Restaurant management is an important part of the hospitality industry, particularly in the food and beverage sector. Restaurant managers need strong operational knowledge to meet customers’ needs, build relationships with guests, manage staff, and follow legal and safety requirements in restaurant operations.
In general, restaurant managers are expected to be skilled in administration, organization, customer service, and team leadership in order to run a business efficiently and effectively. A degree is not always required for food service management roles, but hospitality, culinary, or food and beverage training can strengthen a candidate’s preparation for the field.
As an aspiring restaurant manager, you should look for education and training that match your career goals. Here are some notable restaurant management schools in Europe that offer hospitality, food and beverage, culinary management, or related programs.
Top Restaurant Management Schools in Europe
1. Le Cordon Bleu
- Study Program
- Location: United Kingdom | Degrees Offered: Bachelor’s, Master’s
As one of Europe’s well-known culinary and hospitality education institutions, Le Cordon Bleu offers restaurant, culinary, and hospitality management programs through its London campus. Its Hotel, Restaurant & Culinary Management courses combine practical culinary training with entrepreneurship and management studies.
Exceptional training is central to Le Cordon Bleu’s reputation. The London program area covers topics such as menu concepts, marketing, professional kitchen management, food and beverage cost control, and modern food trends, helping students build both technical and managerial skills.
Le Cordon Bleu London also offers a Bachelor of Business Administration in Culinary Industry Management, jointly delivered with Birkbeck, as well as Master of Science programs in Culinary Innovation Management and Hospitality Innovation Management.
Le Cordon Bleu was founded in Paris in 1895 and has grown into an international network of culinary and hospitality schools. Today, it has around 35 international schools in about 20 countries, with approximately 20,000 students attending annually.
2. Escuela Universitaria de Hotelería y Turismo Sant Pol de Mar
Learning by doing is the formula of Escuela Universitaria de Hotelería y Turismo Sant Pol de Mar, now also presented internationally as Sant Pol Hospitality & Culinary Business School. Students learn in a real-world hospitality environment, including work with real guests at the school’s gastronomic hotel and on-campus restaurant under faculty supervision.
The school’s bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Culinary Management is an official University of Girona-accredited degree consisting of 240 ECTS credits over four academic years. The program includes theory classes, practical classes, and professional visits to hotels, restaurants, wineries, and research centers.
As a leading hospitality and restaurant management school in Europe, St.Pol HC also offers master’s-level hospitality programs, including a Master in Hospitality Management with concentrations in Hotel Management and Food & Beverage and Restaurant Management. The master’s program includes eight months of classes followed by a three- to six-month industry internship.
St.Pol HC is ranked #14 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 for Hospitality & Leisure Management.
3. ESSEC Business School
ESSEC Business School offers intensive hospitality management training through its MSc in Hospitality Management, also known as IMHI. Founded in 1981, the program is designed for students who want to build leadership careers in hospitality, tourism, food and beverage, and related sectors.
The ESSEC program allows students to choose from concentrations such as Digital Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Hospitality, Real Estate Management, Luxury Experiences Management, and Beyond Food & Beverage. Students also complete professional experience through an internship or apprenticeship path.
Through ESSEC’s collaboration with the Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, IMHI students may have the opportunity to complete part of their master’s degree abroad. The program also includes internship and exchange options, depending on the academic track selected.
ESSEC remains highly ranked among business schools. Its current rankings page lists, among other results, #7 in the Financial Times European Business School Rankings 2025 and #29 worldwide in the QS Global MBA Rankings 2026.
4. Rome Business School
Rome Business School is an option for students who want to study hospitality and tourism management in Italy. The school focuses on creating a diverse, multicultural learning environment. As the school’s saying goes, “Better managers for a better world.”
The International Master in Tourism and Hospitality Management is a 12-month, full-time program taught in English and delivered on campus in Rome. The program is designed for graduates who want to start or develop a career in tourism and hospitality management.
The program covers managerial skills and tourism and hospitality topics, including tourism systems, customer service, hospitality, and digital communication. It prepares students for roles such as Hotel Manager, Destination Manager, Tourism Marketing Manager, Resort Manager, Food Service Director, and Events Manager.
Rome Business School is a member of Planeta Formación y Universidades. The school’s website describes a student community from more than 140 countries, while the wider Planeta Formación y Universidades network trains more than 100,000 students from 114 countries each year.
5. ESCP Business School
ESCP Business School is a European business school that trains future leaders to go beyond a purely technical approach. Multicultural, multidisciplinary, and humanistic perspectives are central to European education, and ESCP is known for this international model.
Its MSc in International Food & Beverage Management combines practical learning, direct contact with companies, interaction with top managers in the food and beverage industry, case studies, teamwork, consulting projects, oral presentations, operational labs, business games, and an internship.
ESCP Business School is a multi-campus institution with six campuses across Europe’s key economic centers. Established in 1819, it describes itself as the world’s first business school.
6. Marche Polytechnic University
Another notable restaurant management-related school in Europe is Marche Polytechnic University, which is situated in Ancona, Italy. Its Master’s Degree in Food and Beverage Innovation and Management focuses on technical and advanced management skills for the food and beverage sector.
Marche Polytechnic University is recognized in major international rankings. It is ranked in the 401–500 band in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 and listed at #=662 in the QS World University Rankings 2027.
The university promotes international learning and technical-scientific education, making it a relevant option for students who want to develop skills in food production, innovation, quality, safety, and management.
7. Mediterranean College
- Study Program
- Location: Greece | Degrees Offered: Bachelor’s, Master’s
Mediterranean College’s School of Tourism & Hospitality offers contemporary university courses in collaboration with the University of Derby. Its goal is to improve Greek hospitality enterprises and strengthen Greek tourism worldwide.
Its hospitality and tourism programs focus on applied knowledge and experiential learning. As a hospitality and restaurant management-related school in Europe, Mediterranean College works with industry professionals and provides internship opportunities through its network of hospitality businesses.
In terms of rankings, University of Derby course page lists Derby as Top 25 for Hospitality, Event Management and Tourism in the Guardian University Guide 2026 and 38th in the world for Hospitality and Leisure Management in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.
We hope that you found this article on the best restaurant management schools in Europe informative and helpful. If you are interested, make sure to also check out the Programs in Europe for International Students!
