Top Chef Is “Upping the Ante” with Restaurant Wars in Season 19

It is time once again for the return of one of Bravo's Top Chef's most highly anticipated and longstanding challenges: Restaurant Wars. And as host Padma Lakshmi reveals in the above first look, courtesy of Bravo Insider, the stakes are even higher for the two teams of talented chefs in Season 19.

"You've officially made it to one of the most feared and anticipated challenges," Padma tells the cheftestants in the Bravo Insider video above. She goes on to add, "We're upping the ante this year. Not only will you have to serve the judges at a chef's counter but you'll also have to feed a restaurant full of diners."

As fans may recall, last season's restaurant challenge looked a bit different from the usual competition due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and the Season 18 chefs were tasked with serving the judges a seven-course tasting menu at each of their respective chef's tables instead of executing two pop-up restaurant concepts.

Now, as Padma shares in the preview clip above, the cheftestants must do an "old-fashioned schoolyard pick" of their two teams as they prepare to face off for one of the most intense challenges of the season. "How you decide to run your restaurant is completely up to you," Padma reminds the chefs while they prepare for the ultimate test of their creative and culinary skills in Restaurant Wars.

Check out the full Bravo Insider clip, above, to see the Season 19 chefs split into teams, begin coming up with their restaurant concepts, and, of course, reveal their gourmet menus before opening their restaurants for business, as the competition heats up like never before.

For instant access, as well as more exclusive content featuring your favorite Bravolebs, sign up to be a Bravo Insider.

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