It is in Cavalaire, in the Var, that Pascale and Patrick, who have been together for 32 years, have called upon Chef Philippe Etchebest! Owners of a seaside restaurant that used to run smoothly, for the past few years the couple has seen its financial health deteriorate: Today, the situation is alarming, the bills are piling up and the bailiffs are knocking at the door. However, with Pascale's smiling welcome and Patrick's solid training as a cook, they had everything to succeed! But behind this idyllic image, the chef will quickly discover another reality: dishes with a very dated look, cooking problems, failed desserts, Philippe Etchebest will quickly be disappointed. And the chef will not be at the end of his surprises, he will quickly discover that within the couple, there is no more communication, in their life as at work.

It is in Lesquin, in the Hauts-de-France region, that Marie-Claude, 62 years old, called upon Chef Philippe Etchebest to try to help her save her restaurant. For 36 years, her husband Pascal has owned a restaurant that, after years of success, is now on the verge of bankruptcy. As soon as he arrived, the chef quickly understood that this mission was going to be complicated: between Marie-Claude's strong character and Pascal's total lack of organization in the kitchen, the restaurant couple is going to give him a hard time. Marie-Claude and Pascal are going to show the chef a colorful face, with their temper tantrums, bad faith, flying fries in the kitchen and smoking cigarettes in the dining room! And to make matters worse, relations between them are becoming increasingly tense! However, if they don't manage to straighten things out very quickly, it will not only be the end of their relationship but also of their restaurant...

Chef Philippe Etchebest was called to Dunkirk to help Melanie, a young mother of 26 years old, who took over a local institution 8 months ago: a Mexican restaurant! For fear of scaring away the regulars, Melanie has not made any changes to the establishment. She even kept the chef, Élodie, a 37-year-old cook with a strong character, who has been working there for 14 years. But since she took over the restaurant, nothing is going right. The establishment, which was working very well a few months ago, has seen its turnover drop by 50%: today, the situation is catastrophic to the point that Melanie is struggling to pay her bills. Faced with these difficulties, the atmosphere is particularly tense between Melanie and Elodie. The two women are on the verge of an explosion! They are going to push Chef Etchebest to the limit and give him a hard time...

It was in Saint-Astier, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, that Marielle asked chef Philippe Etchebest to intervene to save the restaurant of her partner, Patrick. A chef for 28 years, Patrick has had many successful businesses and so the chef expected to make a decent meal. But sometimes appearances are deceiving, and in Saint-Astier, he was quickly disillusioned when he discovered that this experienced chef had totally lost the desire to cook: in his establishment, he was now content to open cans of food... To make matters worse, the restaurant was disorganized and in total chaos! The result: relations between Marielle and Patrick are more than strained... Philippe Etchebest is going to have to take up a new challenge: trying to make Patrick open his eyes, whose strong character is going to give him a lot of trouble!

Philippe Etchebest was called to Roumazières-Loubert, in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, to help Isabelle and Christian. Owners of a roadside restaurant for a few months, the couple's sales have collapsed and bankruptcy threatens. But for the first time in Cauchemar en Cuisine, Chef Etchebest will find himself completely destabilized by this establishment: impeccable service, more than correct cooking, owners who listen to their employees... He will be confronted with a real enigma: why is this restaurant, where everything seems to be going well, not working? The Chef will have to conduct a real investigation, even going so far as to observe a service on hidden camera, so that the truth will finally come out! How will he react when he discovers the truth? Will he accept to help this couple who hid the truth from him?

It is in Montpellier, in the Hérault region, that Fatiha and Adel asked Philippe Etchebest to help them save their restaurant. Owners of a large establishment, well located in the heart of a business incubator, they are now on the verge of bankruptcy but do not know why. However, it didn't take long for the chef to see the problems flash before his eyes: stale whipped cream, poor organization, communication problems... nothing is going right in this restaurant. Adel is not in the business and, given the state of his kitchen, he can't hide it even if his strong character prevents him from admitting it! And to make matters worse, Fatiha also has big gaps in her knowledge. And despite their 44 years together, the relationship between Fatiha and Adel is extremely tense... Philippe Etchebest will have to face a new challenge that is much more complicated than it seems!