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

In February alone, the construction led to a $20,000 drop in business, Nazira Atme, executive chef/owner of Habibi Lebanon Bar & Grill told The Charlotte Observer in March. — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2026

And the biggest news of all is that Monteverde’s rising-star executive chef, Bailey Sullivan, will head the kitchen. — John Kessler, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026

Matt Bolus, avid gardener and executive chef of The 404 Kitchen in Nashville, Tennessee. — Lauren Wellbank, Martha Stewart, 14 Sep. 2026

The Mediterranean menu was developed in close collaboration with Sébastien Broda, executive chef of the Vineta’s Oetker sister property, and several Hotel du Cap signatures have made the trip across the Atlantic. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for executive chef

• clef
• deaf
• ref