Every year, at the beginning of March, millions of French people follow the same ritual: they prepare a delicious meal and enjoy it while watching Top Chef. For the 2026 edition, the script and production have been completely revamped: gone are the coaching and teams, with contestants now competing in the traditional way, solo. Another new feature: goodbye to the film studio! The competition is adopting a traveling format across France, with each episode filmed in a different location across the country.
In its 17 years of existence, M6’s gastronomy program has become iconic. In Lyon, the world capital of the subject in question, it is watched assiduously, as one would expect. But starting tomorrow, the people of Rhône will have the chance to support two of their fellow citizens among the contestants. This will add even more spice to this edition, which is sure to be full of excitement.
Viviana Pisacane: transalpine talent in her genes (28 years old)
Originally from Naples, Viviana Pisacana has been based in Lyon since 2017, after working in some of the finest restaurants in Italy, Switzerland and even Norway. Despite her young age, she already has an impressive CV: 11 stars if you add up the awards won by the establishments where she has already excelled.
For Viviana, cooking is above all a family affair. In 2023, she took over the restaurant Le Bœuf d’Argent ( a member of the Toques Blanches Lyonnaises) in Lyon with her brother, sister, and brother-in-law. In the Pisacana family, you fall into the pot when you’re little. At Le Bœuf d’Argent, you can enjoy French-Italian gourmet cuisine, which is to say that it makes your mouth water.
Antoine Garcia: the local boy with boundless potential (24 years old)
Originally from Mâcon, Antoine Garcia took his first steps in professional cooking at the age of just 15. He continued his career in Lyon at the Arsenic restaurant, founded by Christian Têtedoie. He now works in Annecy, at Le Clos des Sens (a 3-star Michelin restaurant), as a sous-chef.
Here too, the CV is stratospheric given the candidate’s age. The young chef announced on Instagram that he is particularly excited and honored to be taking part in this new Top Chef 2026 adventure.
With these two talents alone, the competition promises to be fierce. Addin the 14 other contestants,and we can expect a real battle behind the stoves. Competition or not, what we want above all is to be entertained by a program that pays tribute to gastronomy and, by extension, to our beloved city of Lyon.