Table · New Year's Eve
A private chef for New Year's Eve, at your villa or home
On 31 December the problem is not what to cook. It is that whoever cooks misses the evening. A private chef solves that: you set the house and welcome your guests, we take care of the shopping, the cooking, the service and the clean-up, and at two in the morning there is nothing left to wash.
We work at your home, in an apartment in Florence or in a villa rented for the holidays, anywhere in Tuscany.
What is included
A menu built with you, not a fixed catering menu: we start from what you like and who is at the table, children and vegetarians included. We buy the ingredients, fish, meat, truffle or whatever you choose, from the suppliers we work with all year round. The chef arrives in the afternoon and cooks on site: nothing is transported and reheated.
On request we add waiting staff, so nobody has to leave the table between courses. We time the evening so that dessert and sparkling wine arrive for the midnight toast, not twenty minutes later. And the kitchen is left as you found it: the part nobody thinks about on the evening of the 31st and everyone appreciates on 1 January.
How much a private chef costs on New Year's Eve
Our New Year's Eve dinner starts from €250 per person, all inclusive, for groups of 8 or more. All inclusive means the menu built with you, the ingredients, the chef and kitchen team at your home, service during dinner and the final clean-up. There are no costs that appear afterwards.
The price changes with four things: the number of guests (the minimum is 8, then the cost per head stays stable), the menu (an all-fish menu, raw seafood or truffle raise it), front-of-house service for larger groups, and the location, because an isolated villa means travel and equipment. We send a written quote with the menu within 24 hours of your request, with no commitment.
New Year's Eve in a Tuscan villa
Many of the evenings we cook on New Year's Eve are in villas rented for the holiday period, often by families or groups of friends travelling from abroad or from other Italian regions. If you have already booked the house, we only need to know how the kitchen is equipped: two photos are enough.
We cover Florence and its province, the Chianti, Siena and Val d'Orcia, the coast between Versilia and Forte dei Marmi, and the rest of Tuscany on request.
The Italian way to welcome the new year
In Italy the cenone, the long dinner of 31 December, ends with a ritual: at midnight lentils and cotechino arrive at the table, a wish for prosperity in the year ahead, together with the toast. If you want, we bring that tradition to your table and explain it to your guests.
As for timing: 31 December is one of the few dates of the year when private chefs really sell out. It is best to write to us in October or early November.
A sample New Year's Eve menu
Every dinner is bespoke: this is just an example of how we celebrate the last night of the year.
- Starter: raw seafood and bubbles, or a festive antipasto
- First course: handmade tortelli or a rich risotto
- Main: a fish or meat main course for a grand occasion
- At midnight: lentils and cotechino, with the toast
- Dessert: a reinterpreted panettone or a dessert made on the spot
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private chef cost for New Year's Eve?
The New Year's Eve dinner starts from €250 per person, all inclusive, for groups of 8 or more. The price covers the menu, ingredients, the chef and kitchen team at your home, service during dinner and clean-up. It goes up if you choose an all-fish menu, raw seafood or truffle.
What is the minimum number of guests?
Eight. Below that we cannot guarantee the same service, because the chef and the team are committed for the whole evening of 31 December.
How far in advance should we book?
By October or early November. It is one of the few dates of the year when chefs really sell out, and those who call in December often find no availability.
Do we need a professional kitchen?
No. A home kitchen with an oven and a hob is enough. Before confirming we ask for two photos of the kitchen so we know what to bring.
Do you cook for children and vegetarians?
Yes, and we treat them like everyone else: a menu designed for them, not a last-minute fallback dish.
Do you stay after midnight?
The service usually covers dinner, the toast and the clean-up. If you would like us to stay longer, we agree it in advance.
Do you also cook Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner?
Yes. 24 and 25 December work the same way, with the same advice about booking early.
Book the chef for your New Year's Eve
Tell us how many you are, where you will be and what kind of evening you have in mind. We reply with a menu proposal and a quote.
Request a quote