Giles Coren was born on 29 July 1969 in Paddington, London, the only son of English journalist and humourist Alan Coren and Anne Coren (née Kasriel), a doctor. Both his parents were raised in Orthodox Jewish households, though his own upbringing was more liberal. He is the elder brother of journalist and broadcaster Victoria Coren Mitchell.

He has been a restaurant critic for The Times since the early 1990s, and was named Food and Drink Writer of the Year at the 2005 British Press Awards, later winning Restaurant Writer of the Year at the 2016 Fortnum and Mason Awards.

On television, Coren has presented a wide range of shows, most notably The Supersizers… (with Sue Perkins), Back in Time for Dinner and its sequels, Our Food, Fake! The Great Masterpiece Challenge, 500 Questions, and Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby, which he co-hosted with chef Monica Galetti.

He lives with his wife, journalist Esther Walker, and their two children in Kentish Town, north London; the couple also own a house in Gloucestershire. Coren and Walker co-host a podcast together, Giles Coren Has No Idea, and often write joint newspaper articles about their relationship and family life.