An Elegant Rooftop Celebration: A 60th Birthday Feast by the Sea

Some occasions deserve more than a table at a restaurant—they deserve an experience. For this intimate 60th birthday celebration, the brief was clear: create a private dining experience that felt refined, relaxed, and unforgettable.

Set on a rooftop terrace with panoramic ocean views, the scene was effortlessly elegant. A small gathering of nine guests arrived on a warm afternoon and were welcomed with an oyster and caviar service, paired perfectly with Champagne Pol Roger NV—a bright, precise drop that set the tone for the meal to come.

Japanese-Inspired Canapé Menu Paired with Grace Wines

In June, we embarked on a delightful culinary journey, crafting a Japanese-inspired canapé menu to complement the exquisite wines from Grace Wines, a distinguished Japanese winery. This was my first encounter with these wines, and they surpassed all expectations with their spectacular flavors and incredibly well-balanced structure. The wines were delicate and subtle, yet possessed a profound depth that underscored their elegance.

Sydney Private Chefs Winter Degustation Menu June 2024

Introducing Our New Degustation Menu: A Fusion of Freshness and Flavor

We're thrilled to unveil our revamped degustation menu, designed to celebrate the finest seasonal produce, with a special focus on our exceptional seafood. This menu infuses a delightful twist of Asian flavors, all while maintaining the integrity of classic French culinary techniques.

Highlights include our Zuppa de Pesce, now with a subtle hint of chili to tantalize your taste buds. For those who prefer alternatives to seafood, we offer delectable options such as our lightly smoked duck with pine nuts and currants, or a rich mushroom and truffle soup.

Adapting on the run : A Chef's Tale of Culinary Agility in the Sydney CBD

In the whirlwind of running a private chef and busy catering business, there's always an element of unpredictability. My wife often jokes with me, especially when I'm bone tired after crafting unforgettable experiences for our clients, saying, "We won't be doing that anymore, will we?" It's true, we're constantly revaluating our service, menus, pricing and strategies. But when it comes to the demands of our clients, I'm often a "yes man."

Sydney Private Chef Menus February 2022

It has been a busy few weeks for the Sydney Private Chef team across Sydney, Central Coast, Hunter, South Coast and Southern Highlands. We have cooked for some wonderful clients in some beautiful and amazing locations.

Enjoy the gallery below

An evening in Paddington, Sydney 2020

There are some evenings live in the memory for a life time, particularly when friend’s come together over a beautiful meal. This meal started as an idea for a photo shoot and ended with new friends and a fablios evening.

The evening was hosted by a wonderful couple in a beautifully appointed Paddington terrace. A simple gathering of close friends with beautiful Australian wines and some of the finest produce on offer.

With this menu there was a wonderful under current of classic rural France that ran from the small intimate courtyard to the blue and white crockery and table ware to the table its self. The food simple direct, classic dishes with a real Australian theme, touching on the best Australian produce.

A Degustation on the 65th Floor, Sydney CBD June 2021

The brief as it was, was to show case the wonderful food that we have in Australia. Originally conceived as a “French degustation” the menu evolved into a celebration of intrinsically Australian food. The menu incorporated native Australian produce, such as linger limes, salt bush from my garden and local samphire and Warrigal greens. It also championed the best product from Australian producers such as fresh Tasmanian wasabi, Tooth fish, local east coast lobster and beautiful wagyu from NSW.

Classic French food, Cronulla NSW. May 2021

One of the best things about working closely with clients is they often challenge, which is something that I really love. From interesting and often crazy locations and interesting and challenging menus. This brief began as one of our regular clients wanted a food themed evening, a once a year event where friends come together, for no other reason than to enjoy a wonderful night of food and wine. Initially thoughts centred on a Japanese inspired menu however ended with a nod to all the classics of French cookery, duck confit to creme brulee and pate de campagne. In total seven courses, with matching wines in a beautiful home over looking Port Hacking. There was even a wonderful accordion player who stole the show!

HIDE (UPSTAIRS) OLLIE DABBOUS, PICCADILLY. LONDON 2019

Admittedly, a touch of food fatigue tinged with trepidation had creeped upon me approaching our lunch at Hide Upstairs. Two previous days of Michelin starred eating had consequences, two stars in two days… blah blah blah. How was I to consume more! I know it sounds pompous and at a level of wanker-ness that my wife says I’m only capable of, but I was almost a little over Michelin.

Simon Rogan’s brilliant interpretation of English food had left me impressed, the flavours of Elystan Street were so deep one could bath in them, and then there was a rather anonymous late-night Club Sandwich and a bottle of Champagne in the depths of the Fulham. And then on the second last day in London we were booked into Hide, Ollie Dabbous Piccadilly restaurant.

Sydney Private Chef photo shoot 2020/21

Below are some photographs take from our recent new menu photo shoot

Menu descriptions below and beautiful photographs by the very Talented Grace Picot

A French inspired lunch in the Southern Highlands.

Some jobs I just can’t say no too, and this was one of them. The brief was a birthday party for a Darling point couple at their Southern Highlands property outside of Robertson, NSW. The part that was so exciting was the very French inspired menu that they had chosen….some French classics. All dishes that had been enjoyed over the years and still much loved. Snapper Quenelles, Bouillabaisse and chocolate tart. The Snapper quenelles was, for me, a dish from my past. A dish that I hadn’t cooked in onwards of 25 years, but thats the challenge, to cook memories and provide the client with exactly the food they want.

Sydney Christmas 2019

The Christmas period is always one of the busiest at Sydney Private Chef, and always one of the most exciting. Theres always that special feeling in the air, warm summer days and a real holiday spirit. Following are a few dishes from this years Christmas Day shared table.

Wine Degustation, Queenscliff, NSW

The offer of this private dinner came though an a rather simple email asking if I was interested in cooking a birthday dinner for around sixteen people all of whom loved wine. Attached was an outline of the flights of wines to be served and the vintages. Latour, Petrus, Grange, DRC the list was incredible and far to tantalising not to say yes too. So armed with this list I set about trying to create a series of dishes that may work with the differing flights. A menu, not too far off what was eventually served, was sent to the client. Then the process of “tweeking” was undertaken. A fish dish added and a pork croquette replaced, a lamb course dropped and the foie gras ice cream added as requested. The order of dishes was changed to reflect the wines and the oysters and sashimi added a a shared starter rather than a course. Waitstaff, crockery and food was ordered, organised and prepared.

Truffle hunting in Robertson

It was beautiful early winters day, fingers of sunlight, lush green paddocks and the late tint of autumn leaves. Robertson in the southern highlands just outside of Sydney, is a neat little country town with a rather up market looking restaurant just next to the local Massey tractor dealer. That’s the duplicity of the area. Across the rail line we descended into the eastern valley, the road sanguine to the bottom of the valley, across a waterway and into the picture-perfect Robertson truffles. Pulling up into the drive way we were greeted by Sam (the owner) and a much welcoming open fire, a few nice cheeses and some conversation with our fellow hunters.

London and a few wines from the Cotes-du-rhone

While in London I regularly purchase wine from the Jeroboams store on Heath Street, which is an agreeable distance from my flat. I like, on each trip, to concentrate on an individual wine region. Last year it was the wines of Tuscany. Mainly Sangiovese based wines. Super concentrated wines with tight tannins and big flavours, Chianti’s and Montepulciano and the like.

Bistro Officina. Bowral, Southern Highlands NSW

There are dishes, and then there are dishes. These are the culinary moments that stick with you, in the very front of the food memory bank. The meals that everything else is measured against.

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Introducing Our New Degustation Menu: A Fusion of Freshness and Flavor