Take a Chef reviews: what guests say about their private chef
Guests have written 42,297 reviews of their chef after a Take a Chef experience. Here are their scores, their own words, and what happens on the rare nights that go wrong.
98.8% would recommend Take a Chef
More than 42,000 reviews, written the day after the dinner
Average score based on 42,297 reviews
4.72 Food quality
How guests rate the menu their chef cooked.
4.66 Presentation
Not only taste counts: how every course looked on the plate.
4.78 Cleanliness
The state of the kitchen and dining area when the chef leaves.
4.78 Overall service
The whole experience, from the first message to the last plate.
8 in 10 guests give the overall service the top score
Overall service score in 41,464 post-service surveys. Guests also rate how the chef explains each dish: 4.46 on average.
Real reviews from Take a Chef guests
Birthdays, anniversaries, bachelor weekends and family trips, in their own words. Each review links to the chef’s profile, where you can read the rest.
Alia · Los Angeles, CA
Birthday dinner for 7 · June 2025
Chef Kim was amazing! He worked with me on a custom menu for my dad's birthday. Did everything from the setup to the clean up, which was so helpful. Our food was delicious, presented very beautifully and Chef Kim created a great experience for us overall. Would highly recommend him for any event!
Chef Chong Kim O.
Sarah · Florida
Family vacation, two families · June 2025
Speechless. Every single day we were speechless. This was our first time having a chef on vacation and we will never vacation differently. We were two families with combined 8 kids. The weight off of us to not have to worry about going to the grocery store, planning a menu, cooking, CLEANING UP… it was amazing. Chef John is extremely talented and has a true gift. Every single dish was 10 STARS even from the kiddos!
Chef John P.
Chris · Napa Valley, CA
Last night of a family trip · June 2025
We were visiting California for a family celebration trip and staying in an Airbnb. Wanted to do something special for the last night and had high expectations… Chef James found a way to exceed that! My brother is gluten free and he went out of his way to make him gluten-free versions of all the dishes in addition to the regular ones and didn't charge extra. […] He even cleaned up after, leaving the kitchen spotless.
Chef James R.
Greer · Rhode Island
Surprise 60th for 13 · December 2025
Don't hesitate to book Chef Joe! This was our second time working with him and it was wonderful. We hired him for our mom's surprise 60th dinner for 13 people and everything was amazing from start to finish. He showed up perfectly on time, the food was incredible (the lobster bisque was the favorite of the night) and he left the kitchen spotless. We can't wait to hire him again for our next dinner!
Chef Joe H.
Rich · Massachusetts
Valentine's Day dinner · February 2026
Both Rachael and Steven were great chefs in preparing our special Valentine's Day dinner. They were friendly, engaging in conversation and also doing extra little things (like lighting candles and offering condiments) to ensure our chef-recommended 4-course meal was great. My wife and daughter thoroughly enjoyed our first experience of hiring a local private chef for a special occasion.
Chef Rachael G.
Lindsay · Phoenix, AZ
Dinner for 8 · July 2026
Chef Zoia and Vladimir were wonderful. They were engaging, professional, friendly. The food and the presentation was AMAZING. She accommodated gluten and dairy allergies and you wouldn't have even known she had to make substitutions. The printed menu was a very nice touch. Clean up was detailed. Everybody loved it!
Chef Zoia B.
Mitchell · Richmond, VA
Bachelor party · October 2025
Juan was incredible! I was organizing a special bachelor party meal and we didn't want the usual special occasion food. We worked together to come up with an amazing Filipino menu and he knocked it out of the park! Just as fun was learning about all the dishes. He was communicative and easy to work with. You can't go wrong!
Chef Juan L.
Michelle · Paris, France
Birthday, family of 10 · July 2025
I celebrated my birthday while in Paris with our family of 10 (3 generations!), and I wanted to have a special dinner in our Airbnb. Booking through Take a Chef was so easy, and choosing Chef Laurent was the PERFECT choice! We communicated several times about the menu and settled on something everyone would love. […] They brought everything they needed and left the kitchen cleaner than when they found it!
Chef Laurent C.
Isabella · New York City
Company event for 20 · September 2026
Amazing chef and team to work with! We had a lot of on-top requests and he was more than willing to support and made the event a success. He goes above and beyond, able to bring sous-chefs, support with rentals, print out menus, on top of the impeccable presentation of the dishes. Could not recommend enough!
Chef Henry R.
Phillie · Miami, FL
Birthday dinner for 10 · August 2025
Chef Lenny was awesome and the food was incredible. He was easy to talk to and together we came up with a fantastic menu for a birthday dinner. He was great with my grandson who loves to cook. He took time to explain ingredients and let him “help out” with the prepping. He also explained each course as he served us. I would definitely recommend Take a Chef and especially Chef Lenny.
Chef Lenny J.
Katarina · Fort Lauderdale, FL
Girls' dinner at an Airbnb · May 2026
We had a gathering with a bunch of girlfriends and wanted to have a special dinner at our Airbnb. Sylvie was so lovely and prepared a delicious meal that wowed all the ladies. She was so accommodating to food allergies and aversions, which we really appreciated. Highly recommend!
Chef Sylvie D.
Clarence · Atlanta, GA
Dinner for two · May 2026
Chef Stephon was incredible. He was as engaging as we wanted him to be along with great stories to tell about the dishes and himself. He remained out of sight when appropriate to allow for the intimate dinner with my wife I wanted, but appeared when needed for additional wine service as well as to check on the meal and experience.
Chef Stephon F.
Paul · Phoenix, AZ
Family reunion · January 2026
This was my first time using a service like this and I was not completely sure of what the results would be. What I hoped for exceeded my expectations through the services of Chef Rodolfo. The chef took my inquiries and requests into account and created a culinary delight for my extended family to enjoy without the usual kitchen drudgery to attend to after.
Chef Rodolfo R.
Turner · Denver, CO
Bachelor party · May 2026
Chef Timothy was awesome. His menu was incredible and despite dealing with a bachelor party amidst an Avalanche game, he maintained his professionalism from start to finish. We genuinely enjoyed his company and he helped make the weekend a memorable one. Highly recommend.
Chef Timothy J.
Rachel · Lake Como, Italy
Family trip from the US · June 2026
The chef and his assistant were absolutely incredible! My family and I were traveling from the USA to Lake Como and he made the experience super easy and incredibly engaging. My whole family said it was the best meal of the trip!
Chef Daniele R.
Heidi · Colorado
Corporate retreat · October 2025
DJ was great. We engaged him for two dinners for a corporate retreat. Highly recommend and would use again. His menu appealed to our broad range of tastes. He was very responsive and accommodated our request to complete grocery shopping for our breakfast and lunch meals, which we prepared ourselves. He was adaptable to a challenging kitchen setup at our Airbnb. Excellent food!
Chef Dave B.
Stephanie · New York
Girls' weekend · September 2025
This was a 10/10 experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone considering this! We had a girls' weekend, and no one wanted to be stuck in the kitchen. We wanted to be present for each other, and Chef Zivko & Chef Alex made that possible. […] He kept an eye on the wine glasses too, which was lovely. We will absolutely use this service again on our next getaway!
Chef Zivko R.
Meghan · Madrid, Spain
15-course dinner for 6 · December 2025
10/10 all around! Alvaro was excellent from start to finish! We had 15, yes 15 courses and they were all well presented and delicious. We had wine pairings, and the dishes were thoughtfully prepared to incorporate many local dishes in Spain. We can't wait to go back and use Alvaro again.
Chef Álvaro R.
Sandra · Cleveland, OH
Dinner for two · June 2026
Chef Mark delivered a memorable evening for me and my husband. We are in disbelief we had access to a chef at his level. Chef Mark is phenomenal. I honestly feel conflicted leaving this review because I want to be able to use him again and I know his reputation is exploding!
Chef Mark Anthony P.
Priscilla · Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Dinner for 7 · December 2025
Isaac and Daniela exceeded our expectations, the menu was incredible and every single dish exploded with incredible fresh flavors. From introduction, presentation, to professionalism and ambiance. It was a beautiful experience. We would love to have them again for our next visit.
Chef Isaac G.
Theresa · Cartagena, Colombia
Dinner for 9 · April 2025
From start to finish I was very impressed by Chef Jhon. He catered for 9 people, one being a vegetarian. I almost wanted to switch midstream for vegan food, lol. Each dish was seamless and delicious, the presentation was amazing and how he explained each course was very informative. I highly recommend Chef Jhon when you visit Cartagena, Colombia.
Chef Jhon B.
Kelley · Algarve, Portugal
Group of 9 · May 2025
Joao was amazing! He was fun and engaging and the food was delicious. The chorizo was out of this world and probably the best thing we ate in our time in Portugal. We had a group of 9 and everyone loved the food and there was plenty to go around.
Chef João D.
Katharina · La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Last night of the trip · April 2025
Chef Gabriel provided an amazing dinner for our final evening in La Fortuna. We were a group of 5 people and we had some dietary restrictions to manage as well. This was no problem for Chef Gabriel and he prepared a delicious feast for everyone to enjoy. The meal he prepared was the perfect way to celebrate and end our trip.
Chef Gabriel P.
Reviews from services between April 2025 and September 2026. Chef ratings as shown on their profiles in October 2026.
What guests mention most
We counted the words that come back again and again in 32,810 written reviews in English.
write that they recommend it
call the food delicious, tasty or amazing
say they would book again
comment on the chef’s communication
bring up the cleanup afterwards
mention allergies or dietary needs
94%describe their chef as professional84%as punctual84%as attentive
Ratings by occasion and destination
The score barely moves whether it’s a dinner for two or a party of twenty, at home or on vacation.
By occasion
Average review score and number of reviews.
- Romantic dinners4.752,072
- Bachelor & bachelorette parties4.691,806
- Foodie experiences4.69507
- Corporate events4.67494
- Birthdays4.666,429
- Friends' gatherings4.654,102
- Family reunions4.652,113
By destination
Some of the places with the most reviews.
United States
- Chicago4.77402
- Phoenix4.76611
- Miami4.75532
- Orlando4.73438
- Los Angeles4.72419
- New York City4.69692
- Palm Springs area4.69484
- Atlanta4.68256
- Houston4.63287
Abroad
How reviews work on Take a Chef
Only the guest who booked gets the survey, and it covers much more than the food.
The survey arrives the next day
24 hours after the service, the guest gets an email with a personal link to review the chef. The link expires after 7 days.
Five scores and a comment
Guests rate the overall service, food quality, presentation, cleanliness and how the chef explained the dishes, from 1 to 5, and say whether they would recommend Take a Chef.
It goes on the chef’s profile
The review appears on the chef’s public profile and counts toward their rating, so the next guest can read it before choosing between proposals.
Take a Chef on Trustpilot
Anyone can review Take a Chef on Trustpilot, not only the guests we survey. The score there matches ours: 4.7 out of 5.
Read Take a Chef reviews on TrustpilotTrustScore, rated Excellent
Reviews on Trustpilot
Five-star reviews
Negative reviews answered
Usually within a week.
When something goes wrong
Fewer than 1 in 100 surveys rate the service 1 or 2 out of 5. The complaints in those reviews, and in the 1-star reviews on Trustpilot, are usually about a chef who cancels or is replaced close to the date, a late start, or a dish that falls short.
This is what protects your booking:
Payment held until after
Take a Chef keeps your payment until the experience is over.
If your chef cancels
Full refund, or help finding another chef with a similar menu. Chefs who cancel are penalized and can be suspended.
If you cancel
100% refund 15 days or more before the service.
Pay on the platform
Payments made to a chef outside Take a Chef lose the platform’s protections.
Report it within 24 hours
Tell support about any problem within 24 hours of the service.
Chat before you book
Ask every chef your questions and adjust the menu before paying.
Frequently asked questions
About Take a Chef reviews, ratings and what happens if plans change.
Is Take a Chef legit?
Yes. Take a Chef has connected guests with private chefs since 2012 and is run by Take a K2K, S.L., a company based in Spain. You book and pay through the platform, and Take a Chef holds the payment until the experience is over. Guests have written 42,297 reviews after their service, with an average of 4.7 out of 5, and Take a Chef has a 4.7 TrustScore on Trustpilot from 2,990 reviews (October 2026).
What is Take a Chef's rating?
4.7 out of 5, the average of 42,297 reviews written by guests after their service (October 2026). By category: overall service 4.78, food quality 4.72, presentation 4.66, cleanliness 4.78 and explanation of the dishes 4.46. On Trustpilot the TrustScore is also 4.7.
How many reviews does Take a Chef have?
42,297 reviews from the survey guests receive after their service, plus 2,990 reviews on Trustpilot (October 2026). Each chef's reviews are listed on their profile, so you can read them before you book.
Are Take a Chef reviews real?
The scores on this page come only from the survey Take a Chef emails to the guest 24 hours after the service, through a personal link that expires after 7 days. Every testimonial above is a review published on the chef's profile, quoted with the guest's first name. We only fixed typos and shortened some, marking each cut.
What do people complain about?
Fewer than 1 in 100 surveys rate the service 1 or 2 out of 5. When guests are unhappy, the usual reasons are a chef who cancels or is replaced close to the date, a late start or long waits between courses, or a dish that falls short. The same issues come up in the 1-star reviews on Trustpilot.
What happens if my chef cancels?
You get a full refund, whatever the timing, or Take a Chef helps you find another chef with a similar menu. Chefs who cancel drop in the ranking, pay a 20% penalty on their next booking and can be suspended after more than two cancellations in six months.
Can I cancel and get my money back?
For requests made since September 4, 2025, you get a 100% refund if you cancel 15 days or more before the service, or within 24 hours of paying when the service is more than 3 days away. Cancellations less than 15 days before the service are not refunded, but the support team will help you.
Can I read a chef's reviews before booking?
Yes. After you describe your event, up to four local chefs send you menu proposals. You can open each chef's profile, read the reviews from their previous guests and chat with them before you book.
How do I leave a review?
Take a Chef emails you a personal link 24 hours after the service, and the link stays valid for 7 days. If something went wrong on the day, report it within 24 hours of the service.
Read your own chef’s reviews
Tell us about your event. Local chefs send you their menus, and you choose after reading what their past guests said.
Find your chefSources: Take a Chef review database (42,297 reviews from the post-service survey, 2015 to October 24, 2026; themes counted in the 32,810 English-language reviews with a comment) and Take a Chef’s Trustpilot page, checked October 24, 2026. Policies from the Take a Chef FAQ and the help center.
