Good food brings
people together

Yes, for dinners and celebrations — the price per person covers all the food, bought fresh that morning, plus the couvert. Drinks and wine are never included.

Multi-day stays work differently. There the day rate is for my work, and the shopping is yours — I buy it and hand you the receipts, or you have the fridge filled before I arrive. Whichever you prefer.

From 7 guests, up to 25. Twenty is where the evening sits best — one table, every plate out at the right moment. Above twenty-five I would not be serving you properly, so I say no rather than do it badly.

I work out of Peniche, and travel within 50 km is included — the whole Silver Coast, Óbidos, Nazaré, Caldas, Lourinhã. Beyond that I still come: Lisbon, Cascais, Sintra, Comporta. The extra distance is simply €0.36 per km, and I tell you the exact figure before you decide.

We talk about it first. I ask what the house has, and then I decide — you never have to work it out yourself.

I always bring the table dressing: napkins, cutlery and the decoration. For a large table with four or five courses I bring the plates too, because twenty matching plates is not something most houses own. Smaller dinners are usually plated on what is already there.

Two hours before service, with the shopping already done. Dinner runs two to three hours. I leave when the dinner ends — the kitchen clean, as I found it. Nobody is rushed and nobody is watching the clock.

I do — I cook and I serve every plate, so the food reaches the table at the moment it should. From about eight to ten guests I bring one assistant, so that nothing waits.

Two things only.

Before: the final number of guests, any allergies, the menu closed about a week ahead, and photos — the kitchen, the counter, and the table you will eat at. Those photos are how I know what to bring.

On the day: empty space in the fridge and a clear counter to work on. This is the one thing I ask for properly, because it is often forgotten, and a full fridge on arrival costs the evening an hour.

25% confirms the date, the rest is settled on the day. The full cancellation terms are written into the booking confirmation you receive, so there is nothing to guess at.

No. An oven, a hob and some counter space are enough — I bring whatever else the menu needs.

Two weeks is comfortable. Summer weekends in Comporta and Cascais go earlier. For a closer date, ask anyway.

It is one of the things I do most. A house full of friends, a long table, and a dinner nobody has to organise, book or drive home from.

Groups usually split one of two ways: a plated tasting menu when they want the evening to feel like an occasion, or fire and grill when they want it loud and generous. Tell me which sounds more like your group and I will build it either way.