List of female chefs with Michelin stars
| Industry | Hospitality, Food and Beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1900 |
| Headquarters | France |
Women chefs were among the pioneers to receive Michelin star recognition. The Michelin Guide first introduced its star rating in 1926, adopting the three-star classification system by 1931. When the inaugural three-star awards were presented in 1933, female chefs Eugénie Brazier and Marie Bourgeois were included among the honorees. Additional women who have earned three stars include Marguerite Bise, Sophie Bise, Nadia Santini, Elena Arzak, Clare Smyth, Anne-Sophie Pic, Carme Ruscalleda, and Ana Roš.
While male chefs have traditionally dominated Michelin accolades, recent expansions of the guide have led to a rise in female recipients worldwide. The relatively small number of women awarded stars has sparked criticism, with Michelin attributing this to the overall low representation of women in professional kitchens.
History
The Michelin Guide originated in 1900 in France as a resource to encourage automobile travel. It shifted its focus towards gourmet dining in 1926 by introducing a single-star rating; the present three-star system was implemented in 1931, with the first trio of stars granted in 1933.
Élisa Blanc was the first woman to earn a Michelin star, receiving it in 1929. The earliest female chefs awarded three stars were Eugénie Brazier and Marie Bourgeois in 1933. Brazier held a unique distinction for two decades by maintaining six stars across two restaurants—a feat later exceeded by Alain Ducasse in 1998 and subsequently by Carme Ruscalleda, who accumulated seven stars across several establishments.
Some female chefs with Michelin stars minimize gender-based distinctions. For example, three-star chef Dominique Crenn rejected the title of "world's best female chef" in 2016, describing gender qualifiers as "diminishing, unnecessary and irrelevant."
Recent awards
Following World War II, Marguerite Bise became the third woman to achieve three Michelin stars at Auberge du Père Bise in 1950. It is frequently highlighted that a half-century elapsed before Anne-Sophie Pic became the fourth woman to secure this honor, despite Sophie Bise—Marguerite’s granddaughter—reclaiming the family restaurant’s three stars in 1985, alongside other female chefs such as Nadia Santini, Elena Arzak, and Clare Smyth earning similar distinctions during that period.
Although there has been an uptick in female chefs receiving Michelin stars recently, their numbers remain limited, mirroring the low proportion of women working professionally: 4.7% in the United States and 20% in the United Kingdom. This imbalance has led to criticism directed at the Michelin Guide, including concerns over wage disparities between male and female chefs.
After the 2018 New York City edition, Michelin director Michael Ellis remarked that the organization "can't do anything" to resolve this issue. A company representative further stated that while Michelin supports diversity and recognizes an increasing number of women entering culinary careers globally, it does not participate directly in culinary training or hiring processes.
At the 2025 Great Britain and Ireland awards ceremony, Emily Roux was the sole female chef honored and was presented with an oversized chef’s jacket designed for men. Subsequently, organizers screened a video featuring women chefs discussing subjects such as motherhood and hairstyles, which drew criticism for being condescending.
List of female chefs awarded Michelin stars
- Indicates chefs who received a Michelin star while serving as executive chef under a Chef Patron, who is also recognized for the star.
- Indicates chefs who earned a Michelin star as co-executive chef alongside another chef.
- § Indicates chefs who originally held stars under a Chef Patron or as co-executive chef but subsequently maintained or achieved those stars independently.
| Chef | Restaurant | Cuisine | Location | Current | Year awarded star | Reference(s) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Star | 2 Stars | 3 Stars | ||||||||||||||
| Lisa Allen | Northcote | British | File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom – Langho | Template:Michelin stars table cell | 2004 | – | – | |||||||||
| Janina AllgaierTemplate:Double-dagger | Bidlabu | Contemporary | File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany – Frankfurt | Template:Michelin stars table cell | 2025 | – | – | |||||||||
| Garima Arora | Gaa | Indian | File:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand – Bangkok | Template:Michelin stars table cell | 2018 | 2024 | – | |||||||||
| Elena ArzakTemplate:Double-dagger | Arzak | Basque | File:Flag of Spain.svg Spain – San Sebastián | Template:Michelin stars table cell | – | – | 2009 | |||||||||
| Frances Atkins | Yorke Arms | British | File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom – Ramsgill | Template:Michelin stars table cell | 2003 | – | – | |||||||||
| Mary Attea | The Musket Room | Contemporary | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States – New York City | Template:Michelin stars table cell | 2014 | – | – | |||||||||
| Adejoké Bakare | Chishuru | West African | File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom – London | Template:Michelin stars table cell | 2024 | – | – | |||||||||
| Jennifer Bañagale-Berdin‡ | Kadence | Japanese | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States – Orlando, Florida | Template:Michelin stars table cell | 2022 | – | – | |||||||||
| Nieves Barragán Mohacho | Barrafina / Sabor[1] | Spanish | File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom – London | 0 / 1 star currently at Sabor | 2013 / 2019 | – | – | align=center| | ||||||||
| Danni Barry | Eipic | Irish | Template:Country data "United Kingdom" – Belfast | closed | 2016 | – | – | align=center| | ||||||||
| Vita Bartininkaite | Pas mus | Modern | Template:Country data "Lithuania" – Vilnius | 1 star | 2024 | – | – | align=center| | ||||||||
| Virginie Basselot | Saint James Paris | French | Paris, France | closed | 2014 | – | – | align=center| | ||||||||
| Sonja Baumann‡ | NeoBiota | Modern | Cologne, Germany | 1 star | 2019 | – | – | |||||||||
| Emma Bengtsson | Restaurant Aquavit[2] | Nordic | New York City, USA | 2 stars | 2014 | 2014 | – | align=center| | ||||||||
| Cristina Bowerman | Glass Hostaria | Modern | Rome, Italy | 1 star | 2010 | – | – | align=center| | ||||||||
| Andrea Carlson | Burdock & Co | Contemporary | Vancouver, Canada | 1 star | 2022 | – | – | |||||||||
| Eun-hee Cho | Onjium | Korean | Seoul, South Korea | 1 star | 2020 | – | – | |||||||||
| Ali Clem | la Barbecue | Barbecue | Austin, Texas, USA | 1 star | 2024 | – | – | |||||||||
| Amanda Cohen | Dirt Candy | Vegetarian | New York City, USA | 1 star | 2022 | - | - | |||||||||
| Atelier Crenn / Bar Crenn / Luce | French / Contemporary / Mediterranean | San Francisco, USA | 3 /1 / closed | 2012 /2019 /2009 | 2013 / - / - | 2019 / - / - | ||||||||||
| Hélène Darroze à Villa La Coste / Hélène Darroze at the Connaught / Marsan | Modern | France and London, UK | 1 /3 /2 | 2022 /2009 /2001 | - /2011 /2003 | - /2021 /- | ||||||||||
| La Dame de Pic (Dubai/London/Paris) / Maison Pic / Pic Beau-Rivage Palace | French | UAE/France/Switzerland | 1/2/1/3/2 | 2024/2018/2013/-/ - | -/2020/-/1997/- | -/-/-/2007/- | ||||||||||
| CORE by Clare Smyth / Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | British/French | London, UK | 3 stars (CORE) | -/ - | 2019/ - | 2021/2006 (Gordon Ramsay) | ||||||||||
| n/naka | Japanese | Los Angeles, USA | 1 star | 2024 | 2019 | – | ||||||||||
| Bacchanalia | American | Atlanta, USA | 1 star | 2023 | – | align=center| | ||||||||||
| Hiša Franko | Slovenian | Kobarid, Slovenia | 3 stars | – | 2020 | 2023 | align=center| | |||||||||
| Fifth Floor / Frances / Octavia | American/Californian | San Francisco, USA | closed/none/none | 2007/2011/2016 | – | align=center| | ||||||||||
