Private Chef in Florence,
Italy

"What better way to end our 9 days in Italy than to have Chef Bartolo and his amazing wife Marta prepare an authentic Italian Tuscany family style dinner. Upon selection through the Take A Chef service, they provided a substantial menu from which we chose 2 appetizers, 2 starters, 2 main dishes, and 1 dessert for the 4 course affair. We set the date, time, and location for the meal. We also shared a short video of the villa's kitchen, cookware, and serving items to ensure we were prepared for the meal. Then our family anxiously awaited for the chefs to arrive. As promised, the chefs arrived 2 hours before the planned supper time. They quickly assessed the kitchen and the garden courtyard where we planned to enjoy the meal. Then they went to work preparing all the components of the meal. While Chef Bartolo prepared the meal with the smells of the meal started to waft through the villa, Marta setup the courtyard area. Dinner commenced, and with each course, Marta explained the history and/or the preparation for each menu item. Words cannot express the freshness, presentation, quality, and quantity of the food. We feared overeating with each course because we didn't want to miss out on the next. Thankfully, Marta consolidated the leftovers and placed them in the refrigerator for our midnight snack. Our favorite menu items include the Grandma Tidle's tomato / basil pappa, fresh pappardelle pasta with wild boar stew sauce and juniper berries, and the peposo dell'impruneta. We finished the meal with Aunt Betta's apple pie with vanilla gelato. From the start of service to the last bite, we wined and dined for just shy of 2.5 hours. Every bite of every plate was scrumptious, and more than a few belts were loosened to make room for more food. After cleaning the kitchen, clearing and handwashing all plates, and collecting / packing their equipment, Chef Bartolo and Marta came out to the garden courtyard to a standing ovation from our family of 8 adults and 2 babinos. The experience that they created and shared with us was the food highlight for our Tuscany vacation, and we cannot recommend them highly enough. Chef Bartolo and Marta will create a dining experience tailored to your preference that you will remember for a lifetime....I know that we will!"

"Chef Bartolo and his wife Marta prepared a meal for 12 retired U.S. tourists at our Villa in Lucca. At the end of our trip around Tuscany, our group concluded that this private chef experience was one of the highlights or our trip. Working with them on pricing, menu selection, timing etc. was very easy and they were quick to respond and offer suggestions. Of the 5 or 6 chefs we were considering, Chef Bartolo offered the most comprehensive menu choices and given that each meal course consisted of two offerings, we felt we thus had the opportunity to sample more of the Tuscan cuisine than we would have received from another chef. The set up was excellent and the service was top notch with Marta providing an explanation of each menu item. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it. Some of the choices we had included the Tuscan salad, mixed tuscan crostini and bruschetta, lasagna, tagliatelle, beef escalopes, roast port and tiramisu. Both Bartolo and Marta are very pleasant and friendly. All of us agreed that they will be our chef of choice when we come back to Tuscany. Do yourself a favor and book them for your private chef experience."

"Bartolo & team did an absolutely fantastic job “cheffing” our dinner at Villa Giotto. They used fresh ingredients, some of which they harvested down in Sicily, and many which they grew themselves or found around the region. We had a sumptuous 4-course meal, each of which was beautifully presented as well as so delicious! There was such a nice variety of dishes, and plenty for all 8 of us (with leftovers we enthusiastically ate the next two days). Marta, who also served us, was very fluent in English and offered great descriptions of each dish. She was so delightful and accommodating. We were especially happy when we walked into the kitchen after they left and found a spotless kitchen with everything cleaned and put away, and leftovers carefully wrapped and refrigerated. Every detail was thought of and executed with flair, beauty, and especially deliciousness!!!"

"We had booked this experience for my dad's special birthday. The experience was absolutely incredible! We picked two dishes per course which was fantastic to try traditional tuscan food. Each course was delicious and there was plenty of food for the 8 of us. The communication was excellent and unfortunately we had to move villas and they were accommodating for this. They set up and cleaned up and you would have never have known they were there!! It was a 10/10 experience and would definitely recommend."

"Bartolo and the team were fantastic. Very clear messaging in the menu choices and providing flexibility with 2 of our group being celiac. They turned up well in time to prepare and presented a fantastic range of dishes which were all delicious with the best local ingredients. All the team were exceptionally polite and I would recommend them to anyone. Thanks for making a memorable evening. Best. Paul"