Best Female Chef

Best Female Chef is an annual prize awarded since 2011 by The World's 50 Best Restaurants to a female chef for their lifetime achievement. The prize rewards culinary signature, professional influence, transmission to female cooks in training and international reach. Anne-Sophie Pic (Maison Pic, 2011), Elena Arzak (Arzak San Sebastian, 2012), Helena Rizzo (Mani Sao Paulo, 2014), Helene Darroze (2015), Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn San Francisco, 2016) and Pia Leon (Kjolle Lima, 2021) figure among the laureates. The prize has been the subject of debates about the relevance of a gendered category, some chefs preferring direct integration into mixed rankings (Source: The World's 50 Best Restaurants, 2026).