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

Toward the middle, chief housekeepers can earn between $4,000 and $7,000 monthly, while executive chefs can make $5,000 to $9,000. — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 8 July 2026

For example, the birria comes from executive chef Carlos Villegas’ grandmother’s recipe, according to Tan. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 8 July 2026

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner is served in Emilia’s by executive chef Preston Paine and team. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 July 2026

Isaac Bernal Carbajo, executive chef for Spain's United Nations team in New York, recommends switching from a basic probe to a smart thermometer with remote monitoring. — Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for executive chef

• clef
• deaf
• ref