executive chef
noun
plural executive chefs
: the head chef of a professional kitchen or of a group of professional kitchens
the restaurant's executive chef and owner
His résumé was filled with Connecticut restaurants …; at Le Coq Hardi Restaurant in Stamford, he was, variously, … first cook, sous chef, and finally executive chef.—
Michael Ruhlman
Michael RuhlmanBala Kumanan, a French-trained chef, oversees the quality of the food … as the executive chef of the high-end restaurants that span from Vancouver to Ottawa.—John French
compare chef de cuisine
John FrenchExamples of executive chef in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At Restaurant Quell, executive chef Carsten Kypke has developed an admirably creative small-plates menu, pairing everything from wontons and bao buns to ravioli and risotto.
—Jackie Caradonio, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2026
The restaurant giant also plans to open the Driskill Grill, under the guidance of executive chef April Bloomfield, this year, and will open a downtown location of Swedish Hill before spring.
—Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 16 Jan. 2026
Later this year Cheam and Callahan are opening Hōp in a permanent space in Red Hook right across the street from Red Hook Tavern, where the two worked together while Cheam was executive chef and Callahan the general manager and wine director.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Jan. 2026
That’s where the passion of executive chef Stuart Rogers comes into play, too.
—Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for executive chef
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jackie Caradonio, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2026
The restaurant giant also plans to open the Driskill Grill, under the guidance of executive chef April Bloomfield, this year, and will open a downtown location of Swedish Hill before spring.
—Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 16 Jan. 2026
Later this year Cheam and Callahan are opening Hōp in a permanent space in Red Hook right across the street from Red Hook Tavern, where the two worked together while Cheam was executive chef and Callahan the general manager and wine director.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Jan. 2026
That’s where the passion of executive chef Stuart Rogers comes into play, too.
—Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for executive chef
Cite this Entry
“Executive chef.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/executive%20chef. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
