Tonight, it's the parents who have asked Chef Etchebest to come to their child's rescue: Patricia and Didier are at a loss when it comes to the situation in which their son Jérôme finds himself. With his long experience in the restaurant business, Jérôme left the Paris region with his family three years ago to open his own establishment by the sea in Charente-Maritime. But the business didn't work out, and debts piled up. It will take all the chef's skills to find the root of the problems and get the business back on track.

Philippe Etchebest arrived in Saint-Estèphe, in the Dordogne, at the home of Thierry and Amanda, a French-English couple who opened a pub a little less than a year ago. Contrary to his habit, when he arrived, the chef was pleasantly surprised by the "so british" decoration and Amanda's English charm... Unfortunately, he was quickly disappointed! Frozen products, badly cooked duck breasts, industrial desserts: the Chef discovered a cook who, despite his 40 years of experience, is the king of freezing! And, to make matters worse, problems are piling up in this restaurant: in addition to the kitchen that leaves something to be desired, the organization in the dining room is surreal and Amanda and Thierry are completely overwhelmed. If they continue like this, their restaurant will go straight into the wall and they risk losing everything...

It was in Marseille that Siham called on chef Philippe Etchebest to help her. Six months ago, Siham fought and invested all her savings to make her dream come true: setting up a restaurant with her sister Sanna and her cousin Leila in the kitchen. But she thought she was living a great family adventure, but her dream has turned into a nightmare. The customers have deserted the establishment and the turnover is collapsing... It must be said that in this restaurant, nothing works: the menu offers Provencal cuisine, passing by burgers and Moroccan specialties. The dishes served are insipid, but above all, the atmosphere is electric! The relationship between the two sisters is complicated and tensions are omnipresent. A new challenge for the chef because if the restaurant doesn't recover very quickly, Siham risks losing everything: her dream and her family.

It is in Hyères, in the Var, that Vanessa called upon Chef Etchebest. 20 months ago, Vanessa and her husband Stéphane decided to take over a restaurant, but since the opening, it is every day the same nightmare: the restaurant remains desperately empty... For lack of customers, the financial situation of the couple becomes very critical, especially since Vanessa invested all her savings in this business. Their daily life is thus extremely heavy and big tensions appeared in the couple. But between Stéphane's lack of organization in the kitchen, even though he has more than 20 years of experience, and Vanessa's lack of communication, who does not see her own mistakes, Philippe Etchebest has his work cut out for him! Faced with Stéphane's behavior, who refuses to assume the problems of his establishment, the chef will even wonder if, for once, he will not give up the idea of helping them...

It was in Canet-en-Roussillon that Alex called on chef Philippe Etchebest to try to help him. After a flourishing career that led him to work for a time in New York at the UN, Alex realized his childhood dream 17 years ago by becoming the owner of a restaurant on the seashore. But for the last 4 years, it has been a downhill slide. With no customers, the restaurant's financial situation is catastrophic, to the point that Alex is now on the verge of eviction. He risks ending up on the street and, in his fall, he is not alone: he takes with him his young apprentice cook, Alexis. Alex and Alexis are sinking, but the chef would never have imagined to what extent. As soon as he arrives, Philippe Etchebest is literally shocked by the dilapidated state of the restaurant: broken windows, dust on the cutlery, a menu full of mold...

It is in Besançon, in the Doubs region, that Julien called on Chef Etchebest to help his father Tony, the owner of an Italian restaurant. In this rudderless establishment, communication is totally broken between Tony, the boss, Bastien, the apprentice cook, and Julien, who works in the dining room. Between a dubious kitchen, a cantankerous boss who smokes in his office in the middle of the service, and an approximate organization, laxity has clearly taken over the restaurant! And, faced with Tony's strong character, Julien and Bastien start to seriously give up: this business is on the verge of implosion! Philippe Etchebest will have to take up a major challenge: confronting a fiery business manager and demotivated employees, ready to jump ship. Tony, Julien and Bastien will have to react together or else the restaurant will definitely close its doors.

Sylvie and her daughter Amandine called on Philippe Etchebest to help them save their crêperie in Bléré, Indre-et-Loire. After a long experience as a waitress, Sylvie bought this creperie two years ago. Her objective: to have her own business and to offer a job to her daughter, who works today in the dining room at her side. But for months, the situation of the restaurant has been catastrophic: the turnover is collapsing and the customers are deserting the establishment. Unable to pay for a cook, Sylvie, who has no training, has even been forced to take on the role of chef, which holds many surprises for Philippe Etchebest.

Chef Philippe Etchebest went to Saint-Quentin, in Picardy, to help Bruno. Six months ago, Bruno took over a restaurant where he used to work. Unfortunately, since he took over the restaurant, the turnover has not stopped decreasing. Philippe Etchebest will soon understand where the problem comes from. Manager of a construction company, the new boss has no experience in the restaurant business. A lack of knowledge that does not make him credible with Corentin, his waiter, but especially with Sébastien, his chef who does as he pleases. Between the dirty state of the stoves and the quality of the dishes served in the dining room, Philippe Etchebest will have his work cut out for him.

Three years ago, Anna and her husband, Romain, took over a restaurant in Cestas, near Bordeaux. Romain takes care of the pizzas, Anna the grills and the chef, Hervé, makes the rest of the dishes. This complex organization creates many tensions, exacerbated by a lack of customers. For Romain and Anna, the problem comes from Hervé, who scares the customers away. The chef, on the other hand, believes that his bosses are responsible because they don't give him any instructions. Philippe Etchebest will have to sort out the real from the fake and identify the restaurant's problems to save the couple. A task that will prove to be complicated.

Margaux, the eldest daughter of Pascal and Valerie, two restaurateurs from the North of France, called on Philippe Etchebest from Mandelieu-la-Napoule, near Cannes. Seven years ago, her parents took over an Alsatian restaurant, to which they brought their personal touch by incorporating northern dishes into the menu. The chef is now confronting a Chti and Alsatian restaurant in the South of France. Behind the apparent joviality of Pascal, the owner, lie the real problems of the restaurant: a worrying financial situation to the point that the couple's children had to go into debt to help their parents. Between a boss who makes fun of everything, a son who doesn't accept reproaches and a mother who finds excuses for everyone, the chef has to raise his voice.

Called for help by Marie, the starred chef goes to Marseille, to Mélody's restaurant. The latter had opened her establishment five months earlier. And since the launch, nothing has gone as planned. Not having the means to pay employees, Mélody asked Marie, her partner, to take care of the service but also of the restaurant's accounts. The problem is that the young woman has no experience in the field. The couple of Marie and Melody is put at risk by the situation. Philippe Etchebest tries to save the situation. But as soon as he arrives, he notices mistakes in the kitchen and a very rough service. And the chef, with her strong temperament, will give him a hard time.

It is in Quintenas, in Ardèche, that Anthony called upon the chef Philippe Etchebest. A year and a half ago, Anthony took over the reins of a traditional cuisine restaurant on a whim, but, alone at the head of the establishment and at the stove, Anthony was drowning in problems. Self-taught and without any experience in business management, he even had to call upon his mother on a daily basis to support him. The latter does not hesitate to travel 200km to help her son! But in spite of this, since the opening, the debts are piling up and the restaurant keeps emptying itself of its customers. According to Anaïs, the waitress, this is due to the bad reputation of the boss, who is said to have a temper! The arrival of Chef Etchebest will shake up Anthony's habits who, very impressed, will completely change his attitude towards him!

It is in Arçais in the Marais Poitevin that Chantal and her family called upon Philippe Etchebest. Eight years ago, Chantal and her husband Alain took over an inn and invested all their savings in it. Alain, although retired, is in charge of the bar. Jimmy, their son, is in the kitchen, and Chantal manages the dining room. But, year after year, the business collapsed... For lack of customers, the owners are on the verge of closing down, and the family is on the verge of breaking up! Philippe soon realized that the real problem at this inn was the atmosphere... A stormy atmosphere, both in the kitchen and in the dining room, which was going to put him in a bad mood. The chef is going to give them an ultimatum: if Chantal and her family don't accept his help and refuse to open their eyes, he will be forced to abandon his mission and leave them alone to face their fate...

It is in Gardonne, in Dordogne, that Philippe Etchebest was called to help Vincent and Marina. This couple from Brittany left everything 6 months ago and invested all their savings to buy the restaurant of their dreams! But since their arrival, their business is collapsing day after day. Faced with these difficulties, Vincent, the chef, has completely given up; and his partner Marina is completely lost and doesn't know what to do anymore. Not only is their relationship in peril, but they also have their backs to the wall: they risk losing everything and ending up on the street with their two children. Philippe Etchebest is their last hope, but the task will prove to be extremely difficult: in addition to Marina's inexperience in the dining room, the chef will come up against Vincent's lack of motivation: poorly kept buffet, cobwebs in the kitchen, expired products in the fridges... Philippe will have to try to give him back his taste for cooking!

On the spot, Jean-Michel, a boss desperate by the failure of his establishment, and Fréderic, a chef with a strong character who no longer has the taste for a job well done! Eight years ago, when they started the business, it was quite successful, but for the past three years, the two men have been going in circles during the services and are unable to question themselves. Philippe Etchebest will have to fight against the boss's preconceived ideas, and above all use all his authority to convince the chef to change his bad habits. Philippe has known chefs who have given him a hard time, but Fréderic dethroned them all! Another encounter that holds many surprises for our two-starred chef.

Pierre-Marie and Sissi are the managers of a restaurant on the harbor of Toulon but their establishment is at the end of the dam, embedded in a decrepit wall corner. Victim of the competition of the other signs and badly positioned, they suffer from the worst nightmare of the restaurant owners: an empty room. An establishment that lacks identity, a kitchen that runs slowly and a service that leaves something to be desired do not help matters. Moreover, forced to run their business by accumulating tasks, they suffer from not being able to devote enough time to their 10 year old daughter, Jade. All together, these elements are enough to pull the establishment down. Philippe Etchebest's intervention will turn things around. From a stroke of brilliance to a realization, he will serve as an electroshock to straighten out the situation.

Philippe Etchebest has come to try to unblock the situation of the restaurant of three sisters, in Sénas in the Bouches-du-Rhône. Mélanie and Mylène, two 28-year-old twins, have called on him to save the restaurant they run with their older sister Séverine. As soon as he arrived, the chef discovered the icy atmosphere that reigned in this establishment deserted by customers, although it was full of assets: a good location in the center of the village and surrounded by many shops. The chef finds himself in the middle of a family conflict... But Philippe Etchebest remains determined to help them and save their restaurant...

Beatrice and her partner Patrice opened a restaurant nearly two years ago in Notre-Dame-de-Vaulx, in Isère. Today, Beatrice calls upon Chef Philippe Etchebest because their situation is at its worst. Between the decoration, the dishes that don't really make you want to eat and especially a kitchen in a deplorable state, Philippe Etchebest found himself faced with a disoriented couple. To try to help them, the chef set up a new method: he asked the customers to rate their meal and he once again asked Mallory Gabsi, a former Top Chef candidate, to manage a big service with them.

Philippe Etchebest travels to Saint-Berthevin-la-Tannière, a small village in Mayenne, to try and help Isabelle and her son Jeffrey, who took over a restaurant just 8 months ago... Their situation is so critical that the family's financial difficulties force them to turn to Restos du Cœur for food. At Isabelle and Jeffrey's, the chef quickly felt at home, but Isabelle may be wearing her "best mom" apron, but she seems to be having great difficulty managing her establishment: recipes found on the Internet, no vouchers to manage the service, disorganization in the dining room, the chef found himself faced with a restaurateur of good will but totally overwhelmed. And Philippe Etchebest is not at the end of his surprises: for the first time, an event will make him doubt whether he can succeed in his mission...

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...

Childhood friends, Thomas and Romain run a brasserie in downtown Antibes, in the Alpes-Maritimes. Despite an ideal location, their establishment is drowning in debt and could close within a few months. The two managers have both worked in the world of high gastronomy, Romain having even been the chef of a starred restaurant for several years. The chef Philippe Etchebest is therefore faced with a real challenge: to find out why their business is going so badly despite their rich experience.

On the spot, Christophe, 54 years old, has been managing his establishment since 1988 with his own methods: he doesn't trust anyone, needs to control everything and, during service, yells at his employees! As a result, no one wants to work with him anymore and he is forced to be an accountant, a chef and a dishwasher all at the same time. Fortunately, Audrey stays by his side and takes care of the service in the dining room, but she finds it more and more difficult to put up with her boss' moods. The arrival of Philippe will shake up Christophe's habits and he will completely change his attitude towards the chef. But Philippe Etchebest is not fooled and will use his ingenuity to make the boss's mask fall off and bring back some sanity to the restaurant.

Philippe Etchebest goes to Brou, near Chartres, to give some advice to Anne-Marie, authoritarian manager of a hotel-restaurant.

Philippe Etchebest goes to Corsica. The meeting of this Basque temperament and the inhabitants of the island of Beauty will make sparks fly. It is in Corte, in the heart of historic Corsica and at the foot of the mountains that the Chef sets down his bags. Pierre is an unhappy manager; he works with an old friend at the bar and a generous cook who makes good food, but Isabelle, his daughter, manages the room. Between her and the rest of the staff, the current does not pass. The daughter constantly criticizes the kitchen and blames her father for not giving her more responsibility in the restaurant. Her foul mood and her derogatory remarks fuel a real trench war between the dining room and the kitchen. Philippe noticed that the young girl was taking her lunch shift while the customers were already at the table: no setting up, no cleaning and no smiling, it was too much. Philippe puts his foot down and tries to get Isabelle back on track.

It was in Strasbourg, Alsace, that Philippe Etchebest was called upon to help by Damir. Almost a year ago, Damir, his wife Amira and his nephew Adil left the south of France to take over a restaurant in Alsace. After working for many years in the restaurant business, they had everything they needed to make their dream come true, but for the past few months, due to a lack of customers, they have been in a catastrophic financial situation: they have less than two months left before they have to close their doors, a real nightmare for this family... And with the problems that are piling up, it is more and more difficult for them to work together, especially for Damir and his nephew Adil. Their relationship has deteriorated and, week after week, the confrontations are more and more violent. This situation is completely tearing apart this family, which was so united a few months ago...

It is in Tarbes that Philippe Etchebest will try to save a new restaurant. 25 years ago, Christian took over an establishment with his wife Joëlle and his nephew Christophe. After years of hard work and sacrifices, today the business is failing and nothing is going right anymore. Christian has worked day and night to the point of exhaustion and has never taken a vacation. The years go by and the customers don't come anymore, to the point that the financial situation of the restaurant is catastrophic: for the last 5 months, Christian can no longer pay his nephew; he is demoralized and is afraid of ending up on the street. It's a new challenge for the chef who will have to try to save a restaurant held by the same person for 25 years! And so many bad habits and mistakes that Christian has never wanted to admit. One thing is sure: if Christian continues to deny it, the chef will not be able to save his restaurant.

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.

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!

For the repeat of the show, Philippe Etchebest teams up with Mallory Gabsi, the semi-finalist of season 11 of Top Chef. Together, they travel to Epoye, in the Marne region, where Jean-Jacques has taken over a restaurant. Despite his long experience in the restaurant business, he is accumulating debts, and his restaurant's attendance is down. Whether in the kitchen or in the dining room, Chef Etchebest has no difficulty in pointing out the shortcomings: a welcome in jogging suits, frozen products, latent tension between the father and his son. It is time to act!