Kitchen Confidential: 25th Anniversary Edition

By Anthony Bourdain

A NEW YORK TIMES-BESTSELLING PHENOMENON

"Utterly riveting, swaggering with stylish machismo." -New York magazine

Globally beloved chef Anthony Bourdain's bestselling breakout book-an addictively funny, unsparing tell-all about the restaurant business by the Emmy Award-winning host of Parts Unknown and No Reservations.

In the now-classic memoir that launched Anthony Bourdain's long career, the globally beloved chef took us through the swinging kitchen doors and turned the culinary trade on its head. The result was a deliciously funny, shocking banquet of wild tales that drew from "twenty-five years of sex, drugs, bad behavior and haute cuisine.”

Sure to delight gourmands and philistines alike, Bourdain recounts everything from his first oyster in the Gironde to his lowly position as dishwasher in a honky-tonk fish restaurant in Provincetown (where he became hooked on chef work for life); from the stovetops of the Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center to drug dealers in the East Village, from Tokyo to Paris and back to New York again.

Bourdain's tales of the kitchen are as passionate as they are unpredictable, and Kitchen Confidential will make your mouth water and your belly ache with laughter, and leave you wanting more.

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Published May 22, 2000

320 pages

Average rating: 7.88

303 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Sue Dix
Mar 14, 2026
8/10 stars
Reading books about food, cooking, chefs is always interesting and this book is no exception. I knew nothing about Anthony Bourdain's history and I'm amazed that he has lived through everything he describes and come out alive. It does explain a lot about the voracious appetites on display in his TV shows, though. I have always liked him and even after reading this, I still do, but with a better appreciation.
boyleschris
Mar 16, 2025
Lesa's recommendation.
K Olson
Jan 14, 2025
6/10 stars
While there are some interesting chapters the book dragged for me at points.
AmaliaSilva
Oct 29, 2025
Wow, this book really pulls back the curtain on what goes on behind restaurant doors. I never realized how chaotic and fast-paced a professional kitchen can be! Speaking of keeping kitchens running smoothly, having a reliable service for dishwasher repair pittsburgh pa is a game-changer. It’s amazing how a properly working appliance can save time and reduce stress in the middle of a hectic night—plus, all kitchen appliances working well just makes life easier. Definitely makes me appreciate the behind-the-scenes crew even more.
gregdeadlyheffley
Sep 05, 2025
8/10 stars
This book is rather pretentious, and is all about working as the lowest in a culinary profession. I am pretentious, however I am for the most part unemployed. In spite of my occupational deficiencies, I found this book to be incredibly relatable, sometimes touching and often hilarious. I have stolen many colloquialisms and pieces of slang from this book which I will continue to use for the rest of my life and credit myself with creating. One day I will maybe be exposed, and will be ostracised to working the line in a cheap sea food restaurant in the off season in massachusettes, pretending to be a teenager when i’m actually approaching 47 years old. You can only dream.

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