People
Most Influential Food Critics
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Source:Community curated
Updated:4/9/2026
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Critic↕ | Born↕ | Country↕ | Primary Publication↕ | Era↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruth Reichl | 1,948 | United States | New York Times, Gourmet | 1984-2009 | NYT critic with elaborate disguises, later Gourmet editor, memoir Tender at the Bone |
| Frank Bruni | 1,964 | United States | New York Times | 2004-2009 | NYT chief critic, demoted Alain Ducasse, later op-ed columnist, memoir Born Round |
| Pete Wells | 1,963 | United States | New York Times | 2011-2024 | NYT chief critic, viral Guy's American Kitchen zero-star review, closed Per Se in downgrade |
| Ligaya Mishan | 1,972 | United States | New York Times, T Magazine | 2010-present | Hungry City column, lyrical writing on immigrant cuisine, T Magazine food essays |
| A.A. Gill | 1,954 | United Kingdom | Sunday Times | 1993-2016 | Witty and cutting Sunday Times reviews, dyslexic dictated columns, travel writer |
| Jay Rayner | 1,966 | United Kingdom | The Observer | 1999-present | Observer critic, MasterChef judge, famously trashed Le Cinq in Paris (viral 2017) |
| Jonathan Gold | 1,960 | United States | LA Weekly, LA Times | 1986-2018 | First food critic to win Pulitzer (2007), championed LA ethnic cuisine, strip-mall explorer |
| Mimi Sheraton | 1,926 | United States | New York Times | 1975-1983 | First woman NYT chief food critic, no-nonsense reviewer, bialy historian |
| Craig Claiborne | 1,920 | United States | New York Times | 1957-1988 | Father of modern food criticism, created the star system, NYT food editor |
| Gael Greene | 1,933 | United States | New York Magazine | 1968-2000s | Insatiable Critic column at NY Mag, co-founded City Meals on Wheels, signature wide-brim hat |
| Marina O'Loughlin | 1,960 | United Kingdom | Sunday Times, Guardian | 2000s-present | Anonymous critic, never photographed, Metro then Guardian then Sunday Times |
| Giles Coren | 1,969 | United Kingdom | The Times | 2002-present | The Times restaurant critic, broadcaster, provocative style, son of Alan Coren |
| S. Irene Virbila | 1,952 | United States | Los Angeles Times | 1993-2015 | LA Times critic outed when her photo was posted by a restaurant, ended her anonymous career |
| Soleil Ho | 1,986 | United States | San Francisco Chronicle | 2019-2023 | SF Chronicle critic, inclusive lens on food culture, Racist Sandwich podcast host |
| Francois Simon | 1,953 | France | Le Figaro | 1990s-2010s | Face-hidden French critic, inspired animated Anton Ego in Ratatouille, Le Figaro for decades |
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