Atlantic Table provides private chefs for dinner parties across Portugal: groups of 8 to 20 guests at villas, homes and holiday rentals in Lisbon, Cascais, Comporta and the Algarve, with fixed per-guest pricing from €120 and a written proposal within 24 hours.
Published 19 August 2026 · Updated 9 October 2026
Hiring a private chef for a dinner party: how it works
You send the date, the address and the headcount; we come back within 24 hours with a menu proposal and a fixed price per guest. On the day, the chef and service team arrive two to three hours before guests, cook in your kitchen or finish what was pre-prepared in ours, serve every course plated, and leave the kitchen cleaner than they found it. The host's only job is sitting down.
This works in villas, apartments and holiday rentals alike; a small kitchen has never cancelled a dinner, it just changes the prep plan.
What a dinner party for 10, 12 or 20 costs
A 3 to 4 course dinner runs €130–170 per guest for 10 to 14 guests and €120–160 for 15 to 20 in 2026, all-in: menu design, ingredients, chef, service and cleanup, VAT included. That puts a table of 10 at €1,300–1,700, a table of 12 at €1,560–2,040, and a table of 20 at €2,400–3,200. Smaller tables of 6 to 8 run €150–200 per guest and tasting menus €180–250, which is why 8 to 20 is the format's sweet spot.
Birthday dinners, reunions and every excuse in between
Most dinner parties we cook have a reason: a 40th in a Cascais villa, in-laws meeting for the first time, a reunion of friends who scattered across three countries. The menu bends to the occasion, printed menus and a conspiratorial dessert included, and wine pairing is available per guest. If the group outgrows 20, the same kitchen scales into full event catering without changing hands.
Dinner party chef: price per guest
| Format | Per guest (2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Intimate dinner, 6 to 8 guests | €150–200 | Anniversaries, proposals, small celebrations |
| Private dinner, 10 to 14 guests | €130–170 | Birthdays, family and friends' dinners |
| Group dinner, 15 to 20 guests | €120–160 | Milestone birthdays, reunions, villa weekends |
| Tasting menu or premium produce | €180–250 | 6 to 8 courses, lobster, aged beef, truffle |
Per guest, VAT included: menu, chef team, service staff, setup and cleanup. Wine pairing quoted separately. Travel within Lisbon, Cascais and Sintra included; Comporta, Tróia and further quoted in the proposal.
A dinner party for 12, as an example
Every menu is written for the table; this one shows the level. Allergies and preferences are designed in from the first draft.
Premium catering, three ways.
Premium event catering and private chef service, corporate, private and weddings, across Portugal.
Simple. On purpose.
Proposal
Date, location, guest count. A quote within 24 hours.
Menu
Designed with you. Tasting session for larger events.
Execution
Full team, setup, table service, bar, cleanup.
Dinner party chef, questions
How much does a private chef for a dinner party cost?
In 2026: €150–200 per guest for 6 to 8 guests, €130–170 for 10 to 14 and €120–160 for 15 to 20, all-in: menu design, ingredients, chef and service team, setup and cleanup, VAT included. A dinner party of 12 lands at about €1,560–2,040 before wine; tasting menus run €180–250 per guest.
What group size works best?
8 to 20 guests is our sweet spot: large enough for real per-guest value, small enough for plated fine dining at one table. Below 8 a minimum spend applies; above 20 we scale into full event catering with the same kitchen.
Can you host a birthday dinner or celebration?
Yes, birthdays, anniversaries, reunions and farewell dinners are the core of what we do, including custom menus around the guest of honour, printed menus and wine pairing if you want it.
We're renting a villa. Does that work?
Perfectly, holiday rentals are where most of our dinner parties happen. We cook in the villa's kitchen or pre-prepare in ours and finish on site, and we coordinate directly with the property manager if preferred.
How far ahead should we book?
2–3 weeks is comfortable for most dates; summer weekends in the Algarve and Comporta deserve 3–4. We keep some short-notice capacity, so a date this week is always worth asking about.