There’s nothing quite like digging into a delicious meal. The only thing which might be better than eating food is watching the creation of it. Although going out to a fancy Hibachi or sushi restaurant is as fun as it is delicious, it’s not always in the budget.
You can solve this problem by watching the Food Network channel or maybe a favorite foodie movie. Not sure what some of the best movies about food are or can’t decide on a favorite? We’ve got you covered.
Make sure to grab your favorite movie snack, sit back, and pick one from the below lists of best food movies. Let’s dig in!
Contents
- 1 1. Chef
- 2 2. Ratatouille
- 3 3. Julie & Julia
- 4 4. Chocolat
- 5 5. Jiro Dreams of Sushi
- 6 6. Big Night
- 7 7. Babette’s Feast
- 8 8. The Hundred-Foot Journey
- 9 9. Waitress
- 10 10. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
- 11 11. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
- 12 12. Tortilla Soup
- 13 13. Eat Drink Man Woman
- 14 Best Food Movies to Watch When a Craving Hits
1. Chef
You might remember him as one of Monica’s boyfriends from Friends, but Jon Favreau has a bit of a career change in the movie Chef.
Working as a professional chef in a high-end Los Angeles restaurant, Carl (played by Favreau) begins straining against the repetitive menu and creative restrictions of the menu. A run-in with a food critic is the last straw for Carl who quits his job returns to Miami, his hometown.
He buys and fixes up a food truck where he ultimately returning to his cooking routes. His estranged son comes along for the ride as they bond over making Cuban sandwiches and serving street food.
Jon Favreau writes, directs, and stars in this 2014 American comedy-drama along with a few other surprise actors – Robert Downey Jr, Sofia Vergara, Dustin Hoffman, and Scarlette Johansson to name a few.
The scene making our stomach growls the most? When Carl creates his simple pesto pasta dish – or any dish for that matter!
Craving some actual food from Los Angeles? Visit this website to find the perfect meal to satisfy your craving.
2. Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a French dish consisting of a variety of vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes stewed in oil. It’s also the name of Pixar Disney’s 2007 animated movie about a rat who loves to cook.
Remy, voiced by Patton Oswalt, is a rat with an unusual talent. After getting lost from the rest of his family, he finds himself working with a garbage boy in an upscale Paris restaurant to create some amazing dishes.
His talented palette impresses one of the hardest food critics in all of Paris when he creates none other than ratatouille. Moral of this story? Anyone can be a chef.
3. Julie & Julia
Everyone’s heard of the famous Julia Child. The movie Julie & Julia follows two women of the same name as Julie, a young New Yorker, attempts to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s “The Joy of Cooking” within a years time. At the same time, viewers get a glimpse of the beginning of Julia’s culinary career along with her trials and tribulations.
This 2009 comedy-drama stars Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Jane Lynch, Chris Messina, and Stanley Tucci, plus more than a few delicious meals. Prepare to get inspired as you watch Julie attempt these recipes – after watching her conquer the Boeuf Bourguignon and raspberry Bavarian cream, you’ll want to attempt it yourself!
4. Chocolat
Written by Joanne Harris, Chocolat is a 2000 American-British romantic drama movie adaptation of the same name starring Juliette Binoche, Alfred Molina, and Johnny Depp.
The story follows a young, single mother named Vianne and her six-year-old daughter who move to a rural village in France in 1959. There, they open a chocolaterie shop (La Chocolater) across from a local church.
Despite their good intentions and delicious chocolate, their untraditional shop hours cause angry complaints. Add Roux, Johnny Depp’s character, into the mix and you have a whole lot of sweet going on.
Who can resist chocolate and Johnny Depp? Watch Chocolat to find out.
5. Jiro Dreams of Sushi
This 2011 food documentary is one of the more different films we have on the list. Jiro Dreams of Sushi tells the story of Jiro Ono, a master sushi chef who’s also a perfectionist.
Did we mention he’s 85-years old? Watch the painstaking precise process Ono goes through as he prepares each artisan sushi dish. You can’t help but become inspired as you watch his persistence, perfection, and success come to life.
Spoiler alert: his renowned restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro earns three Michelin stars. We recommend ordering in some sushi the night you watch this – you won’t regret it!
6. Big Night
Italian immigrant brothers Primo and Secondo open a New York City restaurant. The only problem? Primo, the chef, works above the local expectation when it comes to food. This causes problems for his brother, the manager, who is trying to succeed in the business industry.
They decide to put their differences aside and work together for a special benefit concert. Big Night starring and directed by Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott is the perfect combination of food and comedy.
7. Babette’s Feast
Babette Hersant is a French refugee taken in by two sisters who’ve lived their local minister who also happens to be their father. After their father’s passing and they’ve missed opportunities to move away, they meet Babette. To repay the sisters, Babette prepares them a massive French feast.
This 1987 Danish drama set in the 19th century shares a unique story and shows the side of cooking few experience. Starring Stéphane Audran, Bibi Andersson, and Jarl Kulle, Babette’s Feast is a movie you don’t want to miss.
8. The Hundred-Foot Journey
Another film set in France, The Hundred-Foot Journey tells a story of two rivalry restaurants. While a recently immigrated family from India owns one, the other is an arrogant French restaurant.
As the restaurants compete to cook the best food and bring in customers, they make some of the most delicious food around. Watch this 2014 adventure drama starring Helen Mirren, Om Puri, and Manish Dayal when you’re looking for something adventurous and delicious.
9. Waitress
If you aren’t craving pie now, you will after watching this movie. Waitress follows Jenna (Keri Russell), a pregnant waitress who makes pies at the diner where she works. As she decides to leave her husband, she increases her pie making skills in the hopes of winning the money from the annual bake-off in town.
All that changes when a new (and cute!) doctor comes to town and catches Jenna’s eye. Make sure to keep an eye out for one of the more delicious pies Jenna makes – though it doesn’t sound appetizing!
This 2007 American comedy-drama is the perfect girls-night-in movie. Just don’t forget the pie!
10. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, this movie’s for you. We’ll be surprised if you haven’t seen this classic.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory follows the story of a poor, young Charlie Bucket who finds the last golden ticket to none other than Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.
He joins four other children from around the globe as they tour Wonka’s factory, but things don’t turn out quite as they expect. Wonka, played by Gene Wilder, takes his guests on a wild adventure through the strange and wildly sweet factory.
Did we mention it’s a musical fantasy? If you want even more chocolate fantasy, make sure to watch the adaptation of the original novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl of the same name.
11. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Do you ever dream of your favorite food raining from the sky? Imagine if you created a machine that could make your foodiest dreams come true.
Flint Lockwood, voiced by Bill Hader, is a scientist in a fictional town who creates a machine turning water into food. After getting sent into the earth’s atmosphere and going haywire, the town has a bit of a food problem.
Watch as Flint and his friends try to save the town from food chaos. You’ll get a belly ache from laughing and indulging in too much food.
12. Tortilla Soup
Imagine loving to cook, but not being able to taste anything you create. That’s what happens to Martin Naranjo, the head of a Mexican-American family. Good thing his middle daughter inherited a passion for cooking, too.
Watch Tortilla Soup and prepare to feel all sorts of emotion from this 2001 American comedy-drama.
13. Eat Drink Man Woman
Gone are the days where family dinners consisted of a family around the table with hearty meals and good conversation. You can’t find a family dinner without cell phones glued to hands or the television on in the background.
Instead, let’s go back to 1994 when Eat Drink Man Woman was released. This follows a recently widowed chef who makes sure to have Sunday dinner with his three grown daughters every week.
You can bet this film features some amazing and mouth-watering worthy dishes.
Best Food Movies to Watch When a Craving Hits
There you have it! These are the best food movies to watch whenever a craving hits or if you’re simply looking for some cooking inspiration. From stories of traditional family dinners to those of fantasy chocolate factories, we’ve hit almost every food category we could think of!
Now that you’re full of food, you might be looking for something with more action and adventure. If so, make sure to check out our list of 8 funny action movies that redefined their genre!