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

Bala 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

Examples of executive chef in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Timpson is the first openly gay champion of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen competition and after winning season 23 a few years ago, made history as the only winner in the show’s history to be named executive chef at the property where their season was filmed. — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026

Golden interiors and a striking red dragon greet you at Myers + Chang, a swanky restaurant in South End with a fair amount of funk from Joanne Chang and her partner Christopher Myers, both of Flour bakery, and executive chef Ashley Lujares. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 June 2026

The crew of 18 includes a physician, an executive chef, guides, and stewards who travel with the group. — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 18 June 2026

Levy was an executive chef at the Promontory Club private community in Park City before starting Vessel Kitchen in 2016. — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 17 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for executive chef

• clef
• deaf
• ref