Carême is a French-language historical drama television series produced for Apple TV+ about Napoleonic-era celebrity chef Antonin Carême. It has Martin Bourboulon as a director. The cast is led by Benjamin Voisin, Lyna Khoudri and Jérémie Renier. It premiered globally on 30 April 2025.
Premise.
It is a biographical television series about Antonin Carême, who rose from humble beginnings to become known as one of the world's first celebrity chefs during the Napoleonic era. However, his newfound 'celebrity' placed him in the gaze of politicians who want to use him as a spy and twinned with his desire to escape poverty, he might be tempted to do so.
Production.
The eight-part French-language television series is directed by Martin Bourboulon and was commissioned by Apple TV+ in June 2023. It is inspired by the book "Cooking for Kings: The Life of Antonin Carême, The First Celebrity Chef" by Ian Kelly, and was created by Kelly and Davide Serino. It is executive produced by Vanessa van Zuylen for VVZ Production and Dominique Farrugia for Banijay's Shine Fiction.
The cast is led by Benjamin Voisin as Marie-Antoine Carême, and also includes Lyna Khoudri as his lover, Henriette, and Jérémie Renier as diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord.
Release.
Carême premiered globally on 30 April 2025 on Apple TV+.
Reception.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, "Carême" holds an approval rating of 95% based on 19 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Savory as a well-judged soufflé, "Carême" is a twisty confection that makes 19th-century spycraft a rousing and seductive viewing experience. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 75 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Phil Harrison for "The Guardian" described it as a "glossy" and "melodramatic and frequently risque telling of an enjoyably wild story".
Ian Kelly, the author of the source material, in "The Daily Telegraph" described the series as "garlanded with glamour, royalty and vast historical panoramas...not a documentary".