Private chefs in Santa Barbara
Private chef in Santa Barbara, CA
A private chef in Santa Barbara is dinner on a Montecito terrace with the ocean below and the Santa Ynez Mountains behind, cooked from what came off the farms and the boats that week. Indulge cooks in Santa Barbara, Montecito, Hope Ranch and the Santa Ynez Valley all year, for a dinner for six or a weekend with a chef in the house.
Montecito, Hope Ranch and the coast
Santa Barbara dinners are mostly outside, because the weather allows it in almost every month. We cook in Montecito estates with gardens laid out for long tables, in Hope Ranch houses above the water, in beach houses in Summerland and Carpinteria, and in homes on the Riviera looking over the harbour to the Channel Islands.
Evenings cool quickly off the Pacific, and May and June bring the marine layer, so Dominique plans for heaters, a covered fallback and a dinner timed to the light. September and October tend to have the warmest, clearest evenings of the year.
Cooking from the farms and the channel
Santa Barbara is a cook's town. The Saturday farmers market downtown and the Tuesday market on State Street carry citrus, avocados and greens from Carpinteria and Goleta all year, stone fruit in summer, and strawberries from up the coast. On Saturday mornings the fishermen sell at the harbour: spot prawns from February into the autumn, sea urchin, rock crab and whatever the boats brought in.
Michael writes the menu around what is there that week: a crudo of local fish, prawns grilled in the shell, a salad of whatever the farm stalls had, and fruit at its best for dessert.
The Santa Ynez Valley and the occasions we cook for
About forty minutes over the San Marcos Pass, the Santa Ynez Valley has ranches and vineyard houses for longer weekends around Los Olivos, Ballard and Santa Ynez, with pinot noir and chardonnay from the Sta. Rita Hills to cook around.
Across the region we cook for dinner parties and birthdays at home, anniversaries, rehearsal dinners and small weddings in gardens and on ranches, holiday dinners, and weekend stays with every meal handled.
How a Santa Barbara booking works
Send the date, the address and the number of guests, and tell us whether you would like to eat outside. Michael drafts the menu from what will be in season that week and adjusts it with you; the market and the harbour decide the last details. Michael and the team travel for the booking, arrive about two hours before the first guest, cook, serve and leave the kitchen as they found it. For weekend stays in Montecito or the valley, one chef cooks every meal. Please email for pricing and availability.
Places to host
Venues in Santa Barbara that welcome your own chef
Most of our dinners are at home or at a rental. For a bigger party, these Santa Barbara venues let you bring in an outside chef or caterer.
- Rancho La Patera & Stow House
Caterers apply to the venue's list
- Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards
Caterers apply to the venue's list
- Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
- Santa Barbara Woman's Club (Rockwood)
- Santa Ynez Ranch Events
Caterers apply to the venue's list
Every venue sets its own rules for kitchens, rentals and insurance, and they change. Tell us the venue when you send your inquiry and we will check with them before you book.
Questions
Private chefs in Santa Barbara, CA: questions
Do you cook in Montecito and Hope Ranch?
Yes. Montecito, Hope Ranch, the Riviera and downtown Santa Barbara, Summerland, Carpinteria and Goleta, and the Santa Ynez Valley, including Los Olivos, Ballard, Santa Ynez and Solvang. Further along the coast by arrangement. Send the address with your inquiry and Dominique plans the timing around the drive.
Can you cook a ranch or vineyard dinner in the Santa Ynez Valley?
Yes. We cook at ranches and vineyard houses in the valley, outside when the weather allows, with menus built around the local wine, from Sta. Rita Hills pinot noir to the syrah of Ballard Canyon. Tell us the property, whether there is a kitchen on site, and how many guests you expect.
What local seafood can you cook in Santa Barbara?
It depends on the season: spot prawns from February into the autumn, sea urchin, rock crab, halibut, white sea bass and rockfish from the channel. Michael plans the menu around what the boats are landing and confirms the fish a day or two before the dinner, so the menu stays honest to the week.
Is it warm enough to eat outside in Santa Barbara?
Most of the year, with planning. Days are mild in every season, but evenings cool quickly near the ocean, and May and June often bring a grey marine layer. September and October tend to be the warmest, clearest evenings. Dominique plans heaters, wraps and a covered fallback for every outdoor table.
Book a private chef in Santa Barbara, CA
Please email for pricing and availability, or send an inquiry with your date, location and number of guests.
Or call 631-949-2941, or send a text