Yes, You Can Hire a Michelin Chef in Lisbon

Most people assume Michelin chefs are locked in their restaurants. That hiring one privately would cost thousands, require months of planning, and involve some kind of special arrangement. That's true for most of them. Not for Justin Jennings.

The Chef

Justin Jennings is the inaugural World Cook Champion — winner of the global TV cooking competition on Amazon Prime. He owns Downunder by Justin Jennings in Lisbon, which has been selected for the MICHELIN Guide in 2024, 2025, and 2026. Three consecutive years.

He's also available as a private chef. Not through an agency. Not through a booking platform that assigns you whoever's free that night. Directly. You hire Justin. He designs your menu. He cooks your dinner. The same hands that earned the Michelin recognition are the ones plating your food.

That's rare. In Lisbon, it might be unique.

What "Michelin Quality" Means at Your Home

There's a difference between a good private chef and a Michelin-level one. It shows in the details:

• Ingredient sourcing — Justin doesn't just go to the supermarket. He sources from markets, fishmongers, and producers he's built relationships with over 9 years in Lisbon.
• Technique — 25+ years of professional cooking. Sous vide, fermentation, Asian and European techniques, precise timing. The food is technically excellent, not just tasty.
• Plating — every course is presented to restaurant standard. This matters more than people expect — the visual impact when each plate hits the table changes the whole meal.
• Menu design — a progression that builds through courses. Each dish connects to the next. The tasting menu experience from his restaurant, reconstructed at your table.

The Price Might Surprise You

Hiring a Michelin chef privately in Lisbon starts from €65 per person with Justin. Read that again. At his restaurant, the tasting menu starts at €70 — and the private chef service is comparable in quality with the added benefit of being at your location, with your guest list, at your pace.

For context: some private chef services in Lisbon without any Michelin credentials charge €80-€120 per person. Hiring Justin — an actual Michelin-selected, World Champion chef — for €65pp is the best deal in the city. Most people don't realise this is even possible until they search for it.

Who Hires a Michelin Chef Privately?

• Celebrations that need to feel important — milestone birthdays, engagements, anniversaries where "just a restaurant" doesn't cut it
• Corporate clients — when you need to impress and can't risk average food. The Australian Embassy uses Justin for diplomatic events for this reason.
• Food lovers — people who've eaten at Michelin restaurants around Europe and want that experience in a private setting
• Tourists on holiday — discovering that a World Champion chef will cook at their Cascais villa for less than a restaurant dinner

How to Hire

No middleman. No agency. Send an enquiry directly — date, guest count, location, any preferences. Justin responds within 24 hours with a custom menu and quote. You work together on the menu until it's right, then confirm.

He covers Lisbon, Cascais, Sintra, Estoril, Ericeira, Setúbal, and the wider region. Whether it's a villa, apartment, yacht, or rooftop — if there's a kitchen, he'll make it work.

This is the most accessible Michelin-quality private dining experience in Portugal. And it's more accessible than most people realise.