10 Shows Like ‘The Bear’ That Are Worth Watching
Kitchens are pressure cookers (pun more or less intended), whether you’re trying to elevate your own high-end restaurant to preserve some family legacy or just trying to keep the pasta from boiling over at home. Cooking is a daunting task, even if the only person you can say “yes, chef” to is yourself.
The Bear ‘s 2022 debut kicked off a new wave of interest in a particular subgenre of shows that explore the stresses and joys of food and the restaurant business. These shows approach these topics from different angles and in different tones — some will keep your intense Bear buzz going, while others will serve to take the heat off.
Julia (2022–2023, two seasons)
It’s a good time to return to Julia Child. At a critical time in American culture, she reinvented herself multiple times, first when she taught herself to cook in her late 40s, parlaying her talent into a best-selling cookbook; and then when she moved to television, becoming an unexpected celebrity in the process. Though they’re not strictly related, the 2009 film Julie & Julia focused on Child’s rise to fame, while this series shines a light on the chef (Sarah Lancashire, serving up an absolutely flawless performance) in her early days in the spotlight, as she navigated the upheavals of her own life and the broader cultural shifts happening at the time. The show makes clear just how transformative Child was for our television and cultural landscape, even if her kitchen wasn’t quite the pressure cooker we see in something like The Bear . You can stream Julia on HBO Max .
Midnight Diner (2009–2019, five seasons)
The “Master” cooks up relatively simple, appealing comfort food at his atmospheric Tokyo diner, where he’s joined by regulars and newcomers with their own distinct quirks and personal dramas. Think High Maintenance , but in a fixed location, with a lot more food. It’s definitely a less stressful alternative to Karmi’s kitchen nightmares. You’ll find the first three seasons of the show streaming simply as Midnight Diner , and the last two as Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories. You can stream Midnight Diner onNetflix .
Sweetbitter (2018 – 2019, two seasons)
Taking a different approach to restaurant culture (and a different city), Sweetbitter is based on the novel of the same name by Stephanie Danler, who based it on her experiences as a waitress in New York City (she also created the series and wrote the pilot). Yellowjackets ’ Ella Purnell plays Tess, 21, at the start of the series, when she arrives in town and lands a job at an upscale restaurant. As we (and she) quickly learn, there’s at least as much drama in the service industry (including drugs, booze, and sex) as there is in the kitchen. You can stream Sweetbitter on Starz or rent it on Prime Video.
Itaewon Class (2022, one season)
In many ways, this wildly popular Korean drama feels like a model of the form, at least for American audiences who may have limited exposure to Korean television beyond Squid Game . It has action and family drama, and a gripping love triangle, but it also touches on themes of class and injustice. Park Sae-ro-i (Park Seo-joon) has just been released from prison after being wrongfully imprisoned for three years with only one goal in mind: turn a pub into the biggest, best restaurant chain in South Korea (which will also serve as his own brand of revenge against those who saw him in prison). Itaewon is one of Seoul’s most diverse neighborhoods, and Sae-ro-i’s ambitious plan attracts a found family of misfits who want to help turn the bar into something truly impressive. You can stream Itaewon Class onNetflix .
Chief! (1993–1996, three seasons)
Although slightly less well-known in the US, British sitcom Chef! remains a fan favourite for its clever writing, impressive production values and (often) wicked sense of humour. Lenny Henry plays the perfectionist, overbearing Gareth Blackstock, one of English comedy’s finest jerks, the kind of near-hopeless character who could never lead an American sitcom. There are family elements, but the show also deals with the nitty-gritty of cooking gourmet meals – not just the cooking (though there’s plenty of that), but the logistics and economics of food obsession. You can stream Chef! on Tubi and Britbox.
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2013–2018, 12 seasons)
A photo of Anthony Bourdain hangs on the wall of Carmi’s kitchen, and it’s easy to see the connection: Bourdain’s career has combined a passion for food with an unwillingness to suffer fools. For Bourdain, food wasn’t a means to an end; it was a means to explore culture and community — and Parts Unknown accomplishes that mission. While the show takes the chef around the world, season seven brings him to Chicago and sees him sit down to a grilled steak sandwich at local landmark Ricobene’s. You can stream Parts Unknown on HBO Max , Discovery+, and the Roku Channel, or buy episodes on Prime Video .
From Zero (2022, mini-series)
A big step away from the tense drama of Carmi’s kitchen, From Scratch takes us to Florence, Italy, following art student Amy (Zoe Saldanha). There, she meets and falls in love with Sicilian chef Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea). It’s sweet and sentimental without being shy, but the acting keeps it from feeling cloying. It’s based, roughly, on the memoir of Tembi Locke (who co-created the show), and draws us into the world of high-end Italian cuisine just as Amy is drawn into the world of chef Lino. You can stream From Scratch onNetflix .
Shameless (2011 – 2021, 11 seasons)
I’m talking about Shameless mainly because of Jeremy Allen White, who plays Lip, the second child of Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy) and the man forced to act as his family’s guardian (along with older sister Fiona), despite his fiery temper and struggle with drug addiction. Both comedies/dramas follow complex, mostly dysfunctional Chicago families that nonetheless find ways to stick together (for better and for worse). In both shows, White’s characters become the turbulent, reluctant glue that holds everything together. You can stream Shameless onNetflix .
Gentefied (2020 – 2021, two seasons)
A half-hour comedy-drama with an emphasis on comedy, Gentefied follows three Mexican-American cousins who have built a life in Los Angeles, only to find themselves faced with a new problem: the encroaching gentrification of the neighborhood they helped build with their family taco shop. Much like The Bear captures a sense of Chicago’s distinct food culture, Gentefied has an embedded sense of place and culture. This bilingual series has plenty of heart, and the second season is even better than the first. You can stream Gentefied onNetflix.
Next Level Chef (2022–, four seasons)
The reality competition show Next Level Chef , which features Gordon Ramsay alongside judges Nayesha Arrington and Richard Blais, simulates the tense atmosphere of a professional kitchen with a little less swearing than you might get elsewhere, but just as many people shouting “yes, chef!” The judges here also act as mentors for the culinary hopefuls, who are assigned to three kitchens: one fully decorated, one very simple, and a third that’s more or less in the middle. It’s a little more intense than Bake-Off , but certainly less dramatic than The Bear (even considering the real stakes for the contestants), so it might be a good way to unwind after a recent Bear binge. You can stream Next Level Chef on Hulu .