If you find yourself watching The Bear and loving every episode and wanting something more, something similar to the series, but you can’t wait until season three, you might find yourself looking for something that matches what The Bear accomplished. Movies and shows that match the hype and drawn-out cooking scenes that sucked you into the HULU show, plus the found family aspect that made you appreciate each character.
The Bear does a lot of things right by making the audience care about every single character, especially special guest stars that only have one episode but still leave a lasting impression on the audience. If you find yourself looking for the next show or movie to watch that’s similar to The Bear, and find yourself saying "Yes Chef!" more often, take a look at these ten options.
Big Night (1996)
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Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub, playing brothers who own an Italian restaurant, will please just about anyone who puts this film on in search of a cozy cooking movie that values comedic timing as well as cheap laughs. They’re on the Jersey Shore, and it's the 1950s, meaning that they are slightly struggling with the Americanized version of Italian food and aren’t successful at bringing in large crowds of people.
They’re behind on payment, so they devise a plan for one big night. Their uncle lies to them about inviting a famous jazz singer to the restaurant to gather a massive amount of customers. You’ll watch as the two brothers pour every last bit of money into food for this big night, how they fight when it becomes apparent that it was all a scam, and then how they reconcile over an omelet when the night is over.
Chef (2014)
Chef is one of Jon Favreau’s best movies because of how much heart and love you can feel throughout this film. Favreau stars as Carl Casper, a well-known chef who prides himself on his cooking and the fine dining restaurant where he’s head chef. After a well-known food critic comes to the restaurant and leaves a very poor review on Casper’s menu of the night, Carl goes a bit out of control and goes viral for verbally attacking the critic.
He goes into hiding for a bit until he decides to buy a food truck and takes his estranged son along with him on a major life decision to make food his own way. It’s a very great and comforting film that you can watch at any point in your life and feel inspired and also hungry as you watch Carl make several mouth-watering dishes.
Burnt (2015)
Bradley Cooper as Adam Jones in Burnt is a combination of Carmy and Richie from The Bear, and if you favor those two characters, you’ll enjoy this film. Burnt follows a chef who’s an addict and seemingly messes up his own life by letting his affiliation with drugs ruin his career, and he works to combat that. It’s a very real moment if you’ve ever read a book written by a chef, such as anything by Anthony Bourdain, where Jones punishes himself by shucking a million oysters in order to sober up.
The ending of this film is really special as the entire crew shares a meal together, matching what often happens in The Bear, calling it "family". It’s a redemption story and also features some great dishes, so if that sounds like something you’d enjoy, definitely add it to the list.
Midnight Diner (2009-2014)
This Japanese series based on the manga of the same name written by Shin’ya Shokudo follows a diner open from midnight to seven in the morning and the owner who runs the shop. As you watch each episode, you’ll be longing for this type of trip - to travel somewhere you’ve never been and stumble across a diner only open in the middle of the night.
Master, the man who owns the shop, only has a few things on his menu, such as pork miso soup, beer, sake, and soju. However, he’s lenient with his regular customers, and if they want something not on the menu, he usually makes it for them. It’s a great show with different characters as customers filter through each episode, and the advice Master gives is pretty good.
Boiling Point (2021)
If you enjoyed episode seven of the first season of The Bear and appreciated how it captured one very bad day at the restaurant, you’ll find that same energy in Boiling Point. This film is very tense and high-strung, with a number of bad things happening one after the other in this high-end restaurant. A health inspection goes wrong, chefs have money problems, and a number of painfully rude guests come through, all in the span of a few hours. You won’t see where the plot will take you with each turn, and by the time the credits roll, you might be thinking differently about the waitstaff in the next restaurant you go to.
Family Business (2019-2021)
You’ll enjoy this French show if you can relate to Richie Jerimovich in season one, when he admitted he had to sell cocaine in the back of The Beef to make ends meet during COVID. This family-style restaurant focuses on a man named Joseph who wants bigger things for his family, a business that goes past their Kosher butcher shop.
So he discovers that marijuana is being legalized in France and decides to take part in the drug sales through the restaurant, using the storefront as a front for what’s really going on. It’s compared to Breaking Bad regarding the drug process, and if you enjoy the qualities and slightly shady side characters from The Bear, you’re sure to like Family Business.
Julie & Julia (2009)
In The Bear, you see several character arcs and developments, and of course, cooking. If you particularly enjoyed that part of the show, then you should definitely check out Julie & Julia. The film is split up into two parts and two time periods: the 1950s, when Julia Child is learning how to cook in France and writing her own cookbook, and the early 2000s, when Julie Powell has taken it upon herself to create every single recipe Child wrote in her cookbook.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be browsing bookstores for the famous cookbook, and you’ll feel very content by the end of this great and underrated film. Meryl Streep as Julia Child is perfection, and Amy Adams portrays someone taking on a big project after feeling lost very well.
No Reservations (2007)
If you like romantic comedies and didn’t really appreciate the romantic relationship that was featured in the newest season of The Bear, you should give No Reservations a shot. This film follows a hard-headed chef named Kate, who prides herself on being intimidating and is feared by most of her staff. When a tragic accident takes the life of her sister, her young niece has to come to live with her, flipping Kate’s life upside down in the process.
Kate grows as a person and as a chef as she hires a new sous-chef, Nick Palmer, whom she tries not to have feelings for, but things happen naturally over time. You’ll be swooning as you watch Nick bond with young Zoe and encourage her to eat, since she hasn’t had a full meal since her mom died.
Kitchen Confidential (2005-2006)
In 2000, legendary Chef and adventure man Anthony Bourdain published a book titled Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, and five years later a show was released under the same name. Bradley Cooper appears in this list once again as a washed-up chef who’s trying to get his life back on track after abusing drugs and alcohol by taking over a restaurant called Nolita.
His character, Jack Bourdain, is based on Anthony Bourdain’s life and what he wrote in his book. The show only has one season, but it’s a neat watch if you’ve read Bourdain’s book and also enjoy what The Bear consists of regarding drama between coworkers.
Anthony Bourdain: A Cook's Tour (2002-2003)
Anthony Bourdain is one of the biggest celebrity chefs that had the level of success that he had when he was still alive, and his legacy still lives on today. He had several shows, books, and documentaries that he was involved in that are still relevant and enjoyable to watch today. One of his best shows that ran for two seasons is A Cook’s Tour, where he takes his audience all over the world and shows them the back side of the industry as well as mouth-watering dishes. You follow Bourdain to France, where he spent a lot of his childhood, Spain, Vietnam, Provincetown, Massachusetts, New York City, and more.