Lebanese cuisine travels well, and so do our chefs. Across the world culinary legends from Lebanon are reimagining tradition through flavor and craft. Whether rooted in memory or shaped by innovation, their food tells a story. These chefs are carrying Lebanon with them and sharing it, one plate at a time.
1. Alan Geaam
Paris‑based chef Alan Geaam hails from Tripoli. He earned a Michelin star in 2018 at his eponymous restaurant after a journey from dishwasher to head chef. He has since expanded with projects like the Lebanese bistro Qasti in Paris and Lausanne and published “Mon Liban,” blending personal narrative with traditional recipes.
2. Charbel Hayek
Born in Beirut and currently based in Los Angeles, Charbel Hayek specializes in Lebanese Levantine cuisine with a Californian twist. A Top Chef Arabia winner and Top Chef: World All‑Stars alumnus, he runs restaurants Ladyhawk, Laya (with a branch in San Diego) and BarVera all celebrating market‑fresh ingredients.
3. Cynthia Bitar
Owner and executive chef of Nazira Catering, a top-tier MENA catering business, Cynthia Bitar is a member of France’s Académie Nationale de Cuisine. She recently opened Lisbon’s Touta, a restaurant blending Lebanese tradition with Portuguese flavors in a “cuisine libre” style.
4. Joey Attieh
Founder of Albé and Âme in Barcelona, Joey Attieh has taken Lebanese flavors to Spain with a focus on local ingredients and refined technique. A Les Roches graduate, he was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and entered the Michelin Guide before turning 30.
5. Karim Bourgi
Karim Bourgi was born in Senegal to Lebanese parents. Trained in Paris, the renowned pastry chef is a veteran of Ladurée and Fauchon, and leads pastry for Al Mana Group and La Maison du Chocolat in the Middle East. He also runs dessert boutiques KAYU, CALLA and the gelato shop OPPA. Among his many achievements, Bourgi was named Best Pastry Chef in MENA’s 50 Best.
6. Maureen Abbood
Maureen Abood is a Lebanese-American author, baker and storyteller. After culinary school in San Francisco, she launched her blog and wrote “Rose Water & Orange Blossoms,” sharing family‑rooted Lebanese recipes. She also runs an online shop selling Lebanese pantry staples.
7. Phil Khoury
Australian-Lebanese pastry chef Phil Khoury former Head Pastry Chef at London’s Harrods (2018–2025). Known for plant-based desserts and his cookbook A New Way to Bake (2023), which won multiple awards including the Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Award.
8. Philippe Massoud
Chef and owner of Ilili in New York, Philippe Massoud blends fine dining with the warmth of Lebanese hospitality. Trained in hotel management and shaped by childhood in Beirut’s Coral Beach Hotel, he brings decades of global culinary experience to one of the city’s most ambitious Middle Eastern restaurants.
9. Tara Khattar
Educated at Institut Paul Bocuse and NYU, Lebanese chef and writer Tara Khattar was the first contestant from the Middle East on Top Chef France. She subsequently won the competition Chopped twice. She authored “Liban” and now leads Maison Tara, a multisensory hospitality studio in New York.
10. Yasmina Hayek
Yasmina Hayek i xecutive Head Chef of Em Sherif Group, awarded Middle East’s Best Female Chef 2025. First Middle Eastern woman to win a Michelin Young Chef Award. Trained at Paul Bocuse and Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe, she leads the brand’s global expansion.
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