Top Chef
TV

Top Chef

6.8 /10 65 votes
March 8, 2006 23 Seasons 342 Episodes 42 min Returning Series TV-14

Overview

An American reality competition show in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges and are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants eliminated in each episode.

Seasons & Episodes

San Francisco

San Francisco

2006 12 Episodes

Top Chef: San Francisco is the first season of American reality television series Top Chef and was based first in San Francisco, California, filmed at Paulding & Company, A Creative Kitchen, in Emeryville, and concluded in Las Vegas, Nevada. The season premiered on Bravo on March 8, 2006 and ended on May 24, 2006. Season 1 of Top Chef was taped in October and November 2005 in San Francisco, California. Twelve contestants from around the United States lived together in a house for approximately 21 days competing in a series of challenges. The prize money awarded to the Top Chef was $100,000. The weekly series was hosted by Katie Lee Joel with regular judges chef Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons of Food & Wine Magazine. The winning recipe from each week's episode is featured on Bravo's Top Chef website.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles

2006 13 Episodes

Top Chef: Los Angeles is the second season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in Los Angeles, California, and concluded in Waikoloa Village, Hawaii. The season premiered on Bravo on October 18, 2006 and ended on January 31, 2007. Padma Lakshmi took over as host, with Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons returning as judges. Filming began in Westwood, near UCLA in Los Angeles, on August 10, 2006. The number of contestants expanded from 12 to 15. The prize money awarded to the Top Chef was $100,000. The winning recipe from each week's episode is featured on Bravo's Top Chef website and prepared by Season 1 contestant Lee Anne Wong in a web video called The Wong Way to Cook. Bravo cited negative viewer reaction to the reunion episode of season one as the reason why no reunion episode was filmed for season two.

Miami

Miami

2007 16 Episodes

Top Chef: Miami is the third season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in Miami, Florida, and concluded in Aspen, Colorado. The season premiered on Bravo on June 13, 2007 and ended on October 10, 2007. Padma Lakshmi returned with Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and new judge Ted Allen, who will switch off with Simmons throughout the season. First season contestant Lee Anne Wong was brought in as a food consultant and assisted in planning the challenges. Production took place in April and May 2007 in Miami Beach, Florida, with 15 contestants living, and the production activity centered, at the historic Fontainebleau Hotel. The prize money awarded to the Top Chef was $100,000. As with Season 2, the winning recipe from each week's episode of Season 3 is featured on Bravo's Top Chef website and prepared by Season 1 contestant Lee Anne Wong in a web video called The Wong Way to Cook.

Chicago

Chicago

2008 15 Episodes

Top Chef: Chicago is the fourth season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in Chicago, Illinois, and concluded in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The prize money awarded to the Top Chef was $100,000. The season premiered on Bravo on March 12, 2008 and ended on June 11, 2008.

New York

New York

2008 15 Episodes

Top Chef: New York is the fifth season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in New York City, New York, and concluded in New Orleans, Louisiana. The season premiered on Bravo on November 12, 2008 and ended on March 4, 2009. The prize money awarded to the Top Chef was $100,000.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas

2009 16 Episodes

Top Chef: Las Vegas is the sixth season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in Las Vegas, Nevada, and concluded in Napa, California. The season premiered on Bravo on August 19, 2009 and ended on December 16, 2009. The prize money awarded to the Top Chef was $125,000.

D.C.

D.C.

2010 15 Episodes

Top Chef: D.C. is the seventh season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in Washington, D.C. and concluded in Singapore. The season premiered on Bravo on June 16, 2010 and ended on September 15, 2010. The prize money awarded to the Top Chef was $125,000.

All-Stars

All-Stars

2010 17 Episodes

Top Chef: All-Stars is the eighth season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in New York City, New York and concluded in The Bahamas. This season consists of chefs from the previous 7 seasons who did not win the Title of Top Chef. The season premiered on December 1, 2010. On September 22, 2010, the cast was announced during Season 7's reunion special. The prize money awarded to the Top Chef was $200,000.

Texas

Texas

2011 18 Episodes

This season introduces a new competition to the series; in addition to the Quickfire and Elimination Challenges featured in televised episodes, the "Last Chance Kitchen" competition allowed eliminated contestants to compete head-to-head in a series of webisodes, with the winner eventually returning to the main competition. The webisodes are available on Bravo's website.

Seattle

Seattle

2012 17 Episodes

Top Chef: Seattle was the tenth season of the American reality television series Top Chef, which aired on Bravo. The season was announced on September 19, 2012, and premiered on November 7, 2012. The competition was initially filmed in Seattle, Washington before moving to Juneau, Alaska for 3 episodes, and then concluding in Los Angeles, California. 21 new contestants and 3 Top Chef veterans were selected to compete for the title of "Top Chef" and the $125,000 grand prize.

New Orleans

New Orleans

2013 17 Episodes

Top Chef: New Orleans is the eleventh season of the American reality television series Top Chef.

Boston

Boston

2014 15 Episodes
California

California

2015 15 Episodes
Charleston

Charleston

2016 14 Episodes
Season 15

Season 15

2017 14 Episodes

In season 15, the competition reaches new heights as the chefs battle it out on an epicurean road trip through Colorado, traveling to Denver, Boulder, Telluride and Aspen. From deconstructing the Denver Omelet and preparing Rocky Mountain Oysters to tailgating with the Broncos, the level of competition for these 15 chefs is going to be a mile high.

Season 16

Season 16

2018 15 Episodes

Top Chef heads to the state of Kentucky for season 16. This season, 15 new talented chefs from cities big and small across the U.S. will compete for the sought-after title amid the unique culinary scenes in Louisville, Lexington and Lake Cumberland, before heading abroad for an epic finale showdown in Macau, China.

All Stars L.A.

All Stars L.A.

2020 14 Episodes

Season 17, All Stars L.A., features the fiercest group of competitors the show has seen with 15 finalists, front runners and fan favorites from seasons past who have all returned to finish what they started and battle it out for the coveted title.

Season 18

Season 18

2021 14 Episodes

Season 18 mixes the standard location-inspired challenges — like a nod to the Oregon Trail — with acknowledgments of the current state of the world, with cheftestants making meals for hundreds of frontline workers.

Houston

Houston

2022 14 Episodes
World All-Stars

World All-Stars

2023 14 Episodes
Wisconsin

Wisconsin

2024 14 Episodes

Bravo's Top Chef serves up new flavors this season when host Kristen Kish joins head judge Tom Colicchio and perennial judge Gail Simmons at the judges' table as they head to the Midwest to call Wisconsin home.

Destination Canada

Destination Canada

2025 14 Episodes
Carolinas

Carolinas

2026 14 Episodes

Top Chef is back, serving bold flavors and Carolina charm! 15 rising star chefs have come to the Carolinas to compete in the ultimate culinary showdown.

Key Information

Created By Lauren Zalaznick
Network Bravo
Type Reality
Rating 6.8/10
Language EN
Country United States of America

Watch Trailer

Cast & Crew

Tom Colicchio

Tom Colicchio

Self - Head Judge

Gail Simmons

Gail Simmons

Self - Judge

Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi

Self - Host

Emeril Lagasse

Emeril Lagasse

Self - Judge

Hugh Acheson

Hugh Acheson

Self - Judge

Richard Blais

Richard Blais

Self - Judge

Kristen Kish

Kristen Kish

Self - Host

Graham Elliot

Graham Elliot

Self - Judge

Dale Talde

Dale Talde

Self - Contestant

Melissa King

Melissa King

Self - Contestant

Ted Allen

Ted Allen

Himself - Judge

Bryan Voltaggio

Bryan Voltaggio

Himself - Contestant

Frequently Asked Questions

An American reality competition show in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges and are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food...

Top Chef has 23 seasons with 342 episodes.

Top Chef premiered on March 8, 2006.

Yes, Top Chef is currently ongoing with new episodes.

Top Chef originally aired on Bravo. Check your local streaming services for availability.

Top Chef was created by Lauren Zalaznick.

Top Chef has a rating of 6.8/10 based on user reviews.

Top Chef is classified as Reality.