Winner of the TV cooking competition The World Cook at Your Airbnb in Portugal

You're in Portugal on holiday. You've found a villa in Cascais with a sea view, or a penthouse Airbnb in Chiado, or maybe a yacht in the marina. The accommodation is sorted. But every night out at a restaurant starts to feel the same the logistics of getting a group to a restaurant, the noise, the time constraints.

One night, you stay in. A private chef arrives at the agreed property and prepares the custom menu while the group enjoys the setting. That's the night everyone talks about when they get home.

How It Works for Holiday Rentals

Justin owns Downunder by Justin Jennings, selected for the MICHELIN Guide in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Private chef service is available in the approved service areas.

The process:

1. Send an enquiry with your dates, group size, and the address or area you're staying
2. Justin provides an initial personal reply, availability confirmation, custom menu and quote within 24 hours, often sooner, including weekends and holidays.
3. On the day, he arrives 1-2 hours early with all ingredients and equipment
4. You eat. He cleans up. Kitchen looks better than you found it.

Why Tourists Love It

Several service formats can be assessed during menu planning.

No reservation stress. Peak season in Lisbon (May-October), getting a table for 8+ people at a good restaurant on a Saturday night is a headache. With a private chef, your table is your table.

Everyone's together. No splitting across tables, no shouting over music, no "we need the table back at 10." You eat at your pace, in your space, with your people.

Local ingredients, international skill. Justin owns Downunder by Justin Jennings, selected for the MICHELIN Guide in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

It's cheaper than you think. Single-event private chef service starts from €85 per person. Compare the defined service and request a custom quote for your event.

Popular Locations

• Cascais villas outdoor dining overlooking the coast. The classic setup.
• Lisbon Airbnbs Chiado, Alfama, Príncipe Real, Santos Justin covers the whole city.
• Sintra estates surrounded by forests and palaces. Hard to beat the atmosphere.
• Estoril and Ericeira beach town rentals where the evening ends with a sunset and great food.
• Yachts and boats yes, Justin cooks aboard. The galley kitchen is no problem for a chef who's worked in kitchens on three continents.
• Setúbal and the Arrábida coast a bit further out, but covered.

When to Book

Justin provides an initial personal reply, availability confirmation, custom menu and quote within 24 hours, often sooner, including weekends and holidays.

If you're planning a trip to Portugal and want one night that stands above the rest, this is it.

Kitchen Requirements What the Chef Actually Needs

People worry about whether their rental kitchen is "good enough." In most cases, it's fine. Here's what a private chef actually needs to work with:

Essential: Event details and pricing are assessed from the current service brief rather than unsupported averages or statistics.

Nice to have: 4-burner hob, a decent chopping board, a blender, oven trays. These make the chef's life easier but aren't dealbreakers.

Not needed: Any examples in this guide are hypothetical and show how a service could be planned for an eligible booking.

For yacht galleys yes, they're small. But a chef who's worked on boats before knows how to adapt. Mention the yacht details when booking so the menu can be designed around the galley's capabilities.

The Holiday Rental Advantage

There's a reason private chef bookings spike during tourist season. When you're on holiday in a rented villa or Airbnb, a private chef dinner becomes the highlight of the trip. You've spent the day at the beach, you're sun-tired and relaxed, and walking to a restaurant feels like effort. Then the chef arrives, the kitchen comes alive, and dinner appears on your terrace as the sun sets over Cascais.

Groups who've done this once almost always book again for their next trip. It's that kind of experience the meal you talk about when you get home.