A kinetic model was developed for the enantioselective hydrogenation of ethyl benzoylformate (EBF) on a modified Pt/Al2O3 catalyst. This model was based on the assumption of different numbers of sites for the adsorption of carbonyl groups from EBF as well as for the modifier ((-)-cinchonidine) adsorbed in a flat (actor) and tilted (spectator) modes. Density functional theory calculations were applied to study the energetics of EBF adsorption on Pt(1 1 1) in order to estimate the number of adsorption sites needed. The hydrogenation rate constants were determined along with the adsorption parameters by nonlinear regression analysis. A comparison between the model and the experimental data revealed very good correspondence.