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
One standout is The Hackney, helmed by James Beard semifinalist and executive chef Jamie Davis.
—Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2026
Spanish executive chef Ramiro Lafuente Martinez presides over the refined meat-fest menu by Jean-Georges Vongerichten—the freshest of oysters, caviar and beef tartares, sharing steaks, chicken liver parfaits and Brixham Dover sole.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Laura, the youngest sibling, is Sun Wah’s executive chef.
—Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
Kitchen essentials need to be regularly replaced, and to help refresh your setup, PEOPLE spoke with executive chef Maeve Rochford, owner of Sugar and Scribe in La Jolla and winner of Season 2 of Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship.
—Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for executive chef
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Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2026
Spanish executive chef Ramiro Lafuente Martinez presides over the refined meat-fest menu by Jean-Georges Vongerichten—the freshest of oysters, caviar and beef tartares, sharing steaks, chicken liver parfaits and Brixham Dover sole.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Laura, the youngest sibling, is Sun Wah’s executive chef.
—Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
Kitchen essentials need to be regularly replaced, and to help refresh your setup, PEOPLE spoke with executive chef Maeve Rochford, owner of Sugar and Scribe in La Jolla and winner of Season 2 of Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship.
—Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 1 June 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 8 Jun. 2026.
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