25 Best Anthony Bourdain Quotes On Life, Food & Travel

Gone far too soon, these Anthony Bourdain quotes from the late chef, author and TV personality will challenge your typical way of thinking.

A man that was both gregarious and sharp-witted, his ability to embrace the cultures of others will surely inspire you in more ways than one.

He was a conduit for igniting wanderlust and bridging the gap between inaccessible culinary masterpieces and the cultures in which they are entwined.

The world cherished Bourdain as the alternative, rule-breaking, bad-boy chef who took initiative to make the world a more inclusive place through his many cultural collaborations featuring the one thing that brings us all together: food.

He had a big appetite and an even bigger heart and a thirst for adventure.

You would never find Bourdain in the same place, he was constantly exploring and sharing his revelries with the world, teaching us more about life, food, happiness, and adventure.

We remember Anthony Bourdain as someone whose attitude and outlook on food and life was unparalleled.

His passion infected the nation and his words are a reminder of the legacy he has left behind.

Pay tribute to his memory and reflect on your own adventures with the following quotes.

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Awesome Anthony Bourdain Quotes

1. “Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.” – Anthony Bourdain

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2. “You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.” – Anthony Bourdain

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3. “Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” – Anthony Bourdain

4. “I don’t have to agree with you to like you or respect you.” – Anthony Bourdain

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5. “Skills can be taught. Character you either have or you don’t have.” – Anthony Bourdain

6. “I travel around the world, eat a lot of s—, and basically do whatever the f— I want.” – Anthony Bourdain

7. “Your body is not a temple. It’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” – Anthony Bourdain

8. “The way you make an omelet reveals your character.” – Anthony Bourdain

9. “It’s very rarely a good career move to have a conscience.” – Anthony Bourdain

10. “Luck is not a business model.” – Anthony Bourdain

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Anthony Bourdain quotes that will inspire you to make your life an adventure

11. Meals make the society, hold the fabric together in lots of ways that were charming and interesting and intoxicating to me. The perfect meal, or the best meals, occur in a context that frequently has very little to do with the food itself. – Anthony Bourdain

12. “I learned a long time ago that trying to micromanage the perfect vacation is always a disaster. That leads to terrible times.” – Anthony Bourdain

13. “Bad food is made without pride, by cooks who have no pride, and no love. Bad food is made by chefs who are indifferent, or who are trying to be everything to everybody, who are trying to please everyone… Bad food is fake food… food that shows fear and lack of confidence in people’s ability to discern or to make decisions about their lives.” – Anthony Bourdain

14. “I’d put aside my psychotic rage, after many years being awful to line cooks, abusive to waiters, bullying to dishwashers. It’s terrible — and counter-productive — to make people feel like idiots for working hard for you.” – Anthony Bourdain

15. “To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living.” – Anthony Bourdain

16. “Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life—and travel—leaves marks on you.” – Anthony Bourdain
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17. “To be treated well in places where you don’t expect to be treated well, to find things in common with people you thought previously you had very, very little in common with, that can’t be a bad thing.” – Anthony Bourdain

18. I don’t have much patience for people who are self-conscious about the act of eating, and it irritates me when someone denies themselves the pleasure of a bloody hunk of steak or a pungent French cheese because of some outdated nonsense about what’s appropriate or attractive. – Anthony Bourdain

19. Anyone who’s a chef, who loves food, ultimately knows that all that matters is: ‘Is it good? Does it give pleasure? –Anthony Bourdain

20. “If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food. It’s a plus for everybody.” – Anthony Bourdain

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Anthony Bourdain quotes to bring out the best in you

21. “Assume the worst. About everybody. But don’t let this poisoned outlook affect your job performance. Let it all roll off your back. Ignore it. Be amused by what you see and suspect. Just because someone you work with is a miserable, treacherous, self-serving, capricious, and corrupt asshole shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying their company, working with them, or finding them entertaining.” – Anthony Bourdain

22. “Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.” – Anthony Bourdain

23. “If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go.” – Anthony Bourdain

24. “No one understands and appreciates the American Dream of hard work leading to material rewards better than a non-American.” – Anthony Bourdain

25. “What nicer thing can you do for somebody than make them breakfast?” – Anthony Bourdain

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Did you enjoy these Anthony Bourdain quotes?

Anthony Bourdain was an American treasure.

His thirst for the weird, crazy, and unusual inspired many to explore outside their own comforts.

The charismatic and silver-tongued chef and adventurer broke borders and brought new cultures into living rooms across the nation, a gift that we may never truly appreciate.

May his words continue to inspire, ignite, and challenge us to embrace the unknown.

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