Just Heading Out

In the mood for dinner and a movie? You can have your cake and eat it too with these delicious food & travel movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Let yourself be transported all around the world, from the comfort of your couch.

Trying new foods is one of the best things about traveling, but even when you’re home, you don’t have to miss out. Pick one of my favorite food and travel movies, order some take-out, sit back and enjoy. We eat with our eyes, after all 😉

After these tasty films, you’ll want to instantly book your next culinary trip!

Chef

Chef is my favorite food and travel movie of all time. Hell, it’s one of my favorite movies ~period~. This gem of a movie by John Favreau is an ode to good food and family.

Chef is about Carl Casper (played by Favreau), head chef at a fancy restaurant who is fired after a disagreement with a food critic and his boss. His ex-wife convinves him to start a food truck, which he goes to Miami to buy. He brings his son and his best friend along, and together they embark on a cross country adventure.

This movie is packed with food porn (that grilled cheese sandwich scene should be illegal), that will have you salivating. But it is also a heartfelt story of reconnecting with yourself, your loved ones, and your passion. Part food movie, part road-trip, part feel-good family film, Chef is full of love and life.

The movie was such a smash that John even started a cooking show on Netflix!

More of a TV kind of person? Check out my favorite food and travel shows on Netflix as well!

Year: 2014

Director: John Favreau

Starring: John Favreau, Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo

Duration: 114 minutes

Cuisines: Southern US, from Cuban-American to Texas BBQ

Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video

The Hundred-Foot Journey

Can you imagine moving from India to France and starting a restaurant feud with Hellen Mirren? No? Well, you don’t have to, because you can just watch The Hundred-Foot Journey instead, one of the best food and travel movies on Amazon Prime.

In this movie, the Kadam family flees Mumbai after someone firebombs their restaurant, killing the mother. The mourning family relocates to France. They buy an abandoned restaurant in a small town after their car breaks down there. Unfortunately, not everyone is excited by their arrival and the new Indian restaurant, especially the owner of a renowned local French restaurant.

A heated feud starts between the restaurant owners, but they bury the hatchet when Hassan, the oldest son, gets a job at the French restaurant. His talent for fusing Indian and French flavors even earns them their second Michelin star.

Of course, it isn’t all smooth sailing from there. It wouldn’t be complete without a little romance and a lesson to learn. The moral of the story in The Hundred-Foot Journey is twofold: don’t be afraid of change, but also remember your roots. The movie serves delicious looking dishes, alongside heartwarming family moments, funny exchanges, and sweet romance.

Some space left on your playlist? Add these wanderlust movies!

Year: 2014

Director: Lasse Hallström

Starring: Hellen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, Charlotte Le Bon

Duration: 122 minutes

Cuisines: French and Indian

Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video

Julie & Julia

Who doesn’t love Julia Child? This movie is an homage to the queen of cooking, played by the queen of acting: Meryl Streep. Julie & Julia tells the story of Julie, who decides to challenge herself by cooking every recipe in Julia Childs food bible, The Art of French Cooking.

She starts a blog to document her culinary journey, which grows into a massive hit, while her personal life seems to fall apart around her. While Julie does her best to recreate Julia’s recipes, we see how Julia’s life play out as well. We watch her fall in love with French food, battle her way through French cooking school, and struggle to write her legendary cookbook.

Both women have to push their limits to achieve their dreams and show themselves and the world just what they are capable of. All the while cooking classic French recipes and indulging in delicious food, which isn’t always as easy as it seems. Julie & Julia provides a realistic look at cooking, following your dreams, and how food can connect us through time and space.

Movies like these ask for a glass of good French wine. And so do these wine movies!

Year: 2009

Director: Nora Ephron

Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina

Duration: 123 minutes

Cuisines: French

Watch it on: Netflix

Chocolat

Chocolat is one of those classic early 2000s movies from the peak-era of the romance genre (in my opinion), and one of the best food and travel movies.

The movie is about a sleepy French town in 1956 that gets shaken up when a strange woman and her daughter blow in and open a chocolate shop. Suddenly life is a little sweeter and a little less boring. Of course, not everyone is happy with these “sinful” changes.

Even if you don’t have a sweet-tooth, you’ll be craving a big box of chocolates by the end of the movies. It is quite interesting to see how some of the candies are made. The French town provides a beautiful backdrop.

Aside from gorgeous displays of chocolate, the movie also has a bit of romance and strong female leads. The moral of the story is to open your heart and enjoy the sweeter things in life.

If you can get past the terrible accents, Chocolat is a lovely movie that goes down as smooth as quality chocolate.

Year: 2000

Director: Lasse Hallström

Starring: Julliet Binoche, Judie Dench, Johnny Depp

Duration: 121 minutes

Cuisines: French

Watch it on: Netflix

The Trip to Italy

In The Trip to Italy, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon once again team up to drive around and eat food. In the original The Trip, they did this in North England. But in The Trip to Italy they are, you guessed it, in Italy.

What happens when you put two comedians in a car and tell them to drive around Italy? Hilarious mishaps, deep conversations, and terrible Micheal Caine impressions.

As we follow the two on their travels from Piedmont to Capri, it feels like you’re right there with them. Gorgeous landscapes, rich culture, and delicious food is what we encounter. Of course, with the necessary culture clashes, confusions, and adventure. As if you’re watching a guide book come to life. Which is what makes it one of the best food and travel movies.

Fans of dry British humor will enjoy this honest look at what traveling through Italy is really like. It will make you want to pack your bags and eat your weight in pasta.

Year: 2014

Director: Micheal Winterbottom

Starring: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon

Duration: 108 minutes

Cuisines: Italian

Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video

So, which films never fail to tickle your taste buds and your wanderlust? Share your favorite food & travel movies with us in the comments!

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