How to Hire a Private Chef in Miami

Private chef or catering: choose the service, not the label

For a dinner party, a private-chef experience centers on a menu prepared for your table and a service schedule agreed with you. Catering can include the same on-site cooking, or a different format such as a buffet, passed canapés or delivery. The terms overlap, so ask what actually happens at your event rather than assuming one label guarantees a particular experience.

• Seated dinner: choose this when the meal and conversation are the focus. Confirm the course count, plating and table service.
• Cocktail reception: choose passed bites when guests will mingle. Confirm the duration, number of selections and beverage service.
• Brunch or buffet: useful when you want a more flexible gathering. Confirm how food is displayed, replenished and served.
• Yacht dining: confirm the galley, boarding access and service format with the chef and boat operator before choosing the menu.

What should you send when asking for a quote?

An inquiry is easier to answer when the chef can picture the event. Send the following together, even if some details are provisional. For a rental property, check the host’s permission for outside chefs and visitors before treating the venue as confirmed.

• Your event date, preferred mealtime and occasion.
• Estimated guest count, including children, and whether everyone will dine together.
• The address or marina, venue type and available kitchen or galley.
• The service you want: seated courses, canapés, brunch or buffet.
• Food allergies, dietary preferences and any requirements that need separate discussion.
• Your overall budget, and whether you need beverages, servers or rentals.

Does your home or villa need a professional kitchen?

Do not assume you need a commercial kitchen—or that every residential kitchen is suitable. Ask the chef to review the equipment and layout. Photos of the cooking area, oven, refrigerator and dining space help establish which dishes can be prepared and served comfortably.

Confirm refrigerator space, usable work surfaces, cooking equipment, access and arrival arrangements. In a Miami Beach condominium, discuss parking, elevator access and building rules. On a yacht, involve the captain or charter contact so boarding time, storage and galley use are agreed in advance. Resolve these details before the menu is finalized, not on the day of service.

How do you compare private-chef prices fairly?

Give each provider the same date, guest count and service brief. A food-only price is not directly comparable with an event total that includes drinks, servers and rentals. Ask for a written breakdown and check what is included rather than assuming that a lower headline means a lower final bill.

Lavish Gastronomy Privé’s private-chef page lists seasonal menus from $150 per guest. That is a menu starting point, not a promise of an all-inclusive event total. Your selections, staffing, beverages, rentals and applicable taxes or fees are confirmed in your individual proposal. For a fuller explanation, see our Miami private-chef cost guide below.

• Food: agreed menu, number of courses, guest count and any upgrades.
• Beverages: what is included, who supplies them and who serves them.
• Service: chef, servers or bartender, timing and responsibilities.
• Rentals: plates, glassware, linens or other equipment if needed.
• Total: taxes, service charges and administrative fees shown separately, plus the deposit and balance terms.

Discuss allergies before selecting dishes

Share allergies and dietary preferences at the first inquiry, then confirm them with the final guest count. Explain whether a requirement affects one guest or the whole menu. Ask how ingredients, substitutions and preparation will be handled; a dish name alone cannot establish whether it is suitable. For severe allergies or strict religious requirements, request explicit confirmation of what the chef can and cannot accommodate.

Who is cooking, and what happens after dinner?

Ask who will lead your event and how much service support is included. At Lavish Gastronomy Privé, Chef Jérôme Abraham’s approach combines French training with French, Mediterranean and Asian Fusion menus tailored to the occasion. The public chef biography describes his training at the Lycée Hôtelier Paul Augier in Nice and Michelin-starred kitchen experience.

Confirm the practical responsibilities too: table setup, plating, clearing, kitchen cleanup, leftover handling and rental collection. Do not assume kitchen cleanup includes cleaning the whole property. Agree on a mealtime and discuss how course timing will work around speeches, surprises or other plans.

Before you confirm your booking

Read the proposal and agreement together. Check the date, address, guest count, menu, full total, payment schedule and cancellation terms. Ask when final numbers and dietary changes are due. An inquiry is not a confirmed reservation: follow the acceptance and deposit instructions in your proposal and obtain confirmation for your event.

Planning private dining from Miami to Palm Beach

Lavish Gastronomy Privé serves Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Sunny Isles, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach, with private-home, villa and yacht services. Share the exact location when you inquire so access and logistics can be considered. To start, send your date and guest count through the inquiry page and explore the public menus for the style of meal you have in mind.