grandfather's footsteps and become a chef and take over the family restaurant. ... See full summary »
Director: Gina Kim | Stars: Michelle Yeoh, Henry Lau, Chin Han, Tseng Chang
Votes: 501
80. Soup Opera (2010)
119 min | Comedy
Rui is now in her thirties. She is a librarian and deals with idiosyncratic patrons. She lost her mother in one way and her father in another way and was raised by an aunt instead. In a ... See full summary »
Director: Tomoyuki Takimoto | Stars: Maki Sakai, Mariko Kaga, Takahiro Nishijima, Tatsuya Fuji
Votes: 61
81. Kafe souru (2009)
Not Rated | 94 min | Drama
A freelance reporter comes to the aid of a humble confection shop criminally threatened by land developers and weakened by distant family ties.
Director: Masaharu Take | Stars: Jeong-hoon Kim, Takumi Saitô, Kim Dong-wook, Seong-min Choi
Votes: 58
82. C(r)ook (2004)
108 min | Comedy
A killer for the Russian Mafia in Vienna wants to retire and write a book about his passion - cooking. The mafia godfather suspects treason.
Director: Pepe Danquart | Stars: Henry Hübchen, Moritz Bleibtreu, Corinna Harfouch, Nadeshda Brennicke
Votes: 1,357
83. Restaurant (1998)
R | 107 min | Drama
A few young waiters at a popular New Jersey restaurant are dreaming of becoming actors or otherwise getting into the artistic community.
Director: Eric Bross | Stars: Adrien Brody, Elise Neal, David Moscow, Simon Baker
Votes: 691 | Gross: $0.07M
84. Eating (1990)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Drama
A group of young and middle-aged women gather for the birthday party of a friend and talk about their lives and food they cook for their husbands, boyfriends, or themselves.
Director: Henry Jaglom | Stars: Frances Bergen, Lisa Blake Richards, Nelly Alard, Mary Crosby
Votes: 321 | Gross: $2.10M
85. Tafelspitz (1994)
99 min | Comedy
Expert cook Lilli is hired by corporate boss Thomas because he tasted her food, but they are not introduced. Fate has it that they meet in the street and fall in love. When Lilli realizes who he is she also sees him kiss another woman.
Director: Xaver Schwarzenberger | Stars: Christiane Hörbiger, Otto Schenk, Jan Niklas, Annika Pages
Votes: 126
86. The Dinner (2013)
88 min | Drama, Thriller
Two well-to-do couples with plenty to lose have dinner to discuss the gruesome act their teenage sons may or may not have committed together.
Director: Menno Meyjes | Stars: Thekla Reuten, Daan Schuurmans, Jacob Derwig, Jonas Smulders
Votes: 2,584
87. Lunch Wagon (1981)
R | 88 min | Comedy, Crime, Romance
Three women start a lunch wagon business but run into stiff resistance from their competitor Mr. Schmeckler: their presence is interfering with some sort of illegal activity he's involved ... See full summary »
Director: Ernest Pintoff | Stars: Pamela Jean Bryant, Rosanne Katon, Candy Moore, Rick Podell
Votes: 284
88. The Last Supper (2018)
80 min | Drama, History
It's January 30th 1933 - the day Hitler comes to power - and the German-Jewish family Glickstein comes together for a family dinner.
Director: Florian Frerichs | Stars: Bruno Eyron, Sharon Brauner, Michael Degen, Daphna Rosenthal
Votes: 523
This film is one perfect example of numerous dramas, where the food is not necessarily the main focus, but where the meal shared together offers great opportunities for all characters concerned to display different views about great many things. This film manages to work as really good example of the sheer absurdity of national socialism and its ridiculously faulty ideology. Awakens cleverly the classic philosophical pondering about the "banality of evil". Highly recommend movie to see! However they could have gotten so much more out of this little piece of film, by concentrating more heavily in just one space and one single time frame - as in a theater performance. They could have easily transformed this film into a one single shot film, and it could have been a masterpiece! Shame that they went more traditional way of film making, with too many cuts and side stepping the main point too often. Food is portrayed realistically and the dishes, even they are very typical simple Jewish home cooking, look fabulous!
89. Delicious (2013)
Not Rated | 83 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A passionate chef resorts to extreme measures to get an obsessive dieter to eat good food.
Director: Tammy Riley-Smith | Stars: Louise Brealey, Adrian Scarborough, Sheila Hancock, Nicholas Rowe
Votes: 635
90. The Recipe (I)
Drama | Pre-production
With less than a week until his deadline, an author must cut down over 700 recipes gathered from around the world to only 105 allowed by his publisher. He decides to resolve his dilemma by ... See full summary »
Director: Mark Maine
Over 5 years in pre-production - possibly in development hell. Shame, the plot sounds really promising and intriguing.
91. Papadopoulos & Sons (2012)
Not Rated | 105 min | Comedy, Drama
Following his ruin in the latest banking crisis, a self-made millionaire reluctantly re-unites with his estranged freewheeling brother to re-open the abandoned fish and chip shop they shared in their youth.
Director: Marcus Markou | Stars: Carl Rice, Stephen Dillane, Selina Cadell, Frank Dillane
Votes: 4,191
Much better film than was expected! It has a very good story and a very good screenplay, dialogue is at points fantastic, and the delightful story, which entangles two families within its plot, is a refreshing one. Recommended without reservation!
92. Oyster Farmer (2004)
Not Rated | 91 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A love story about a young man who runs away up an isolated Australian river and gets a job with eighth generation oyster famers.
Director: Anna Reeves | Stars: Alex O'Loughlin, Jim Norton, Diana Glenn, David Field
Votes: 1,301
Surprisingly difficult film to find on DVD...
93. Die Entdeckung der Currywurst (2008)
106 min | Drama
Director: Ulla Wagner | Stars: Barbara Sukowa, Alexander Khuon, Wolfgang Böck, Branko Samarovski
Votes: 185
Practically impossible to find title as a DVD or BluRay - let alone streaming!
94. Soup of the Day (2006)
Comedy, Romance
Brandon Craig is a regular guy who loves split pea soup and happens to be in monogamous relationships with three amazing women: Monique, his photo editor boss; Wendy, an undercover cop; and... See full summary »
Director: Scott Zakarin | Stars: Jon Crowley, Catherine Reitman, Patty Wortham, Rebecca Cardon
Votes: 56
95. 18 Meals (2010)
101 min | Comedy, Drama
In the city of Santiago de Compostela, the meals are more important than just eating. The important conversations, socially and for all other reasons, are done around food. This happens one day with intertwined lives in the historic city.
Director: Jorge Coira | Stars: Luis Tosar, Federico Pérez Rey, Víctor Fábregas, Esperanza Pedreño
Votes: 539
96. Short Order (2005)
Not Rated | 100 min | Drama, Adventure
A little bit of life, love, and wisdom come together over one night in the culinary underbelly, where life is a buffet and everything is "Short Order".
Director: Anthony Byrne | Stars: Emma de Caunes, Rade Serbedzija, Cosma Shiva Hagen, Jack Dee
Votes: 371
97. Did I Say Thousand Island? (2007 Video)
Not Rated | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The beautiful Colorado Rockies are where Cathy and Maegan call home. Both are single waitresses in their 30's with college degrees. One struggles with being a waitress (she "should get a ... See full summary »
Director: Patti DiVita | Stars: Bryn Abbott, Amanda Acker, Melissa Amato, Jaquelyn America
Votes: 14
98. Consuming Passions (1988)
R | 98 min | Comedy
A tragic mishap at a chocolate factory results in candy lovers getting an unexpected 'extra' in their sweets. The problem is that they want more!
Director: Giles Foster | Stars: Jonathan Pryce, Vanessa Redgrave, Tyler Butterworth, Freddie Jones
Votes: 586 | Gross: $0.12M
99. Good Burger (1997)
PG | 95 min | Comedy, Family
A dim-witted teenager and his new coworker try to save the old burger joint they work for from failing after the opening of a brand new burger restaurant across the street, which's planning to put them out of business.
Director: Brian Robbins | Stars: Kel Mitchell, Kenan Thompson, Sinbad, Abe Vigoda
Votes: 33,653 | Gross: $23.69M
100. My Big Love (2008)
110 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Pastry chef Macky has struggled with his weight for most of his life. Being fat isn't easy, and he secretly admires young socialite columnist Ninia, who gets the shock of her life when she ... See full summary »
Director: Jade Castro | Stars: Toni Gonzaga, Sam Milby, Kristine Hermosa, Ricardo Cepeda
Votes: 162
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