When is The Bear season 2 coming out? Release date and everything we know about the cast

The much anticipated season 2 of The Bear is almost out, here's what you can expect.

The Bear scene
(Image credit: Disney+)

Set your reminders because season two of The Bear is coming back to Star on Disney+. We share when the new series is returning, plus details of the plot and which cast members you can expect to see this time around.

The kitchen-based drama comedy is back with a bang on Wednesday, July 19. The series follows award-winning chef Carmy, who left the world of fine dining to run his family's debt-ridden sandwich shop after the death of his older brother.

This season the focus is on Carmy and Sydney's mission to turn The Original Beef of Chicagoland into a destination spot. But as with all great TV, things don't exactly go to plan...

The Bear 2 has already received rave reviews with FX and Hulu reporting that it had seen a whopping 70% increase in total hours streamed in the first four days since it launched in the US on June 22 (compared with stats for The Bear 1 over the same time period), leaving many fans already wanting The Bear season 2 ending explained. But when will we be able to watch the new episodes in the UK?

When it The Bear season 2 back on UK screens?

The Bear season 2 will be available to steam on Star on Disney+ in the UK from Wednesday 19 July, 2023 - less than a month after it debuted in the US on 22 June.

The latest series will follow the lives of Carmy, Sydney and Richie as they work together to transform their sandwich shop into a destination spot.

The Bear season 2 trailer

Which cast members are returning for The Bear season 2?

All the main cast members will be returning for The Bear season 2, including Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

Booksmart's Molly Gordon will join the series as Claire, a lost love from Carmy's past, and there will be a host of guest stars and cameos including British actors Will Poulter (Guardians of the Galaxy, Chronicles of Narnia, The Revenant), who will play pasty chef Luca, and the one and only Olivia Coleman as Chef Terry.

Hollywood royalty Jamie Lee Curtis, Breaking Bad's Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Gillian Jacobs, and John Mulaney will also guest star in The Bear 2.

  • Jeremy Allen White (Shameless) plays Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto
  • Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Girls) plays Richard 'Richie' Jerimovich
  • Ayo Edebiri (The Mystic River) plays Sydney Adamu
  • Lionel Boyce (Loiter Squad) plays Marcus
  • Liza Colón-Zayas (In Treatment) plays Tina
  • Abby Elliott (No Strings Attached) plays Natalie 'Sugar' Berzatto
  • Edwin Lee Gibson (Thanks For Coming In) plays Ebraheim
  • Matty Matheson (Workin' Moms) plays Neil Fak
  • Oliver Platt (Love & Other Drugs) plays Jimmy Cicero
  • Molly Gordon (Booksmart) plays Claire
  • Will Poulter (Guardians of the Galaxy) plays Luca
  • Olivia Coleman (The Crown) will play chef Terry
  • Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween, Freaky Friday) plays Donna
  • Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) plays Uncle Lee
  • Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story) plays Michelle
  • John Mulaney (Puss In Boots: The Last Wish) plays Stevie, Michelle's boyfriend
  • Gillian Jacobs (Community) plays Tiffany

What will The Bear season 2 be about?

According to the synopsis of the new series, we can expect lots of drama, as show insiders reveal: "As they strip the restaurant down to its bones, the crew undertakes transformational journeys of their own, each forced to confront the past and reckon with who they want to be in the future. 

"Of course, it turns out the only thing harder than running a restaurant is opening a new one, and the team must juggle the insane bureaucracy of permits and contractors with the beauty and creative agony of menu planning. 

"The transition brings a newfound focus on hospitality as well. As the entire staff is forced to come together in new ways, pushing the boundaries of their abilities and relationships, they also learn what it means to be in service, both to diners and each other."

How many episodes of The Bear season 2?

The Bear 2 will consist of 10 episodes, and each will run for around 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, you can watch the first season now on Disney Plus to catch up with all the drama before the season 2 release.

Where is The Bear 2 filmed?

As with season 1, The Bear 2 was mostly filmed in Chicago, Illinois with one of the show's filming locations being the iconic restaurant that inspired it: Mr Beef On Orleans, 666 N Orleans Street.

In episode 3 (Sundae), when Sydney goes on a food tour of Chicago for inspiration for The Bear's 'chaos menu' we see stops at Kasama in the the city's East Ukranian Village, Public Quality Meats, in Chicago's Fulton Market neighbourhood and Avec.

Most of episode 4 (Honeydew) was filmed in Copenhagen, including a scene at world famous three Michelin star restaurant Noma.

Maddy Biddulph
Freelance parenting writer

Maddy Biddulph is a freelance journalist specialising in lifestyle and family-focused content. With 25 years in consumer media, she has worked as a writer and editor for some of the bestselling newspapers, magazines and websites in the UK and US.  As a mum of two art-obsessed daughters, Daphne and Esther, Maddy is always looking for parenting hacks to make life easier. She is also a Level 3 personal trainer, and creates energising workouts for busy mums who need some me time.