"Top Chef" 2025: Quentin Wins the Finale but Misses the Star... The Story of a Thrilling Evening

It's the final fight, the last confrontation between Charlie and Quentin , the Norman and the Savoyard, two friends who have been fighting it out all season on "Top Chef" in superb spirit. We were delighted with both of them in the final. Their long-distance duel looked promising, and it was, bringing a beautiful end to a season that we didn't fully appreciate . But the final point was well worth the trip, as the Michelin guide to three-star establishments says.

There were plenty of stars, as the prestigious chefs invited to taste and determine who would inscribe their name in the Hall of Fame of competition winners presented the competition: 57 in all. But there were also eight Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF). So many palates that needed to be seduced. And they were.

Charlie was able to count on Margaux , Esteban and Claudio, while Quentin found Philippine, Charles and Grégoire . Two fine teams for two menus that resemble their creators. With that touch of madness that has animated the season, Charlie is still playing the radical card, announcing poached oysters, beetroot in a salt crust, geranium and marjoram as a starter, abalone cooked à la minute and seaweed as a main course.

For dessert, he opts for a Jerusalem artichoke with sunflower seed praline and sweet clover ice cream, a wild flower. Paul Pairet warns him, his dish is stingy. "It's like we have two starters." Charlie listens and doubles the quantities. Quentin, who has often taken risks, doesn't deviate from his line of conduct. He cooks his nettle asparagus just before serving. For the main course, he goes for his pike soufflé with a runny herbaceous center, cheeky, and his dessert? It combines pear, hay, and Savoie tomme, with a pecan praline and... tomme rinds. "Oh, you're hot," sighs Glenn Viel, used to these cold sweats.

He suggested adding some spice to his asparagus. "Nettle is bland, but in people's minds, it stings." The solution was immediately found: dried nettle mixed with pepper. This spice would be noticed by the British Heston Blumenthal. "I'll have to talk to the chef after this; it's fantastic," enthuses the three-star chef.

The tastings are going well, and the compliments are pouring in. "I'd give it a star," says Éric Fréchon about Charlie's starter. "I love it, it's a great dish," says Christian Le Squer about his abalone. As for the dessert, it's a delight. "There's a real consistency from start to finish, you can see a real signature," sighs Etchebest.

Quentin was also a hit. His starter was deemed "sexy" by Kelly Rangama, his pike was a hit, a classic dish made "with such modernity, it's amazing," emphasizes Pascal Barbot. "It's a two-star dish," appreciates Alan Geaam. And the dessert is a real treat.

So many compliments that make any prediction difficult. At the knife ceremony, the suspense is total. But first, a little emotion, kind words from loved ones. A few tears for Quentin as Glenn Viel mentioned those absent that day: Mado, his grandmother who remained in Savoie, and then his mother, who died when he was only 14. "You're an intelligent and poetic cook, everything I love. You don't want to take things apart, but to put them together, to give emotion and touch people," praises Glenn Viel. And Quentin thanks him in return. "It's also thanks to you that I'll keep my head on my shoulders."

The score is revealed, close: 52.65% to 47.35%. "For me, you won because you revealed yourself to yourself and your family," Paul Pairet declares to Charlie. His candidate shoots, it's orange. After the second of disappointment, he puts things into perspective. "Zero regrets, I experienced something exceptional," he says.

Quentin is elated. Glenn Viel is almost more so, having known the taste of victory in two finals. And the two of them call Mado. "The kitchen has never been so well won," Quentin tells her, showing her the huge check. And the star? We then watch the inspectors' comments, quite good, and his career path is full of highlights and lesser ones.

"He sometimes has too much commitment, too much complexity," he should "perhaps consider calming his ardor a little, returning to a little more simplicity sometimes," notes an inspector. "Your culinary brilliance has often impressed the inspectors" and less good moments, declares Gwendal Poullennec , the guide's director, who emphasizes his mastery, his creativity and his sensitivity. But consistency will have been lacking and the star eludes him.