The Best Books, Movies, Video Games, and Podcasts to Listen to After Watching the Bear.
The Bear is a phenomenon not only because it’s so entertaining to watch what goes on in the kitchen, but also because it’s one of the best shows on television when it comes to depicting family drama, intergenerational trauma, and the intense pressure one feels to be the best at something.
Carmi Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) is a struggling artist who may be one of the world’s best chefs, but his self-doubt drives the series relentlessly toward uncertainty. Add to this the precision and pressure of a high-end restaurant and a kitchen run by a team, and you have the perfect recipe for drama and humor. Plus, there’s the chance to watch passionate chefs create mouth-watering dishes.
If you’re looking for something similar, we’ve already told you about the TV series that’s worth watching , but there are plenty of books, movies, games, and podcasts that also share the spirit and themes of The Bear .
The best books similar to The Bear
“The Bear” is a rich narrative with rich, nuanced characters. In other words, it’s like a novel in TV series format. There are many wonderful books that offer similar experiences.
Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Undercover: Adventures in the Culinary Underground”
If you enjoy peeking behind the scenes at fine dining and truly love food, head to this classic of the genre. Bourdain’s 2000 memoir was a revelation, detailing how fine dining kitchens really work, with all their imperfections. It made Bourdain a star and is an obvious precursor (and inspiration) to The Bear .
Foolish Hospitality by Will Guidara
This book directly influenced many of the storylines in The Bear , and in particular, influenced the evolution of Richie’s character: from an angry brute who disdained fine dining, he transformed into a man of determination. Former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, one of the world’s finest restaurants, Will Guidara writes about how to make every restaurant experience personal, memorable, and thoughtful. If you want to know what drives Carmi and his company to such extremes, this book will explain it all.
“Mad Mess ” by Emily Belden
If you enjoyed “The Bear” for its twisted interpersonal dramas unfolding in the kitchen, check out “Hot Mess,” which offers a look at the situation through the eyes of those harmed by an unreliable, mentally ill culinary genius. Ellie Simon is captivated by the handsome, charming, and undeniably talented chef Benji Zane—so much so that she invests her entire savings in his new restaurant. When he relapses into addiction and disappears just weeks before opening, Ellie must take a crash course in the restaurant business before she loses everything.
Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler.
Love the behind-the-scenes details of the restaurant business in The Bear ? Sweet Bittersweet is the perfect complement. It’s like Kitchen Confidential turned into a soap opera about a young woman who takes a job at a trendy restaurant in downtown New York. She’s immersed in pressure, drama, drugs, and culture, and the book offers a mix of revelations and personal experiences that fans of the show will love. ( The TV adaptation is also hilarious.)
Last Night at the Lobster by Stuart O’Nan.
Is a Red Lobster restaurant in a New England shopping mall comparable to a fine-dining establishment aiming for a Michelin star? No, but it’s no less dramatic. This short novel about a manager trying to work his last shift at a fast-food joint during a severe snowstorm is full of every kind of conflict, chaos, and culinary mishap imaginable. The setting may be simple (though those Cheddar Bay biscuits are absolutely delicious), but the story is just as gripping and tense.
Best Movies Like The Bear
If your main complaint about The Bear is that the episodes are too short, good news: there are plenty of films that capture the wacky world of high-end cooking and the eccentrics who work there.
Big Night (1996)
Set in the 1950s, Big Night follows brothers who recently immigrated to the United States from Italy and their attempt to save their failing restaurant on the Jersey Shore. It is a precursor to The Bear . Faced with customers who prefer Americanized versions of their cuisine and a crushing debt, the brothers devise a “Big Night” to fill the restaurant and raise enough money to save their dream. From there, the (often hilarious) tension mounts. Watch Big Night on Hoopla or rent it on Prime Video .
Boiling Point (2021)
Are your favorite Bear episodes the ones where everything goes wrong in the kitchen and the pace accelerates to a breakneck pace? Then “Boiling Point” is the perfect movie for you. Presented as a single 90-minute take, it follows chef Andy Jones (Stephen Graham) during a disastrous shift at his restaurant. It all starts with a bad health inspection, and it only gets worse from there. Bonus: if you liked the movie, the BBC has released a sequel season with the same cast . Watch “Boiling Point” on Kanopy or rent it on Prime Video .
Chef (2014)
Less intense and more relaxed and intimately paced, “Chef” nonetheless taps into all of “The Bear’s ” strengths. When chef Carl Casper is fired from a successful restaurant after a social media scandal and a conflict with the owner, he opens a food truck to return to his culinary roots. If you appreciate the idea that a passion for cooking can save (or destroy) your soul, check this film out. Watch “Chef” onNetflix or rent it on Prime Video .
Burnt (2015)
If your favorite part of “The Bear” was Carmi’s tormented genius, then “Burnt” is a great way to spend a few hours. It’s the story of Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper), a superstar chef from Paris with two Michelin stars who ruined his career due to addiction and simply being a terrible person. After quitting drinking, he heads to London to return and earn a third star, but he still has a lot of self-improvement to do. The film is lighter than “The Bear,” but still full of self-destructive drama. Watch “Burnt” on The Roku Channel/Howdy or rent it on Prime Video .
Hunger (2023)
If you enjoy stories about talented people haunted by inner demons and pushing themselves to the limits, check out this Thai masterpiece. Aoi (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) works as a cook at a struggling family street food restaurant. When she’s spotted by a recruiter from the incredibly prestigious restaurant “Hunger,” she’s invited to develop her skills there—and finds herself in a stress-filled nightmare world that will remind fans of “The Bear” of Carmi’s time working under Chef David. Watch “Hunger” onNetflix .
The best video games like The Bear
Do you dream of mastering the physical challenges of the Bear game—the precision of serving, turning, stirring, and frying ingredients, and balancing waiters? You’ll love recreating that feeling in some games similar to the Bear .
PlateUp!
Want to feel the adrenaline rush that comes with running a restaurant, but don’t want to spend all night washing dishes and cooking vegetables? PlateUp! is a restaurant management simulator that truly gets your heart racing. You can design your establishment however you like, but if you disappoint even one customer (for example, by taking too long for their order), your restaurant will fail. You can earn upgrades, but with them comes additional challenges, and the more people come for dinner, the more intense the gameplay becomes.
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam
Overcooked!
For an even more exciting restaurant gaming experience, gather your friends and try Overcooked and Overcooked 2. Across a series of increasingly bizarre locations, you and your friends must, like Iron Chefs , execute complex orders, cooking everything to the letter while avoiding obstacles and traps. The graphics are delightfully cartoonish, but the gameplay is frantic, and there’s no better way to experience the thrill of working in a kitchen with perfect teamwork than opening your own restaurant.
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam
Cooking simulator
Want to feel like a master chef like Karmi, creating complex dishes to order? Cooking Simulator is a physics-based game that realistically recreates the cooking process, challenging you to try your hand at nearly 100 different recipes. You can play in Sandbox mode, creating improvised dishes, or choose Career mode and strive to become a world-famous chef by balancing the cost of ingredients with your skill. Bonus: before the game starts, quarrel with your partner for a truly satisfying Bear -style experience.
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam
Recipe for disaster
Did you enjoy the first season of “The Bear” for its arduous struggle to save Chicago’s “The Original Beef” restaurant, as well as the strange characters who worked there? Then check out “Recipe for Disaster,” a game-like version of ” Kitchen Nightmares.” You’re tasked with saving a series of failing restaurants. You choose who to hire, the equipment, and the decor, but you must also ensure your employees don’t go crazy with nervous breakdowns, cook to order, and delight your customers.
Platforms: Steam
Chef: Restaurant Tycoon Simulator Game
Want to follow Carmi’s journey from a wayward teenager who loves cooking to a wayward, world-famous chef who hates his life? Then check out Chef: A Restaurant Tycoon Game . You start as the owner and head chef of a small, unremarkable restaurant; your goal is to become a world-renowned chef with multiple award-winning establishments. Choose your cuisine and menu, develop your skills, and create highly customized establishments—then work yourself to the bone to make them successful.
Platforms: Steam
The best podcasts like “The Bear”
The world of the Bear is astonishing in its detail and complexity, but much is left to interpretation, sparking endless debate. Podcasts are a great way to prolong this experience, so here are a few of the best worth listening to.
Let It Rip: The Bear ‘Cast
Hosts Lucy and Peter dedicate each episode of the Let It Rip podcast to a single episode of The Bear , offering lighthearted yet serious analysis and delving into the details, backstory, and culinary references of each. It’s a fun and informative way to delve deeper into the show and enjoy an outside perspective.
Prestige TV Podcast
For a more in-depth, expertly crafted look at The Bear , listen to The Prestige TV Podcast’s episodes dedicated to the show. These short, well-written synopses recount the events of each episode and interview the people involved in the creation of this stunning entertainment.
Menu
If watching “The Bear” sparked your interest in high-end culinary arts, then “Menu” is sure to captivate you. It explores every aspect of the restaurant business in detail: from the stories behind classic dishes to interviews with renowned chefs and the development (and operation) of professional kitchens that serve the world’s finest cuisine.
The Dave Chang Show
If your favorite moments on The Bear podcast are when Carmi and Sydney discuss food and the gastronomic magic that goes into it, listen to Dave Chang’s incredible podcast . He covers a wide range of topics, but always returns to cooking and his personal experiences as one of the country’s most renowned chefs.
So you want to open a restaurant?
The “Bear” podcast has opened many eyes to what it really takes to successfully (or even unsuccessfully) run a restaurant. It’s an endlessly fascinating topic, which this podcast explores in depth, interviewing chefs, owners, and other staff about what goes into running a high-end restaurant—and how much it costs those who do it. “So You Want to Run a Restaurant?” will give you a new appreciation for the show and might even inspire you to re-watch it with a fresh perspective.