Twelve Chefs begin the journey of a lifetime in London, England. On The Course, the chefs are immersed in the local food culture as they race in a pub crawl to win the Exceptional Ingredient. The tension rises quickly for one team as they unsuccessfully try and navigate the confusing streets of London. For The Takeover, the teams are sent to Gastropubs where they serve up authentic dishes to the British diners. Celebrity Chef, Nigella Lawson, joins the locals in choosing a favorite restaurant. Nigella Lawson serves as local food expert.

The eleven remaining chefs are off to Lyon where The Course will take them through the Beaujolais countryside. For The Takeover, the teams run bistros and serve traditional Lyonnais dishes, but one chef out smarts their fellow competitors by getting a traditional recipe from a local. Will the clever move pay off or will the chef go down in flames? Gregory Cuilleron serves as local food expert.

On The Course in Spain, the chefs' knife skills are tested when they work alongside local fishermen on the docks of Barcelona. As they settle into their journey, the competition starts to get fierce and the banter is not so friendly. Acclaimed chef José Andrés joins the local diners in one of the world’s best restaurants as the teams serve up Mediterranean cuisine. José Andrés serves as local food expert.

The chefs are off to Marrakech where The Course takes them on a perilous trip through the Medina. For The Takeover, the teams prepare a local favorite, tagine. The heat rises in the kitchen as one team claims they were sabotaged when ingredients go missing in the kitchen. Chef Moha Fedal serves as local food expert.

In Florence, the Course starts with a scavenger hunt where the chefs get firsthand experience on the traditions of the local cuisine. With their new knowledge, they head to beautiful villas in the rolling hills of Tuscany to create Tuscan cuisine for the Takeover. One chef causes a disaster in the middle of the night and must confess to his fellow chefs.

The chefs shift gears and head north to Bologna where they tackle the local favorite, tortellini. Tempers flare between two chefs over past grievances and one of contestants is intent on taking a teammate down. Paul Bartolotta serves as local food expert.