Which French chef is known as the father of modern haute cuisine?

The French chef known as the father of modern haute cuisine is Auguste Escoffier.

Georges Auguste Escoffier modernized French cooking by simplifying the elaborate style associated with Marie-Antoine Carême. He helped codify professional kitchen methods, organized cooks into the hierarchical brigade de cuisine system, and promoted cleanliness, discipline, and coordinated service—practices that remain influential in restaurants worldwide.

Born in Villeneuve-Loubet in 1846, Escoffier rose to prominence through major hotels in Monte Carlo, London, and Paris. His partnership with hotelier César Ritz made him especially influential at London’s Savoy, the Ritz in Paris, and the Carlton in London. His 1903 cookbook, Le Guide Culinaire, became a major reference for classical cooking.

Escoffier is also associated with dishes including pêche Melba and Melba toast. Carême is an important predecessor and is sometimes called the father of French haute cuisine, but Escoffier is the standard answer when the question specifies modern haute cuisine.