Miami’s Notable Celebrity Chefs and Restaurateurs

From Thomas Keller to Gordon Ramsay and Massimo Bottura, celebrity chefs all over the world have graced Greater Miami and Miami Beach with their culinary talents. Of course, we have our share of hometown superstars, too – chefs who’ve risen to national recognition, winning TV culinary competitions or teaching audiences across the country how to make their favorite dishes.

Some of these illustrious chefs helm Miami MICHELIN star restaurants or have won James Beard Awards. Here’s a star-studded look at the who’s who of top Miami chefs and where you can enjoy their cuisine.

Gordon Ramsay

British chef Gordon Ramsay needs no introduction. He's as famous for his fiery temper in the kitchen as he is for his global culinary empire. The celebrity chef has bragging rights to numerous MICHELIN-starred restaurants, and has hosted and appeared in TV shows including Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares and Secret Service.

Ramsay recently turned up the heat with a Hell’s Kitchen outpost in Downtown Miami. The restaurant even features a chef’s table where you’ll have a front row seat to the kitchen’s activity. Fans can devour all of his signature dishes like Beef Wellington, pan-seared scallops, lobster risotto in a saffron broth and the decadent sticky toffee pudding.

Jeremy Ford

Jeremy Ford has the culinary Midas touch: Almost everything he touches turns into restaurant gold. The Florida native with a fun, easygoing personality rocketed to fame after winning Bravo’s Top Chef Season 13 and regularly appears on national morning TV shows to showcase his culinary talents.

Ford’s Stubborn Seed in South Beach should top your list of places to dine in Miami. The chef has racked up numerous accolades, maintaining the restaurant’s MICHELIN star in 2026. The talented team in Stubborn Seed’s open kitchen whips up inventive plates of food art for the tasting menu and does wonders with vegetables. Ford also grows much of what he cooks, sourcing ingredients from his own organic farm, Ford’s Farm in Homestead.

Michelle Bernstein

Miami’s food scene wouldn’t be what it is today without Chef Michelle Bernstein (nicknamed Chef Michy), a true culinary queen who has helmed numerous restaurants in Miami. The bubbly Miami native and James Beard Award-winning chef gained national attention as a guest judge on shows like Top Chef and Food Network’s Chopped, and also hosts the local weekend show SoFlo Taste, in which she offers culinary insights and recipes.

Bernstein’s culinary influence is found throughout the destination, including at the MICHELIN-recommended Cafe La Trova in Little Havana, where you can experience her modern spin on Cuban favorites while enjoying live entertainment.

At Sra. Martinez restaurant in Coral Gables, order the croquetas filled with carbonara, fried eggplant chips and oxtail paella. On Wednesday nights, Bernstein serves her famous fried chicken.

For a taste of her Cuban and Caribbean dishes, try La Cañita, with locations at Bayside Marketplace, South Beach and Kendall.

Donatella Arpaia

Avid foodies will recognize Chef Donatella Arpaia as a judge on Iron Chef America and from her regular appearances as a culinary contributor on NBC’s Today Show. The attorney-turned-restaurateur has a flair for mouthwatering Italian food and has owned a string of restaurants with MICHELIN acclaim.

Arpaia founded NOMA Beach at Redfish, a waterfront restaurant in Coral Gables where diners can savor stunning views and a menu influenced by her Italian roots and time spent living in Miami. Arpaia is best known for her veal and beef meatballs, but the menu is heavy on homemade pastas and seafood dishes, and there are raw bar selections too.

Reserve the enchanting waterfront restaurant for a special occasion. It’s also a great spot to experience golden hour at the restaurant’s rooftop bar with a cocktail in hand.

Adrianne Calvo

Adrianne Calvo, a Cuban American chef with fiery red hair, has done it all, from authoring cookbooks to starring in her Emmy-nominated YouTube and podcast series, Searching for Maximum Flavor, in which she explores food scenes around the U.S.

Calvo has a dynamic on-camera presence and has competed on top culinary shows such as Season 9 of Chopped, as well as Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay. She’s also made culinary cameos on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends and CNN.

Calvo helms two popular restaurants in Miami, including her namesake Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Bar in Kendall, where she pairs inventive American cuisine with California wines (including her own signature Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon), and is known for her monthly “Dark Dining” dinners.

Rocco Carulli

As executive chef and owner of R House restaurant in Wynwood, Rocco Carulli has made a name for himself in Miami’s culinary world for his Latin-inspired dishes and the restaurant’s popular weekend drag brunch performances. Gloria Estefan, Miami music royalty, has even popped in and joined the conga line.

The nation first took notice of the celebrity chef after he starred on Season 33 of Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay in 2023. Even though Bobby beat him, Carulli impressed the judges with smoked mozzarella-stuffed jalapeños atop a sauce of roasted red pepper and aji rocoto.

Francis Mallmann

Famous for his style of open-fire cooking and Argentine cuisine, Francis Mallmann is an international superstar in the culinary scene. Nicknamed the “Carnivore King,” Mallmann has appeared on TV cooking shows and in the popular Netflix series Chef’s Table, and has authored best-selling books.

The lauded chef owns restaurants around the world, including the MICHELIN-recommended Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann at the Faena Miami Beach hotel in Mid Beach, which mixes theatrics with live-fire cooking. Dig into grilled meats, fish, veggies and even empanadas prepared using Mallmann’s traditional Patagonian techniques.

Thomas Keller

It’s a big deal when a MICHELIN lauded chef, restaurateur and author like Thomas Keller comes to town. The esteemed American chef, whose French Laundry is considered one of the world’s best restaurants, now has two restaurants in Miami. The Surf Club Restaurant, located at the Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club in Surfside, is his first Florida venture and has retained one MICHELIN star. The Continental-style restaurant with European flair is known for signature dishes like the French onion dip with kettle chips, parfait of foie gras, Maine lobster Thermidor and short rib Wellington.

Check out Keller’s award-winning French bistro Bouchon in Coral Gables to dig into classic French dishes such as steak frites, croque madame and the popular roasted chicken, or go for something lighter from the seafood raw bar.

Marcus Samuelsson

Award-winning chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson has been a regular judge on Chopped and other TV shows, including Iron Chef. He’s also authored several books, including the bestselling memoir Yes, Chef, and created his own line of sauces called Merkato by Marcus.

His Red Rooster Overtown in Historic Overtown focuses on soul food, and Samuelsson often makes an appearance. Enjoy menu favorites like deviled eggs topped with crispy chicken skin, cornbread crusted snapper and tea-brined fried chicken served with pimento biscuits.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten

French celebrity chef and restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten has a major global culinary footprint that stretches from New York to Shanghai, touting around 60 restaurants and multiple MICHELIN-starred restaurants. He’s cooked live on just about every national morning show in the U.S. and published several cookbooks.

Jean-Georges’ name and influence are also behind the restaurants at The Miami Beach EDITION in Mid Beach – most notably its signature restaurant, Matador Room, a moody, upscale spot that mingles South American, Caribbean and Spanish cuisines.

There’s also Market at EDITION, a food hall-style restaurant that serves everything from cheese to gourmet pizza and sandwiches.

Nobu Matsuhisa

Say the name “Nobu,” and you’ll most likely get a reaction from anyone who’s eaten at one of Japanese celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s namesake restaurants. The sushi chef, known for his Peruvian-influenced Japanese cuisine, partners at more than 70 restaurants and 19 hotels worldwide (many with actor Robert De Niro), and has even made cameos in movies like Memoirs of a Geisha.

Head to Nobu Miami at Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, located in Mid Beach, to get a taste of his famous cuisine, including the miso black cod, rock shrimp tempura in a creamy sauce, crispy tuna rice and the sushi and teriyaki dishes.

José Andrés

José Andrés is a James Beard Award-recognized chef, author, educator and TV personality who’s internationally recognized for his generous humanitarian efforts and for his cooking that takes diners on culinary adventures. His name is now attached to several Miami restaurants by the award-winning José Andrés Group.

Make the rounds at Andaz Miami Beach Resort, starting with a creative cocktail and bites at Bar Centro, followed by dinner at Aguasal. His famed The Bazaar by José Andrés is also set to open in 2026 at the hotel.

At the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, Zaytinya restaurant showcases his Mediterranean know-how with Turkish, Greek and Lebanese dishes.