10 Best Games Where You Run A Restaurant

10 Best Games Where You Run A Restaurant

As a seasoned gamer and self-proclaimed culinary enthusiast, I’ve dabbled in my fair share of cooking simulators. But let me tell you, these three games have truly stood out to me – they’re not just about whipping up a mean dish; they’re an exhilarating rollercoaster ride that’ll leave your nerves frayed but your appetite for fun piqued!


Engaging simulation and management games can become remarkably captivating when executed well, and it’s hard to find a genre that does this as effectively as restaurant simulators.

Ready for a mix of relaxing pastimes and fast-paced challenges? Put on your chef’s coat, clean your hands, and let’s dive in!

11 Little Dragon’s Café

Relaxing And Stress-Free

10 Best Games Where You Run A Restaurant

The enchanting “Little Dragon’s Cafe” is a delightful adventure title, crafted by the mastermind behind the iconic “Harvest Moon” series.

At first glance, the lineage is evident, yet Little Dragon’s Café manages to stand out uniquely. The aim here is to collect various ingredients for the café’s menu, which you will later utilize in cooking mini-games.

With your pet dragon by your side, it will assist you in gathering essential items spread throughout the map, while you also get the chance to discover new territories as your dragon matures.

In an unusual artistic decision, there is no financial reward in Little Dragon’s Café. Although it might appear peculiar, I find pleasure in watching my funds grow in such games, and I suspect I am not alone in this preference.

Still, if you want a cute, relaxing take on restaurant management, Little Dragon’s Café is worth checking out.

10 Dave the Diver

The Perfect Catch

10 Best Games Where You Run A Restaurant

In “Dave the Diver,” you embark on an extraordinary 2D journey unlike any other restaurant job. Instead, you become the entire production line!

In the game “Dave the Diver”, you engage in a smaller, more specific tale, where fishing for fish serves as your main task. These caught fish can be utilized as ingredients at a Sushi Bar. You’re not the sushi chef, but you manage everything else, from creating the menu to cleaning and serving.

A riskier catch results in costlier dishes, and on top of that, you need to oversee the social media management for Bancho Sushi Bars.

Dave the Diver is essentially an aquatic adventure just like a Sushi Bar simulation game. However, as the game progresses, it delves deeper into the restaurant aspect, but there are numerous tasks you’ll encounter around the enigmatic Blue Hole Lagoon.

9 Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop

One Of The OG’s

10 Best Games Where You Run A Restaurant
Key InformationDetails
DeveloperOffice Create Corp.
PlatformNintendo 3DS
Release DateMay 2017

For many years, the Cooking Mama collection of games has provided an immersive and practical experience in the culinary world, allowing players to feel like real chefs.

Most Cooking Mama games tend to run on portable Nintendo systems, and they often make great use of their unique hardware features. For instance, these games allow you to simulate cooling down food by having you blow into the system’s microphone.

Just like top-tier cooking games, food preparation is surprisingly straightforward yet hard to resist, compelling you to manage a variety of gameplay elements that wouldn’t blend well in other contexts.

You have an abundance of options when it comes to “Cooking Mama” games. Among them all, I’ve found myself playing “Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop” on the Nintendo 3DS the most, and I can honestly say that its shop management aspect is enjoyable, making it a game I would recommend.

Regrettably, I found myself unable to continue my culinary adventures with “Cooking Mama: Cookstar” on the Nintendo Switch for long, as it was pulled from the market shortly after its debut. Although I wish I could discuss the reasons behind this unexpected turn of events, I’ll leave that topic untouched for now. For the time being, it seems we’ll have to dust off our older gaming systems to savor the delightful offerings of the Cooking Mama series.

8 The Ramen Sensei

Become A Noodle Tycoon

10 Best Games Where You Run A Restaurant
Key InformationDetails
DeveloperKairosoft
PlatformAll
Release DateSeptember 2022

As a devoted enthusiast, I’d describe The Ramen Sensei as a charmingly engaging simulation game in which I assume the role of a master ramen chef. In this captivating world, I create mouthwatering bowls of ramen to cater to an endless horde of eager, sometimes demanding, patrons. It’s a delightful culinary challenge that keeps me coming back for more!

Creating recipes turns out to be much more intricate than you might imagine, and every decision you make matters significantly. It’s incredibly rewarding to see your culinary creations appreciated by customers. The “Ramen Sensei” even acknowledges your efforts by rewarding you for your experimentation.

Experimenting with fresh concepts in the kitchen is enjoyable, yet it’s crucial not to overlook your responsibilities as a manager. You need to tackle tasks ranging from recruiting employees to contending with competing businesses. It might appear straightforward, but the workload can be quite intense.

The game ‘Ramen Sensei’, developed by Kairosoft, is renowned for its demanding titles. While I appreciate its steady pace, the game initially overwhelms with numerous elements. Don’t worry if you find it hard to grasp everything at first.

7 Cook, Serve, Delicious 3

Yes, There’s A Trilogy

10 Best Games Where You Run A Restaurant

In a more natural and easier-to-understand phrasing, “Cook, Serve, Delicious 3” indeed embodies the experience of “operating a restaurant,” yet it offers a unique twist compared to conventional management simulation games.

In this game, the playstyle is significantly reminiscent of classic arcade games, as you strive to fulfill orders swiftly within your simple food truck setup. The clock is constantly ticking, urging you to expedite the preparation of various dishes such as pretzels and bubble tea.

Food prep is pretty involved but intuitive, and you have multiple stations to work with.

Cook, Serve, Delicious 3 is a speedy game that really tests your ability to manage multiple tasks at once. It’s widely considered one of the hardest games on the list, and if you want to keep your customers satisfied, you’ll need to be quick on your feet!

Instead of suggesting specifically the final game in the trilogy due to its updated visuals, I’d like to emphasize that there’s no mistake in choosing any of the delightful Cook, Serve, Delicious series of games.

6 Lemon Cake

The Adorable Restaurant Sim You’ve Never Played

10 Best Games Where You Run A Restaurant

Lemon Cake is a charming management sim where you restore an abandoned bakery to its former glory.

The bakery has three sections, each with a unique gameplay loop. Most of your time will be spent preparing orders in the kitchen, but you also have to ensure the restaurant floor is clean and customers are served.

Make sure to tend to your garden and livestock during off-hours, since your bakery relies on those fresh components. The game Lemon Cake, while seemingly simple, boasts a rich depth with numerous skill branches and hidden recipes.

The game offers numerous tasks and activities, but the experience can be quite intense compared to its visually appealing design. Despite this, it has a wealth of content to discover, and the satisfaction of earning rewards after a tough workday remains consistently enjoyable.

5 Cuisineer

A Roguelite Cooking Game?

10 Best Games Where You Run A Restaurant

I have a soft spot for Roguelike games, and the game Cuisineer skillfully blends this genre with culinary arts and restaurant management.

The game’s mechanics are delightfully straightforward. Venture out into the world to gather ingredients, then prepare scrumptious dishes using them at your very own eatery.

As you gather additional materials, you have the option to enlarge the restaurant, and many town residents will ask for your help in return for learning exquisite new dishes. The combat system is robust and has a feel reminiscent of Hades, although it features less menacing opponents.

If you’re seeking a conventional cooking game, the “Cuisineer” might not quite hit the mark. However, if you’re open to exploring an innovative and endearing take on the genre, this title has plenty of charm to offer.

4 TasteMaker

Create A Twisted Restaurant

10 Best Games Where You Run A Restaurant
Key InformationDetails
DeveloperJelle Booij
PlatformSteam
Release DateApril 2023

TasteMaker is an exceptional restaurant management game where you can build your culinary dynasty, starting from scratch.

In contrast to many games on this list that primarily involve managing counters or stations, TasteMaker offers a unique experience where you get to create your restaurant from the ground up. This means you have full control over everything, including the design of the layout and even choosing your staff. The sense of accomplishment is immense as you see the cash flowing in and have the opportunity to expand.

TasteMaker stands out from many games in its category with its unique graphic design, offering an abundance of opportunities for players to create their own enjoyable experiences.

You can create some gruesome restaurant designs, and make your customers endure an unsettling restroom where they’re constantly facing each other. Whether you approach it seriously or with a twist of terror, TasteMaker is an entertaining and often humorous independent game that tends to go unnoticed.

3 Pixel Café

This One Packs A Punch

10 Best Games Where You Run A Restaurant
Key InformationDetails
DeveloperBaltoro Games
PlatformAll
Release DateNovember 2023

Pixel Café is a superb bar simulator with simple mechanics and an addictive gameplay loop.

Most of your day is spent at a bustling bar, where you manage several service areas offering a wide variety of items, ranging from pancakes to mixed drinks. Every customer has unique preferences, so skillfully meeting their demands without causing delays is a challenging juggling act.

There’s plenty to accomplish, yet the controls are user-friendly, allowing you to momentarily pause time so you can quickly handle tasks as they come up.

The Pixel Café, despite being primarily a restaurant/bar simulation game, boasts an unexpectedly deep narrative woven into it. It offers more than just managing your business; there’s a compelling storyline that adds depth to the gaming experience. If you’d like to test drive this unique blend before committing, a free demo is available on Steam.

2 Overcooked

Put Your Friendships To The Test

10 Best Games Where You Run A Restaurant

In a simplified and engaging manner, “Overcooked” could be described as a delightful yet exasperating team-based culinary simulation video game, where you and your friends run a bustling kitchen together.

As a gamer, I find myself stepping into the role of a chef in this seemingly simple game. However, it doesn’t take long before I’m thrown into a whirlwind of culinary chaos! Before I can blink, I’m sprinting around the kitchen at a pace that would make Usain Bolt proud, juggling cooking times, custom orders, and even finding time to do the dishes. The game might have started off easy, but it sure as hell isn’t now!

One false move can set the kitchen on fire, and the 3-star scores for each level become lessons in patience.

Overcooked is enjoyable with the right company, yet quite demanding, so it might not suit everyone. The follow-up, Overcooked 2, is another fantastic multiplayer game, but it’s significantly harder compared to its predecessor.

1 PlateUp!

Prepare For The Most Impatient Customers

10 Best Games Where You Run A Restaurant

PlateUp! is a fantastic kitchen management game that’s similar to Overcooked in many ways.

In this game, the repetitive process of cooking meals and maintaining an efficient kitchen is similar to what you’d find in real life, yet it offers unique twists. One such twist is that instead of just following pre-set orders, you personally interact with customers to take their orders, and need to serve multiple tables at once.

On both the restaurant floor and in the kitchen, you actively participate, enabling you to delegate tasks and positions to your team.

Although you could theoretically cook up a storm in PlateUp! on your own, it’s quite challenging. A single error can easily cause chaos in the kitchen. If you’ve grown tired of Overcooked and are seeking a game that offers a fresh take on something familiar, then PlateUp! might just be the dish you’re craving.

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2024-10-24 14:09