Private Chef in Melbourne
Rent one of our 337 private chefs for a unique dining experience. You choose the menu, and the cleanup is included.
A personal chef for any occasion in Melbourne
Take a Chef has been arranging private chef services in Melbourne since March 2017, and today more than 337 Private Chefs work with us across Melbourne and the surrounding suburbs.
You tell us what you have in mind and we shape it into a brief: date, number of guests, allergies, what your kitchen can handle. We put together a shortlist of chefs who fit that brief, and you choose from it.
Counting every request we have handled since 2017, 46,958 guests have been part of a Take a Chef table, our chefs have put together 11,450 customised menu proposals and exchanged 22,487 messages about them, and the experience is rated 4.68 out of 5 overall.
In Melbourne itself we have completed 548 private chef services for 3,593 guests, rated 4.75 out of 5 across 293 reviews. Birthdays are what people book most here, followed by gatherings with friends and romantic dinners, and the typical table seats between six and seven.
Once you pick a chef, the menu, the timings, what is included and the final price are agreed in writing before anything is confirmed. We coordinate the details with the chef, and we stay responsible for the service until the last plate is cleared.
Our guests in Melbourne usually book menus around 160 AUD per person, including 3.1 courses, and exchange an average of 4.91 messages with the chef before the menu is settled. Chef's special is the most requested style, followed by Italian, Mediterranean and French, and every menu is adjusted to the allergies and dietary restrictions you tell us about up front.
Across every request we have taken, 46,958 guests have been seated at one of those tables. If you have never had a chef cook at home, the short version is this: booking is only the beginning. From that point we structure the service, keep every change in one place and step in if anything needs to move.
How it works
3 simple steps — easy, tailored, stress-free.
337 Private Chefs in Melbourne
Get to know more about our top rated Private Chefs in Melbourne
More than 46,900 guests have already enjoyed the experience
4.44 Chef
The guests in Melbourne have scored the experience with their Private Chef with a 4.44.
4.73 Food quality
The quality of the menus cooked by our Private Chefs in Melbourne received an average score of 4.73.
4.68 Presentation
Not only taste counts! The presentation of our private chefs' dishes has received a 4.68 average score.
4.73 Cleaningness
The cleanup of the kitchen and dining area in Melbourne has been scored with a 4.73 on average.
Personalize your menu
A romantic dinner or a gathering of friends. Traditional dishes or exotic flavours. A fine dining experience or a family-style meal. Every private chef experience is unique! Submit your request and personalize yours.
Frequently asked questions
Below, you can find the most common questions about private chef services in Melbourne.
A private chef service includes everything necessary to enjoy a personalized dining experience at home. This includes:
- Customization of a menu based on your preferences;
- Purchase of ingredients;
- Mise en place (preparation of ingredients) before arrival;
- Preparation of the menu at your home;
- Complete table service;
- Set up and cleaning of the kitchen and used spaces.
Please note that tableware and glassware are not included. Gratuity is entirely at your discretion.
The price of renting a chef in Melbourne can vary depending on the specifics, but smaller groups tend to have a slightly different price per person compared to larger gatherings.
Booking prices range from 143 AUD to 202 AUD. For groups of 13 people or more, the price is 143 AUD per person. For groups of 7 to 12 people, the cost is 141 AUD per person. For groups of 3 to 6 people, the rate is 164 AUD per person, and for 2 people, the price is 202 AUD per person.
Seasonal ingredients, your location, and how soon you book also affect the final price. If you're interested in getting free quotes with no obligation, fill out our form and let the best chefs near you send unique proposals for your event.
Tell us the date, how many guests, any allergies or dietary restrictions, and a few details about your kitchen. We turn that into a brief so you do not have to repeat yourself to every chef.
Within a few hours you will see menus from chefs who fit what you asked for, each with their experience, reviews and photos of their dishes. You can talk to them directly to adjust a dish, ask about portions or discuss the price.
When you confirm, the menu, the timings, what is included and the total price are set out in writing, we handle the payment, and we coordinate the final details with the chef. Booking is only the beginning of what we do.
There are currently 337 chefs available in Melbourne. Fill out a form specifying your needs and the date. Take a Chef will connect you with the best available chefs in Melbourne who will send you their menu proposals. You can then choose the chef and menu that suits you best.
While there's no strict limit on guest count, private chef experiences are designed to create a more intimate atmosphere, perfect for gatherings of friends and family. Since most homes have limited space to accommodate large groups, parties typically don't exceed 15 people.
Yes, the chef always prepares the menu at your home for a more personalized experience. However, some prep work might be done beforehand for complex dishes.
We match each request with chefs who fit it, rather than sending it out to everyone. We look at the date and whether they are actually free, the size of your group, the style of food you asked for, the allergies and restrictions involved, and what their previous clients said about services like yours.
That is why you get a short list instead of a long one, and why each proposal tells you what that chef would cook for your evening. If you would rather join in and cook alongside the chef on the night, that is entirely possible — plenty of guests do.
Yes, they're 100% fresh. Unlike restaurants with pre-made dishes, private chefs prioritize using the freshest ingredients possible. This is because the chef creates a customized menu specifically for you, then goes out and sources the finest ingredients to bring your chosen dishes to life.
Drinks are not typically included, but you can discuss adding them to the menu proposal with the chef.
Tipping for private chefs is entirely at your discretion. Our goal is for you to have an unforgettable experience, and the chef always appreciates a nice tip. However, the decision and amount are completely up to you.
Key information about our chefs in Melbourne
Discover more details about our private chefs and their services.
The average age of our private chefs in Melbourne
Percentage of our women chefs in Melbourne.
The average wait time from submitting the request and receiving the first menu.
Our very first private chef service in Melbourne.
Percentage of services with kids in Melbourne.
Maximum number of bookings for a personal chef by a single client in Melbourne.
Increase in the number of bookings for a chef from last year in Melbourne.
Languages spoken by our personal chefs in Melbourne.
Percentage of guests that hired a chef more than once.
Average number of days booked for multiple services at home with a private chef.
Photos uploaded to the platform by our private chefs in Melbourne.
Average timeframe from sending the request to booking.
When do people book a private chef in Melbourne?
Demand in Melbourne follows the calendar of the occasions people actually celebrate at home. Birthdays are the single biggest reason to book here, ahead of friends gatherings and romantic dinners, so the busiest weekends are the ones around long weekends and the end-of-year season.
Any month works for a chef at home in Melbourne, but the more notice you give us, the more chefs are free to cook for your date. Tell us the date as soon as you have it and we will line up who can take it.
Cost of a private chef in Melbourne
The cost of hiring a private chef in Melbourne can vary based on several factors, including the number of people in your group or seasonality. Larger groups tend to have a different average rate per person compared to smaller groups that hire a chef:
Booking prices range from 143 AUD to 202 AUD per person.
For 13 people or more: 143 AUD
For 7 to 12 people: 141 AUD
For 3 to 6 people: 164 AUD
For 2 people: 202 AUD.
These figures are a guide, not a quote: the season, the ingredients your menu calls for and how far the chef has to travel all move the final number.
What you will not get is a surprise. Before you confirm, the menu, the number of courses, the shopping, the service and the kitchen clean-up are set out in writing with a total price, and we handle the payment inside that agreement.
Private chefs registrations
After many years of offering our services, we are lucky to have a fantastic team of chefs that keeps growing in Melbourne!
2 personal chefs register with us every month. Our verification team reviews these new chef profiles daily to categorize them, allowing you to discover incredible new chefs every month.
What is the most reserved type of cuisine in Melbourne?
In Melbourne the most booked option is the Chef's special, where you hand the menu over to the chef. After that come Italian, Mediterranean, French and Japanese, and fusion menus that mix two of them.
Whatever you have in mind, the menu is built around it. Tell us about allergies, intolerances or anything nobody at the table eats, and we make sure it reaches the chefs before they propose anything in Melbourne — so the options you see are ones that already fit.
A Private Chef makes you enjoy the best gastronomy
Enjoy a Private Chef experience in the comfort of your own home! Let Take a Chef turn your kitchen and dining room into one the city’s best dining establishments. It’s a truly unique experience, ideal for special occasions and also a great way to put a fresh twist on dates, lunches with friends and family dinners. To get started click below!
Melbourne's best Private Chefs go home
The chefs who cook with Take a Chef in Melbourne come from very different kitchens: hotels, restaurants, catering, private service. What they have in common is professional training and a track record we check before they can send a single proposal.
That is where our work starts, not ends. We read your request, pass on the details that matter, and put in front of you the chefs who fit the date, the group and the food — with the reason each one fits. You talk to them directly about the menu, and anything you agree stays recorded on the booking.
An unforgettable experience
Take a Chef invites you to enjoy a Private Chef in Melbourne. It's not a catering, it's not a restaurant. It's much better. A Private Chef will make you live an experience whenever and wherever you want. The Private Chef will customize the menu taking into account allergies and intolerances, buy all the ingredients, cook in your own home, serve you dinner and, best of all, leave everything impeccable. You just have to enjoy and let yourself be carried away by the experience.
Talk to our chefs in Melbourne
Every chef who cooks with us in Melbourne is a trained professional with restaurant experience behind them. We look at your date, your group and what you want to eat, and we shortlist the chefs who fit — not the longest list we can produce.
Tell us about your evening in Melbourne and you will see who is available, with the menu each one proposes for it.
