While movies are a great way to unwind and escape reality for a moment, we’re often more concerned with what snacks we’re going to take into the cinema with us. But, sometimes, a beautiful thing happens… when a movie features a mouth-watering scene or two, then we’re fully enthralled. Two of our favourite things all rolled up into one? There’s nothing better. We run through some of our favourite foodie movies and mouthwatering scenes.

The Taste of Things

The Taste of Things is a French romantic drama directed by Trần Anh Hùng. The film follows the story of Eugenie, an esteemed cook, and Dodin, her boss. Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century France, the cultural shifts and political upheavals of the era are masterfully captured, while themes of love and ambition are explored.

Eugenie and Dodin’s journey is a poignant portrayal of the complexities of human relationships and the enduring power of passion and creativity. Nominated for an Oscar for its stunning visuals and compelling storytelling, the movie celebrates the artistry of gastronomy and the profound impact it has on our lives.

*While the film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023 in France, it was launched in cinemas on 9 February 2024. International release dates and streaming platforms are yet to be confirmed.

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The Menu

The Menu gave the expression “Yes, chef!” an entirely new meaning. Directed by Mark Mylod and produced by Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, this twisted yet comedic film skewers the pretentiousness of today’s food culture of over-conceptualised dishes, deconstructed beyond recognition, and the elitists who would pay a pretty penny for a taste.

In the movie, a group of wealthy diners are promised a unique culinary experience at a remote Swiss restaurant. As the night dwindles, the true nature of the menu is revealed, leaving the guests at the mercy of Chef Slowik, played by an austere Ralph Fiennes. The theatrics of Chef Slowik’s emphatic and high-handed claps signalling the start of the next course, coupled with the team of militant chefs awaiting instruction and the naive guests, captures the audience’s attention. Anya Taylor-Joy as Margot plays a brilliant performance, and Chef Slowik’s right-hand, Elsa, played by Hong Chau, is exceptional.

Suspenseful and oddly humorous throughout, the movie features many food scenes, from the tortillas containing each diner’s secret to the bread course sans bread. The marshmallow scene near the end is arguably the most iconic, and to be honest, we haven’t looked at s’mores the same way since. A must-see for foodies and psychological thriller film fans!

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Eat Pray Love

Based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir, Eat Pray Love follows the journey of Elizabeth (Julia Roberts), a woman who embarks on a quest for self-discovery. In Italy, she indulges in the joy of simple pleasures, including the iconic scene where she relishes a plate of perfectly cooked pasta. Amidst the vibrant streets of Rome, Elizabeth learns to savour each moment and embrace the art of living. Julia Roberts delivers a captivating performance, portraying Elizabeth’s transformation with authenticity and charm. Through her culinary adventures, she discovers the power of nourishing both body and soul.

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The Help

Set in racially divided 1960s Mississippi, The Help sheds light on the lives of African American maids working for white families. Viola Davis shines as Aibileen Clark, a compassionate maid who forms an unlikely bond with Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone), a young white woman and aspiring writer. Among the film’s poignant moments is Minnie’s (Octavia Spencer) infamous fried chicken scene. Octavia Spencer’s portrayal of Minnie earned her critical acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, highlighting the film’s exploration of race, class, and friendship amidst societal upheaval. While a tear-jerker, the film has loads of hilarious scenes, including the scene where Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howards’s character) eats Minnie’s ‘chocolate’ pie – if you know, you know.

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The Grand Budapest Hotel

Wes Anderson never fails to delight audiences with aesthetically pleasing visuals and stellar cinematography. This film follows the life of Gustave H. – played by Ralph Fiennes – the concierge at the European ski resort called ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’. Gustave is dead set on ensuring the needs of each hotel guest are catered to, from replacing fitted sheets to the sexual gratification of elderly women. When one of his lovers (Tilda Swinton’s character) mysteriously dies, Gustave inherits a valuable painting and becomes the prime suspect in the murder case.

Apart from the quick-witted humour, the charm of Ralph Fiennes and just about every A-list actor in this movie – one of the best scenes is when one of the prison guards survey the food entering the jail by cutting into it with a knife. Ordinary items like a loaf of bread, sausage and cheese are torn apart but when a rose pink, ribboned Mendl’s box containing what appears to be beautifully decorated confectionaries, makes its way onto the conveyor belt, the guard hesitates as its too pretty to demolish – unknowingly clearing jailbreak weapons disguised as cake.

Fans were even granted the secret recipe for Mendl’s Courtesan’s au Chocolat.

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Goodfellas

This iconic crime drama film, directed by Martin Scorsese, is sheer brilliance from start to finish. The movie tells the story of Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta), who falls in with the wrong crowd at a young age and joins the Italian-American mafia in New York City, eventually rising through the ranks of the criminal organisation.

One of the most memorable scenes in the movie is when Paulie (played by Paul Sorvino) slices a clove of garlic using a razor blade as he prepares dinner – a pasta course followed by a metre of fish – for the inmates. Bobby Darin’s ‘Somewhere Beyond the Sea’ plays in the background as Henry (Liotta) narrates that Paulie sliced the garlic “so thin that it used to liquefy in the pan with a little oil.” It’s one of the best food movie scenes and details the respect involved in Italian-American cooking, as depicted by Paulie’s (Sorvino) precision. Robert de Niro means business and Joe Pesci delivers an ever-amusing performance.

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Marie Antoinette

Sofia Coppola’s take on Marie Antoinette is a veritable feast for the eyes and stomach – it did everything to highlight the excess and gluttony that were the hallmarks of her reign as queen, wife to monarch King Louis XVI, in the most decadent way possible.

As food scenes go, these are completely over the top – colourful tarts, pies and petit fours; lavish layer cakes, towers of gold macarons and intricate pastries. All set against a backdrop of gilded gold and glitz, enough to put Versailles to shame.

She might have made herself really unpopular when she famously declared “Let them eat cake,” in response to poverty and a shortage of staples such as bread, but it’s hard not to get caught up and be entranced by the gal who dined on pastries and sipped on Champagne while obsessing over shoes and clothing. If you don’t rush out and stuff your face with eclairs after watching this, then you’re dead inside.

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Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction is a pretty perfect film overall, but we’re here for the scene where Vincent Vega (played by John Travolta) takes Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) out for dinner. At a 20s-style diner, Wallace orders a $5 milkshake – vanilla, a Martin and Lewis – to Vega’s horror. However, all is resolved when he tries it and declares it’s “A pretty f***ing good shake.”

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Secret Life of Pets

There is an early scene with Chloe, the cat, where she is trying to resist the roast chicken in the fridge – this easily represents all of us trying to eat healthily. However, the major food scene is when Max and Duke get lost and find themselves in a sausage factory, Wiener Kingdom, where they eat to their heart’s content. Wouldn’t we all love to swim in a sea of sausages, eating our way as we go?

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Professor McGonagall taps her spoon against her wine goblet and Professor Dumbledore rises and declares “Let the feast begin.” The camera shows the Hogwarts dining hall from above, food magically appearing on the tables (if only this was really possible, dinner time would be so much easier). The camera then pans across tables laden with bowls of salads, chips, corn on the cob, roasts, pies, fruit, desserts, and more – this is the Start-of-Term Feast, also known as the Welcoming Feast. We see young Harry and his crew marvelling at the feast, and, who could forget a baby-faced Ron Weasley – chicken drumstick in each hand, appreciatively tucking in.

It’s one of many iconic dining hall scenes in the Harry Potter series, and they get more elaborate as you go (check out the Halloween one too). It’s what we imagined boarding school to be like, but the kind where wizards and unicorns exist.

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Parent Trap

A baby-faced Lindsay Lohan unknowingly started a cult food combo when her characters realised that they both enjoyed peanut butter and Oreos together. Aside from these girls not realising they had the exact same face, it was shocking that Oreos dipped into peanut butter weren’t more popular.

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Breakfast at Tiffany’s

A yellow cab pulls up outside Tiffany & Co. on 5th Avenue, New York; Moon River is playing in the background and Audrey Hepburn steps out dressed head-to-toe in Givenchy – thus begins one of the most iconic films of all time.

Looking at every inch, movie star, Hepburn, peers into the window of Tiffany & Co., while taking a coffee and a pastry (we think a croissant) out of a bag to eat. While it may not be the most luscious of food scenes ever, there is something about it that makes us want to get dolled up in our finery and tuck into French pastries.

Even though Marilyn Monroe was tipped to play this role originally, we can’t think of anyone better than Hepburn to bring such grace and glamour to Holly Golightly.

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Wallace and Gromit Curse of The Were-Rabbit

We can all relate to loveable Wallace with his cheese-loving tendencies, with a line of his becoming our personal motto “I’m just crackers about cheese!” Gromit, Wallace’s canine best friend, even uses a Stinking Bishop to revive Wallace after he passes out from his Were-Rabbit activities.

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Lady and the Tramp

Another animated classic, with a classic dish thrown in for good measure – who could forget Lady and the Tramp sharing a mutual strand of spaghetti… the romance of it all! Not only does this scene make us want to run out and eat bowlfuls of Spaghetti Meatballs, it also makes us want to go out and rescue all the dogs. Romance, Italian food and cute pups – it’s a trifecta for success.

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Our Best Food Movies

The Hundred-Foot Journey

The Hundred-Foot Journey is one of our all-time favourite foodie movies. It’s a visually stunning tale of the collision of two cultures and cuisines. French chic meets Indian spice, and the result is both comedic and dramatic, with a dose of beautiful ingredients and dishes thrown in for good measure. You’ll almost be able to smell the tandoori oven in your lounge.

Helen Mirren is convincing as a stuffy French restaurateur, who comes up against competition when an Indian family moves in across the road and open up shop. If the vistas of stunning French countryside don’t make you want to pack up and move to France, we don’t know what will.

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Ratatouille

Dedicated entirely to food, this flick is about a determined rat who follows his dreams to become a Michelin-starred chef – Ratatouille is hard not to like. We especially loved the scene where mean food critic, Anton Ego, is transported back to his childhood memories when he eats Ratatouille’s ratatouille. If you love a heartwarming story, then this one will definitely become one of your go-to foodie movies.

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Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (2005)

This remake of the Roald Dahl classic book is weird and wonderful from start to finish, and has no shortage of stellar food scenes. The Land of Candy scene, with a river of melted chocolate and marshmallow trees, is certainly one of the best and will have you pausing to grab your own bag of sweets.

An honourable mention is the chewing gum scene, where Violet Beauregard chews Wonka’s Three-Course Dinner chewing gum, and tastes tomato soup, roast beef and blueberry pie, before turning into an actual blueberry herself. Shame!

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Chef

Honestly, all of Chef is pretty much ‘food porn’ – starting off with that sizzling grilled cheese sarmie scene. What looks like at least 4 different kinds of cheeses are sandwiched between buttery slices of bread and toasted perfection – it’s gooey, golden and magical.

But when Carl (Jon Favreau) and Martin (John Leguizamo) make a Cubano – complete with roasted pork, ham and Swiss cheese – we all had a little moment. Foodie movie gold.

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Julie and Julia

As a food lover at heart, cooking your way through Julia Child’s The Art of French Cookery seems like a scarily good task to undertake. The movie Julie & Julia details the main character, Julie’s, attempt to do this, blogging about it as she goes. It gives great insight into one of cooking’s greatest mavens too. A must-see for aspiring home cooks and foodie movie lovers.

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Chocolat

The whole movie is a sweet-tooth’s dream – especially when they zoom in on the melty chocolate. A young Johnny Depp as a gypsy, who sails into town, is not bad either. Chocolat is a story with a little bit of magic and a lot of delicious-looking confectionaries. We also love the mystery of Juliette Binoche’s character and her French je ne sais quoi, that just makes everything seem so much more effortlessly chic.

Now that you have a lineup of foodie movies to enjoy, try these mouthwatering movie snacks! Check out our method for quick homemade microwave popcorn.