Few things look more delicious than a good meal in food-related anime, whether it be the soup and eggs from a Ghibli movie or an elaborate bento from a slice-of-life series. Given this, it’s no surprise that quality food-related anime series are plenty abundant, and some of the best ones are plenty worth highlighting.
Like many things in anime, cooking is often portrayed as a battle between rivals, competing to create the best dish that will literally knock the diner’s socks off. However, some anime take it slow and focus on the relationships between the chefs and their customers, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere in the show.
25 Red Cat Ramen Is As Cute & Fun As One Would Expect It To Be
Anime Series By E&H Production; Based On The Manga By Angyaman
While it might not have the best visuals most of the time, especially compared to E&H Production’s other works, Red Cat Ramen still more than succeeds at having an entertaining and often goofy take on a simple premise, and it’s always fun to watch because of that. It’s a cooking anime that never pretends to be more than what it is, and overall, it more than succeeds because of that.
24 Bonjour Sweet Love Patisserie Shows Off An Adorably Sweet Romance
Anime Series By Silver Link & Connect; Directed By Noriaki Akitaya
Bonjour Sweet Love Patisserie is an anime series that takes viewers on a tasty journey into the world of confectionery and romance. Set at the renowned Fleurir Confectionery Academy, the series follows Sayuri Haruno, a gifted and driven girl with a passion for confectionery. She gets a scholarship to the academy, hoping to become a master of the art of confectionery.
The animation, produced by Silver Link, is notable for its lively colors and intricate portrayals of appetizing desserts that feel too real to be trapped behind a screen. Each episode is a visual treat, showcasing the intricate details of the art of confectionery, from the smooth surface of a chocolate ganache to the delicate layers of a mille-feuille. The anime perfectly captures the spirit of youthful ambition and the sweetness of first love, making it an absolute delight to watch.
23 Cinderella Chef Follows a Time-Traveling Culinary Princess
Anime Series By Wawayu Animation; Based On The Novel By Ziyi 281
Ye Jia Yao is a modern chef with a passion for Chinese cuisine. She dreams of becoming the country’s top chef. While experimenting with a recipe, she’s suddenly catapulted back to Imperial China. In a classic Isekai scenario, she wakes up in the body of a magistrate’s daughter, now named Ye Jin Xuan. Just as she’s processing this, bandits raid her village and kidnap her.
In this intriguing setting, spectators are taken on a journey with the young cook, enhanced by excellent envinroment drawings and vivid portrayals of life in ancient China.
22 Bartender: Glass Of God Masterfully Escapes Conventionality
Anime Series By Liber; Based On The Manga By Araki Joh & Kenji Nagatomo
An anime in anthology form, each episode of Bartender focuses on Ryu Sasakura trying to discover the favorite drink of the customers and guests of the Cardinal Hotel. He, of course, always manages to serve the perfect drink that gets to the core of each of his guests, their personalities, and experiences. It’s a great option for anime fans who want to see something a bit different from the conventional approach to a culinary-focused anime.
The drinks served aren’t just beverages, they’re symbolic keys that unlock deep, introspective journeys, giving viewers a reflective experience that is surprisingly profound. Bartender: Glass of God isn’t just about cocktails; it’s about the human connections forged over a shared drink, the solace found in a quiet moment, and the stories that unfold in the warm glow of a well-loved bar. For those seeking a series that offers more than just entertainment, this anime is a testament to the healing power of a well-crafted drink and a listening ear.
21 Dagashi Kashi Has Plenty Of Fun With An Unconventional Premise
Anime Series By Tezuka Productions; Based On The Manga By Kotoyama
Tezuka Productions’ Dagashi Kashi does a great job of making the obscure world of Japanese confectionery entertaining with things like great visuals and the same clever writing that made the author’s second series, Call of the Night, just as much of a hit. There are few food anime as funny and clever as Dagashi Kashi, and that makes it plenty worth watching, even for those unfamiliar with the subject matter.
20 Toriko Throws Punches For Precious Ingredients
Anime Series By Toei Animation; Based On The Manga By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro
Originally created by the controversial Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro, Toriko is an excellent anime with a different approach to a culinary-themed series. While most shows depict everyday challenges faced by chefs and everything in between, Toriko follows the titular Toriko, a hulking “Gourmet Hunter”, who’s hired by these same cooks to seek out the rarest and most exotic ingredients from around the world.
The anime series is filled with plenty of exciting shonen action and adventure, great fight scenes, and some really original creatures. It’s a very different take on most cooking anime, and it’s a great place to start for anyone who’s even a little bit interested in the genre.
19 Yumeiro Patissiere Is The Best Kind Of Shojo Fluff
Anime Series By Pierrot & Studio Hibari; Based On The Manga By Natsumi Matsumoto
Amateur chef Ichigo transfers to the prestigious St. Marie Academy to become a patissiere. Despite her clumsiness and inability to get along with her upper-class classmates, Ichigo proves to be a baking prodigy and stuns everyone regularly with her incredible bakes.
Ichigo means strawberry in Japanese, which is why the fruit is featured so prominently throughout the series.
Ichigo works hard at improving her skills, practicing throughout the night to get certain recipes right. While she has an innate gift, her friends and the Sweet Spirits that watch over the campus help her enormously, giving her tips and supporting her as she surpasses many people who initially looked down on her. Though the series is full of classic Shojo tropes, Yumeiro Patissiere’s undeniable sweetness and good heart earn it a place among the best food-related anime.
18 Ramen Fighter Miki Combines Food, Action, & Comedy
Anime Series By Telecom Animation Film; Based On The Manga By Jun Sadogawa
Ramen Fighter Miki is about a young girl named Miki who works for a ramen restaurant and frequently finds herself involved in over-the-top incidents involving her job. As the title suggests, Miki’s antics frequently involve her getting into fights, ultimately adding a bit of action to this gag comedy series.
This combination of action, comedy, and, of course, food gives Ramen Fighter Miki a unique edge in terms of its contemporaries. While it is a relatively simple series, that simplicity is often comforting in the same way that a homemade dish is, making Ramen Fighter Miki one of the best food anime.
17 Ristorante Paradiso Is Comfort Food At Its Finest
Anime Series By David Production; Based On The Manga By Natsume Ono
Ristorante Paradiso follows Nicoletta, a young woman who travels to Rome to confront her mother for abandoning her. Finding that her mother has started a new restaurant, Nicoletta agrees to stay in Rome and live in an apartment nearby the restaurant. The show has tons of drama packed into its short runtime, with relationship problems and endearing characters keeping the audience entertained throughout.
Although the show may be slow-paced, Ristorante Paradiso’s cast of characters and delicious food scenes make up for it, propelling the show along with a delightfully sophisticated atmosphere, making it very different from the usual battle-style food anime seen in series like Food Wars.
16 Campfire Cooking in Another World Proves Fantasy & Food Mix Well Together
Anime Series By Mappa; Based On The Light Novel By Ren Eguchi
The “my useless skill is secretly overpowered” subgenre of isekai has never been more popular, which is why it’s a surprise that a series like Campfire Cooking in Another World can still find room to make the concept fresh. One of the best isekai anime of all time, Campfire Cooking sees a group of Japanese people given magical powers as they’re transported a fantasy world so they can aid a kingdom under siege from demons. The main character, Mukohda, is given the strange power of Online Supermarket which allows him to conjure food from the real world.
In addition to the incredible depiction of food, Campfire Cooking is also just a good fantasy story that uses its premise well. As Studio Ghibli proved, food and fantasy go well, which is why Campfire Cooking in Another World ranks among the best food anime.
15 Wakakozake Proves the Healing Power of a Good Meal
Anime Series By Office DCI; Based On The Manga By Chie Shinkyu
Gag series are usually aimed at a younger generation of anime fans, which is why Wakakozake so surprising. The series follows a young salary worker named Wakako who likes to unwind after a tough day at work with food and booze at various locations. Helping sell the jokes related to food and alcohol is Wakako’s unique character design which always enhances the comedy of any situation she’s in.
Unlike most food-related anime, Wakakozake isn’t necessarily about the cooking or production of food, but instead about the healing power of eating it, making the series quite a unique food anime.
14 Fighting Foodons Was Anime Goofiness At Its Finest
Anime Series By Group TAC; Based On The Manga By Naoto Tsushima
While it would be easy to brush off Fighting Foodons as just another Pokémon ripoff, the way Fighting Foodons plays its ridiculous food-based premise completely straight makes it a delightfully goofy anime from start to finish. Add in a gag dub from 4Kids Entertainment that works specifically because of how goofy it is, and there are few anime for kids that were better to watch in the early 2000s.
Anime Series By Ufotable; Based On The Manga By TAa
Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family does a great job of being a balanced slice-of-life anime focused on fun character interactions, old and new, with there always being plenty of delicious-looking food to go along with it, as well. Add in the always-gorgeous visuals and animation of Ufotable, and it’s a great anime to watch, even for those unfamiliar with the Fate franchise and the Nasuverse, as a whole.
12 Sweetness And Lightning is One of the Most Adorable Food Anime
Anime Series By TMS Entertainment; Based On The Manga By Gido Amagakure
Sweetness And Lightning follows a teacher, Inuzuka, whose wife has recently died, and he must step into the role of primary caregiver for his daughter, Tsumugi. However, Inuzuka has a hard time providing adequate meals for his daughter, who prefers home cooking over fast food, and he realizes that he must learn how to cook properly.
Inuzuka would do anything for his daughter, and watching their bond grow makes this one of the sweetest anime in a very long time.
Sweetness and Lightning an absolutely adorable time, with the heart of the story belonging to the relationship between Inuzuka and Tsumugi. Inuzuka would do anything for his daughter, and watching their bond grow makes this one of the sweetest anime in a very long time.
11 The Original Bartender Anime Is Still Plenty Great To Watch
Anime Series By Palm Studio Based On The Manga By Araki Joh & Kenji Nagatomo
Palm Studio’s Bartender, just like the recent reboot, stars Sasakura, a bartending prodigy who can make the best cocktails ever seen. He opens his own bar, Eden Hall, which is super exclusive and requires an invitation to be let in. Characters appear at the bar and are treated to a drink, unloading their problems onto Sasakura and trying to find the best way to deal with their issues.
Sasakura helps people throughout the show via his drinks, for example saving a young woman from a con man by guessing the name of the con man’s drink. However, rather than alcohol, Bartender focuses more on honesty and creating a good atmosphere to have a conversation, helping people to slow down and consider their options before doing something rash.
10 Few Food Anime Are As Thorough With Their Subjects As Oishinbo
Anime Series By Shin-Ei Animation; Based On The Manga By Tetsu Kariya & Akira Hanasaki
With great writing that’s equal parts clever and comedic, Shin-Ei Animation’s Oishinbo always manages to have one of the most thorough and realistic explorations into gourmet culture of any anime, all while balancing plenty of great drama and comedy at every turn. The original manga is one of the longest-running and best-selling manga of all time, and the quality of the anime speaks wonders to its enduring legacy.
9 Yakitate!! Japan is One of the Most Intense Food Anime
Anime Series By Sunrise; Based On The Manga By Takashi Hashiguchi
This innovative anime follows Kazuma Azuma as he attempts to create a national bread dish for Japan, since many other countries have one, intending to call his dish “Ja-Pan” (pan being the Japanese word for “bread”). Kazuma’s Solar Hands allow him to ferment bread faster, aiding his technical skills to let him create some brilliant bread throughout the series.
The intensity of Yakitate!! Japan helps to sell the strange premise, as audiences literally watch characters argue over croissants. This anime might be perfect for fans of The Great British Bake Off, due to its lively characters and the weirdly high stakes involved in a single loaf of bread.
8 True Cooking Master Boy’s Gorgeous Animation Makes It A Must-See
Anime Series By Production I.G; Based On The Manga By Etsushi Ogawa
Set in 19th Century China, and a fictitious era called “The Cooking Wars,” Mao attempts to become a Super Chef to take over his late mother’s restaurant. Mao travels around China learning different techniques and ways of cooking, expanding his skills, and meeting various lively rivals along the way. The series was initially released in 1997 and continued for 52 episodes. True Cooking Master Boy was released in 2019, continuing the story from Mao’s completion of the Guangzhou Special Chef Trials. Mao is the youngest Super Chef in history, and his cooking skills are of an entirely new level.
With gorgeous animation courtesy of Production I.G. and a compelling plot that highlights the art and craft of cooking, True Cooking Master Boy is an incredible series for any fan of anime about food.
7 Delicious Party Pretty Cure Is One Of The Best Food Anime For Kids
Anime Series By Toei Animation; Based On The Franchise By Izumi Todo
Part of the immensely popular Pretty Cure franchise that just celebrated its 20th anniversary with Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure,Delicious Party Pretty Cure is the rare fusion of magical girl and food anime. The series follows the titular magical girls known as Pretty Cures who team up with four fairies to stop a group of thieves who are attempting to hoard the secrets of cooking all for themselves.
The
Pretty Cure
franchise currently sports 20 anime series and 18 movies.
Perfect for younger fans of anime with an interest in all things sugary and sweet, Delicious Party Pretty Cure takes all the bright colors and themes of friendship innate to magical girl anime, and mashes it together with some incredibly delicious-looking meals.
6 Isekai Izakaya Is The Female-Led Food Isekai Fans Didn’t Know They Needed
Anime Series By Sunrise; Based On The Light Novel By Natsuya Semikawa & Kururi
Nobuyuki and Shinobu open Izakaya Nobu on their own terms having turned away from their mysterious past. However, after praying to the shrine in the restaurant, their door suddenly opens up to a parallel fantasy world full of medieval soldiers and giant monsters. Each episode ends with a live-action cooking lesson from Nobu Plus, showing the audience how each dish featured in the episode is made.
The cast of fantastic characters is certainly enough to distract the audience from the obvious product placement and advertisement that the show is trying to sell. The waitress Shinobu often steals the show, becoming one of the best female Isekai protagonists in Nobuyuki’s absence, and sometimes saves the day simply by being kind to people.
