Haute Cuisine is a trendsetter for the restaurant industry as it sets the trends and high-quality standards. The entry and exit rate of new restaurants is notably high, and market offers are characterized by newness and change in this competitive segment. Additionally, Haute Cuisine has been exposed to new culinary and service techniques and non-traditional cuisine environments. Haute cuisine restaurants must sustain their high-quality standards while regularly implementing innovations to keep pace with this challenging environment. Legitimacy occurs through perceptions, judgments, and actions of various evaluators, such as chefs, customers, restaurant guides, and media. As these groups interact, they shape and mutually influence others’ perceptions of legitimacy. Despite its importance, only a few studies used legitimacy theory to improve the discussions on innovations in Haute Cuisine. Hence, this dissertation aims to advance scholarly discussions ofinnovations in Haute Cuisine by developing an understanding of individual andcollective legitimacy mechanisms. By combining qualitative and quantitative research methods in four papers, this thesis offers a holistic approach to the following research question: How is the legitimacy of innovations shaped in Haute Cuisine? Paper I reviews the literature regarding innovations in dining experiences. Papers II and III use the interview data from twenty Michelin-starred executive chefs in the Nordic countries and the USA. Paper II proposes a model through the chefs’ individual perceptions and actions of sustainability. Paper III reveals two dimensions underlying the innovation process and explains changes in individual legitimacy perceptions and actions, and how these actions aggregate on the macro-level, using interviews with chefs. Paper IV examines the relationship notions of legitimacy among individuals (customers)and experts (the Michelin Guide) and media within the Spanish Haute Cuisine scene. The proposed overall research model (Figure 4) combines the findings of each appended paper and depicts the legitimacy mechanisms in Haute Cuisine. By using legitimacy theory, this thesis combines models from each appended paper and advances the scholarly discussions of innovations in Haute Cuisine by providing empirical evidence, thus presenting opportunities for future research.