Private chefs for
in-villa dining.
A chef in your kitchen, a long table on the terrace, and nobody driving home from a restaurant. This is the single upgrade guests remember longest — and the one they most often rebook the villa for.
Vetted chefs, no kickbacks. Guests book and pay the chef directly. We simply introduce.
A restaurant-quality meal, at your villa
Private-chef dinners are the extra our owners see rebooked most often — a birthday, an anniversary, the last night of a family reunion. The chef arrives two to three hours before service, sets up in the villa's kitchen, plates each course, and cleans up before leaving. Guests stay barefoot, keep the wine flowing, and never touch a dish.
It's a fit for parties of six upwards. Smaller groups tend to prefer the marina's restaurants — but for a family of ten with kids in bed by nine, a chef on the terrace beats a scramble for a table every time.
Menus and format
- 014-course seasonal tasting menu, agreed in advance by email
- 02Fresh Algarve seafood — sea bass, gilthead bream, red mullet, gambas de Monte Gordo
- 03Cataplana, arroz de marisco or açorda for guests wanting the local classics
- 04Wine pairing on request — chef sources from local producers or brings a corkage-friendly bill
- 05Full mise en place, service, and kitchen clean-down before departure
- 06Own knives, thermometers, and any specialist serving ware
Guests contract the chef directly
The moment we know the guest is interested, we introduce them to the chef by email or WhatsApp. Menu, price and dietary requirements are agreed directly. The chef invoices the guest. We take no cut, no referral fee, and never mark up the price — you and your guests see exactly what the chef charges.
This is deliberate. A concierge that skims 15% off every dinner ends up steering guests to whichever chef pays the most, not whichever chef cooks the best. We'd rather send guests to the right person and be told they had the meal of the trip.
What the Algarve does best
Vilamoura sits on one of the best fish coastlines in Europe. Chefs source daily from the Quarteira market five minutes away — the same market the Michelin-starred kitchens of the Central Algarve use. Expect whatever came in on the morning boats: sardines in July, atum-rabilho (bluefin tuna) mid-summer, bream and octopus year-round.
If your guests want the full local experience, ask the chef for a cataplana course — a copper clam-shell pot of shellfish, chorizo and white wine that's been the Algarvian answer to bouillabaisse for four centuries.
Common questions
How far in advance should guests book?+
Two to three weeks in high season (June–September), one week off-season. Popular chefs are booked out for Saturday nights months ahead, so we flag chef availability in the pre-arrival email.
What's the typical price per person?+
€60–€110 per person for a 4-course seasonal menu, drinks and ingredients included. Tasting menus with wine pairing run €130–€180. Prices are set by the chef, not us — no markup either way.
Can chefs cater for allergies and dietary needs?+
Yes. Every chef on our list handles gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and pescatarian menus routinely. Vegan and strict kosher require 72h notice. Nut and shellfish allergies are declared upfront.
Does the chef bring everything or use the villa's kitchen?+
Chef brings ingredients, serving ware where needed, and their own knives. They use the villa's oven, hob, fridge and dishwasher. Villa needs to be reasonably equipped — a working oven and 4-hob minimum.