Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown — 2013-2018 · 12 seasons · 105 eps

★ 8.9

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown poster

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

2013-2018 12 seasons 105 episodes

★ 8.9 (7,762 votes) Top 7%

Bourdain travels across the globe to uncover little-known areas of the world and celebrate diverse cultures by exploring food and dining rituals. Known for his curiosity, candor, and acerbic wit, Bourdain takes viewers off the beaten path of tourist destinations – including some war-torn parts of the world – and meets with a variety of local citizens to offer a window into their lifestyles, and occasionally communes with an internationally lauded chef on his journeys.

Episode Ratings Grid

Every episode at a glance, color-coded by rating. Rows are episode numbers within each season, columns are seasons.

Size: M

S1

S2

S3

S4

S5

S6

S7

S8

S9

S10

S11

S12

E1

7.9

8.1

8.0

7.8

7.3

7.7

8.3

8.7

7.8

8.0

8.1

8.5

E2

7.6

7.7

7.2

7.6

7.8

8.2

7.6

8.2

7.8

7.9

7.8

8.6

E3

7.5

7.2

8.8

7.6

8.1

7.9

7.8

8.4

8.0

6.7

8.7

7.1

E4

8.4

8.3

7.8

8.3

7.7

7.6

7.8

7.8

7.9

7.6

8.0

7.5

E5

7.8

7.7

7.9

7.9

7.4

7.6

7.7

7.8

8.2

7.2

8.6

7.6

E6

7.6

7.3

7.6

8.8

7.9

7.6

7.8

8.6

8.0

7.5

8.0

7.7

E7

7.5

8.2

8.4

8.2

7.8

7.6

7.6

7.3

7.9

7.9

7.4

7.4

E8

7.9

8.2

7.6

7.8

7.8

8.1

7.3

7.3

8.4

7.8

8.4

E9

6.9

7.1

—

6.7

6.4

6.5

7.8

6.5

E10

6.8

7.6

6.5

Avg

7.7

7.8

7.8

7.8

7.6

7.6

7.7

7.8

8.0

7.5

8.1

7.8

Great

Good

Mid

Episode Power Rankings

The best and worst episodes at a glance. Use this to find must-watch episodes or ones you might want to skip.

🏆 Top Episodes

#1 8.8

S3E3 Lyon

World-renowned French chef Daniel Boulud takes Tony back home to the food-obsessed city and farm where he was raised on a journey into the roots of gastronomy. In this food-centric episode, Bourdain accompanies world-renowned chef/restaurateur Daniel Boulud as they travel back to Boulud's hometown of Lyon, France for a "once-in-a-lifetime" pilgrimage to the so-called Mecca of French cuisine's rich food culture and legendary chefs, with a focus on Nouvelle Cuisine innovator Paul Bocuse.

#2

S4E6 8.8

Iran

Bourdain and his crew take their long-awaited inaugural trip to Iran exploring Tehran and Isfahan, and sites that include Imam Square, the Borje Milad, mosques, and ancient caravanserai. The cuisine includes Dizi, Fesenjan, Biryani, and Tahdig. Local guides for this tour include Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and his wife Yeganeh Salehi, who were subsequently detained by the Iranian government.

#3

S8E1 8.7

Hanoi

Inspired by Graham Greene's words “... whatever you’re looking for, you will find here...” Bourdain joins the throngs of locals as he motorbikes through Vietnam’s capital, traverses its rapidly changing cityscape, and indulges in its singular cuisine with president Barack Obama, who, over a dish of Bun Cha, shares personal stories and reflects on his own international travels.

4. S11E3 "Newfoundland" 8.7
5. S8E6 "Japan with Masa" 8.6
6. S11E5 "Hong Kong" 8.6
7. S12E2 "Asturias, Spain" 8.6
8. S12E1 "Kenya" 8.5
9. S1E4 "Canada" 8.4
10. S3E7 "Thailand" 8.4

📉 Bottom Episodes

#105

S5E9 6.4

Prime Cuts: Season 5

104. S10E9 "Prime Cuts Season 10" 6.5
103. S8E10 "Prime Cuts Season 8" 6.5
102. S6E9 "Prime Cuts: Season 6" 6.5
101. S10E3 "Lagos" 6.7

The Quality Arc

Each point is an episode, plotted chronologically. The colored bands mark season boundaries. Look for upward or downward trends to see if quality improved or declined over time.

Trend

Episode Engagement

Vote count shows how many people cared enough to rate. High votes + high rating = beloved classic. High votes + low rating = notorious stinker. Low votes + high rating = hidden gem.

Rating threshold:

49 Standouts

4 Infamous

35 Hidden Gems

17 Forgettable

Top Standout: S4E6 Iran

Most Infamous: S2E3 New Mexico

Best Hidden Gem: S11E3 Newfoundland

Episodes plotted by rating vs. vote count. The vertical line marks the rating threshold (7.5). More votes = more engagement. Toggle above to compare against global or show-specific median.

Series Trajectory

A simplified view: one point per season. This smooths out episode-to-episode noise to show the overall arc of the series.

Trend

Season Momentum

Did each season build momentum or fizzle out? Green arrows mean the finale rated higher than the premiere. Red means the opposite. Longer arrows = bigger swings.

Season Consistency

Some seasons are reliable bangers. Others are hit-or-miss. Each dot is an episode. Tightly clustered dots mean consistent quality. Scattered dots mean a mixed bag.

Each dot is an episode. Clustered dots = consistent quality. Scattered dots = variable season. Hover for episode details.