I am the type of moviegoer who loves planning to dine out after a night at the movies and chooses to save my appetite for when the credits roll. However, there are some films – such as Chef, for instance – that incorporate dining as an essential focal point to the story and might not be as suitable to watch on an empty stomach.
Well, if you are not craving anything at the moment, you just might be by the time you are finished watching any of the following essential food movies. We took a look at some of the best streaming services to subscribe to today to find all the best delicious food movies on streaming, available to rent, or on physical media.
Julie & Julia (2009)
Director: Nora Ephron
Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams
What it's about: The story of celebrity chef Julia Child and author and blogger Julie Powell, who attempted to make every item in Child’s first recipe book.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: Streep received an Oscar nomination for Julie & Julia – writer and director Nora Ephron’s unique experiment in combining two biopics into one, resulting in an endearing dramedy with many scrumptious delicacies to behold throughout.
- Stream Julie & Julia on Pluto TV
- Rent or buy Julie & Julia on Amazon
- Buy Julie & Julia on Blu-ray on Amazon
Soul Food (1997)
Director: George Tillman Jr.
Starring: Irma P. Hall, Vanessa Williams
What it's about: Tensions rise between a Chicago family after their gastronomically talented matriarch falls ill.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: Soul Food is an uplifting, star-studded drama that celebrates the powerful influence that good homemade cooking can have on a family’s relationship with one another.
How to watch Soul Food
- Stream Soul Food on Peacock
- Stream Soul Food on Tubi
- Rent or buy Soul Food on Amazon
- Buy Soul Food on DVD on Amazon
Mystic Pizza (1988)
Director: Donald Petrie
Starring: Julia Roberts, Annabeth Gish, and Lili Taylor
What it's about: The personal and romantic struggles of a trio of young women while working together at a pizza restaurant.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: You may see pizza in a whole new, more intimate light after watching one of Julia Roberts’ best rom-coms, Mystic Pizza.
- Stream Mystic Pizza on AMC+
- Stream Mystic Pizza on Pluto TV
- Rent or buy Mystic Pizza on Amazon
- Buy Mystic Pizza on Blu-ray on Amazon
Waitress (2007)
Director: Adrienne Shelly
Starring: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion
What it's about: Southern restaurant server Jenna Hunterson contends with an unhappy marriage, an unwanted pregnancy, and an unexpected romance with a local doctor.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: Also one of the best Nathan Fillion movies (he plays the doctor), one of the major appeals of the sweet and clever dramedy Waitress is seeing what kind of pie Jenna whips up in reference to her life’s latest pivotal event.
The Menu (2022)
Director: Mark Mylod
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult
What it's about: A young woman, her date, and others participating in a special dining event discover the celebrity chef curating the meal has sinister intentions.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: While the overall outcome of the unique dining experience in The Menu certainly proves unfavorable for most, it does not take an experienced foodie to tell that the courses prepared in this instant classic horror-comedy are to die for.
Delicious (2021)
Director: Éric Besnard
Starring: Grégory Gadebois, Isabelle Carré
What it's about: A recently fired personal chef, aided by a talented young woman, manages to turn his life around and make a groundbreaking change at the cusp of the French Revolution.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: The French-language historical dramedy Delicious tells the story of how the world’s first public restaurant came to be, so you can imagine there is quite a selection of specials to gaze upon.
- Stream Delicious on Amazon Prime
- Stream Delicious on Peacock
- Stream Delicious on Tubi
- Buy Delicious on DVD on Amazon
The Taste Of Things (2023)
Director: Anh Hung Tran
Starring: Benoît Magimel, Juliette Binoche
What it's about: The relationship between a gourmet chef and his renowned employee develops into something greater in 1889 France.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: Based on Marcel Rouff’s novel, The Taste of Things is a beautiful, infectious exploration of the connection between culinary arts and romance.
How to watch The Taste of Things
- Stream The Taste of Things on AMC+
- Rent or buy The Taste of Things on Amazon
- Buy The Taste of Things on Blu-ray on Amazon
Burnt (2015)
Director: John Wells
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Uma Thurman
What it's about: An American celebrity chef attempts to turn a low-rated London restaurant into a high-class hot spot after his destructive tendencies place him at the bottom of the food chain.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: A decade after starring as a chef in the short-lived sitcom Kitchen Confidential (based on a memoir by Anthony Bourdain) Cooper returned to the world of culinary arts in Burnt – a compelling dramedy from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Stephen Knight, which creates an authentic kitchen atmosphere thanks to hands-on cooking experts.
- Stream Burnt on Netflix
- Stream Burnt on Paramount+ with Showtime add-on
- Rent or buy Burnt on Amazon
- Buy Burnt on Blu-ray on Amazon
No Reservations (2007)
Director: Scott Hicks
Starring: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin
What it's about: An intimidatingly precise and temperamental chef butts heads with her restaurant’s latest hire as she unexpectedly becomes a guardian to her young niece.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: If the chemistry between Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart does not compel you, the food will, in No Reservations – a charming romantic comedy based on the 2001 German film Mostly Martha.
Chef (2014)
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara
What it's about: After his furious reactions to a harsh food critic ruin his career, the former head chef of a high-class restaurant invests in a food truck to reignite his reputation and relationship with his estranged family.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: Art imitates life in a more metaphorical sense for Iron Man helmer Jon Favreau’s return to more intimate films with the underrated food movie, Chef, which would later become a more literal part of his real life as host of the Netflix original cooking show, The Chef Show.
Big Night (1996)
Director: Stanley Tucci, Campbell Scott
Starring: Campbell Scott, Tony Shalhoub
What it's about: Two Italian-born brothers make one last attempt to save their restaurant on the night that a famous singer is scheduled to visit in 1950s New Jersey.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: Another example of a Marvel movie veteran directing himself in a food movie is the acclaimed dramedy Big Night, which is the directorial debut of Oscar nominee Tucci (who co-writes with Joseph Tropiano), who also indulges in culinary arts in real life outside of his film career.
Ratatouille (2007)
Director: Brad Bird
Starring: Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano
What it's about: A smarter-than-average rat receives the chance to live out his dream of cooking fancy food with the help of a young, talentless kitchen worker as his “avatar” at a prestigious Paris eatery.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: I think we can credit the Pixar movie classic Ratatouille with getting more young audiences interested in the world of fine dining, especially with its inspiring message that claims anyone (or even any species) may have what it takes to prepare great food.
Good Burger (1997)
Director: Brian Robbins
Starring: Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell
What it's about: A teenage slacker is forced to take a job for the summer at a local fast food place but ends up teaming with his overly enthusiastic co-worker to keep a corporate-run burger joint from running them out of business.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: Another great food movie for kids with another inspirational message (this one about standing up for local businesses) is Good Burger – one of the first Nickelodeon movies, and one based on a bit from the channel’s popular sketch comedy series, All That.
- Stream Good Burger on Amazon Prime
- Stream Good Burger on Paramount+
- Stream Good Burger on Pluto TV
- Buy Good Burger on Blu-ray on Amazon
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004)
Director: Danny Leiner
Starring: Jon Cho, Kal Penn
What it's about: An investment banker and his slacker best friend and roommate are desperate to cure their serious case of the munchies, only to see their quest interrupted by a series of increasingly bizarre circumstances, including a surprise meeting with Neil Patrick Harris (played by himself).
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: White Castle – a restaurant famous for serving up sliders for the past century – is not for everybody but you might get a craving while watching the acclaimed comedy classic Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, especially if you happen to be under the same influences as its titular heroes.
How to watch Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
- Rent or buy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle on Amazon
- Buy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle on Blu-ray on Amazon
Chocolat (2000)
Director: Lasse Hallström
Starring: Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp
What it's about: A single mother and daughter's chocolate business stir an uproar in a devoutly Catholic, French village, until the product causes a change of heart and spirit in the townsfolk.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: Now is the time to move on to dessert, which has rarely looked as satisfying as it does in Chocolat – an Oscar-nominated romantic dramedy about learning how to rediscover the sweeter things in life by giving into your sweet tooth.
- Stream Chocolat on Paramount+ with Showtime add-on
- Rent or buy Chocolat on Amazon
- Buy Chocolat on Blu-ray on Amazon
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971)
Director: Mel Stuart
Starring: Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum
What it's about: A poor boy becomes one of five lucky children who win the chance to tour a renowned candy factory owned by a mysterious, eccentric recluse who has plenty of bewildering surprises in store
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: The classic kids movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory stars the late, great Gene Wilder in the title role of a man who makes the candy business look like a wild, unbelievable fantasy in ways that only author Roald Dahl could imagine.
How to watch Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
- Rent or buy Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory on Amazon
- Buy Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory on Blu-ray on Amazon
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (2009)
Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Starring: Bill Hader, Anna Faris
What it's about: A wannabe inventor creates a machine that causes food to fall from the sky, which saves his financially starving town before causing even more problems.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: Another wild, unbelievable fantasy about food based on a classic children’s book is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – an inventive twist on Judi Barrett’s original story that also boasts a stunning, star-studded voice cast
How to watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
- Stream Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs on Paramount+
- Rent or buy Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs on Amazon
- Buy Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs on Blu-ray on Amazon
Sausage Party (2016)
Director: Conrad Vernon, Greg Tiernan
Starring: Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig
What it's about: A sausage learns the horrifying truth about his existence as a grocery store item and vows to warn his other edible friends before they end up on the menu.
Why it’s a truly delicious food movie: Another star-studded, animated fantasy story about food (but one that is certainly not for children) is Sausage Party – an inventive look at the world from the perspective of sentient food, which has a series continuation called Sausage Party: Foodtopia on Amazon Prime.
- Stream Sausage Party on Netflix
- Rent or buy Sausage Party on Amazon
- Buy Sausage Party on Blu-ray on Amazon
It may seem a little messed up (and almost inhumane) to include a title like Sausage Party on a list of movies about delicious food but what is wrong with throwing in a little extra variety for good measure? Either way, all of these titles should have exactly what food lovers and movie lovers alike need to satisfy their appetites.
