How it works

Menu first. Booking second.

Here is what happens from your first idea to the dinner in your own dining room.

  1. Before anything

    You build a sample menu

    Open the menu builder and choose dishes course by course: a starter, a soup or salad, a main, a dessert. You can skip any course or add your own ideas in the notes. The dishes are samples, a way to show the chef what you like.

  2. Your table

    You say who is coming and what they can eat

    Tell us how many guests, the occasion, and any preferences: vegetarian, seafood, no pork, gluten-free. If anyone has an allergy, say so plainly. This is the single most important thing you can tell the chef, and it is asked for up front rather than buried in a thread.

  3. To the chef

    Your menu is sent directly

    The menu, your notes, and your contact details go straight to the chef. There is no sales team in between and no quote form to fill out first.

  4. The conversation

    Then we talk about booking

    Because the chef has read your menu, the first conversation is about your dinner, not about what you might want. Dates, the details of your kitchen, and any changes to the menu are settled together.

  5. The evening

    Dinner is cooked in your home

    The chef cooks your menu in your kitchen, so you and your guests can enjoy a restaurant-quality dinner at your own table, in your own time.

The usual way, and this way

Booking a private chef, the usual way

  • A PDF menu you cannot change
  • A quote form, then days of email
  • Dietary questions raised late
  • Unsure what you are actually getting

At Harbor Table

  • A menu you assemble yourself, course by course
  • Your choices reach the chef before any booking talk
  • Allergies and preferences recorded up front
  • A clear picture of your dinner from the first reply

Good to know

Questions people ask first

Who is this for?

Individuals, couples, and small hosts planning an anniversary, a birthday, or a dinner party at home for 2 to 12 guests.

Do I need to know about food to build a menu?

No. Choose what sounds good and write the rest in plain words. The chef will fill in the gaps.

Where does the dinner happen?

In your home. The chef cooks in your kitchen and the evening happens at your table.

What if I would rather speak to someone?

Use the contact page. A message works as well as a menu for starting the conversation.

Your table, your evening

Start with the menu. We will talk after.

Pick your courses, note what matters, and send it to the chef. There is no quote form and no back-and-forth to begin.

Build your menu