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2024

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Best Personal Chefs in Chicago, IL

Our Recommended Top 12

We did the research for you!

  • Licensing
  • User Reviews
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Our goal is to connect people with the best local professionals. We scored Chicago Personal Chefs on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analyzed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best.

654Reviewed

397Curated

12Top Picks

Learn about our selection process.

Providers

featured provider = Featured Provider

Chicago, IL 60290

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (9)
Yelp
5.0 (6)
Facebook
4.6 (5)

Why choose this provider?

La Cuisine Personal Chef Service provides fresh, on-demand meals prepared by hand by a trained chef with years of professional experience. Customers can enjoy coming home to homemade meals designed to suit any taste and dietary restrictions, including gluten-free, vegetarian, and ethnic cuisine. La Cuisine Personal Chef Service takes care of everything, from grocery shopping to cleanup, and customers can browse the sample menus on the company's website, which feature dishes like Greek salad with grilled chicken, Japanese curry with edamame, and Mu Shu pork wraps.

Chicago, IL 60640

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

SoNaturelle Wellness specializes in helping busy, active women learn essential skills for healthier living. The company offers personal chef services for individuals, events, and dinner parties, and every menu is custom-designed to fit the customer's dietary restrictions, health goals, and tastes. Prices start at $325 plus the cost of groceries for three days worth of delicious, fresh, homemade meals. The company also provides intensive wellness coaching, starting with a free 30-minute consultation, which helps customers lose weight, live cleaner, and escape everyday stress.

802 W Belmont 2w, Chicago, IL 60657

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (68)
Yelp
5.0 (32)
Facebook
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Gmarket Chef offers personal and private chef services to clients in the Chicago, Illinois, area. The company has been in business for more than three years and is headed by chef Frank Kwiatkowski, who formerly worked under Michelin Star chefs. In addition to personal chef services, Gmarket Chef offers cooking classes, event catering, corporate services, and food styling. Customized menus for events such as dinner parties, birthdays, and anniversaries are the company's specialty.

Chicago, IL 60290

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
5.0 (7)

Why choose this provider?

A New Dawn has been offering professional chef services, catering, and cooking instruction for more than a decade. The company provides fresh, home-cooked meals for dinner parties and events, carefully crafted to the customer's dietary needs. Weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly personal chef service is available for busy parents and professionals, and the company's staff takes care of all the shopping and cleaning to make having healthy meals easy. Customers can use the contact form on the company's website to get price quotes.

Park Forest, IL 60466

Why choose this provider?

Meals By Mimi offers customized personal chef services to customers throughout the Chicago area. Customers can design a customized menu with the company's questionnaire, and a trained, experienced chef does all of the grocery shopping and prepares a week's worth of healthy, fresh meals in the customer's kitchen, complete with re-heating and food safety instructions. The chef can accommodate and tastes and food sensitivities and takes pride in creating delicious foods for customers who need a break from cooking and cleaning.

Chicago, IL 60290

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
5.0 (14)
Facebook
5.0 (3)

Why choose this provider?

Chef Katie Simmons is a professional personal chef who provides healthy, custom-made dishes for any taste and dietary restrictions, and one customer called the company' menu "a delightful surprise to everyone." Pricing ranges from $100 to $500 per week depending on the number and type of meals required, and the chef consults with each client to create a perfect menu filled with fresh ingredients, and designed to accommodate allergies and sensitivities to oils, soy, dairy, and gluten. The company also offers private and group cooking classes.

Chicago, IL 60290

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (4)

Why choose this provider?

Customers love the "friendly, accommodating " staff and "inventive, fresh" foods at Let's Eat Home! The company provides personal chef services for special events and parties and specializes in weekly meal plans for customers who prefer professionally prepared meals in the comfort of their home. Weekly meal plans start at just $175 for three main courses and three sides for two-to-three people, and any menu can be customized the customer's tastes and dietary restrictions. Customers can browse the company's menus on the website.

Chicago, IL 60290

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

Alia Dalal is a professional chef dedicated helping people eat and live healthier by preparing fresh, organic foods in the comfort of the customer's home. The company's personal chef service lets busy families and professionals save time and eat healthier, and offers customized menus full of clean, whole dinners, breakfasts, lunches, and snacks that are tailored to any tastes and food sensitivities. The company offers a range of fun group cooking classes, as well as private in-home classes that teach great techniques and recipes.

Chicago, IL 60290

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
5.0 (19)

Why choose this provider?

The owner of My Private Chef is an award-winning chef with years of experience in creating customized, world-class food for individuals, events, and parties of any size. The company offers private in-home dining service, including table settings and décor, with a team of experienced chefs and staff that strive to create healthy, gourmet meals tailored to any taste. Private cooking lessons are available, as well as morning and afternoon tea service for private gatherings, corporate events, and parties of ten or more guests.

Bellwood, IL 60104

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

The experienced chefs at Salted Chef are dedicated to creating customized gourmet meals in the comfort of the customer's home. The company's website features a range of menus for inspiration, including low-carb, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free options. The company's professional staff strives to make healthy, fresh meals affordable for almost any budget. Prices start at just $65 per meal, which serves up to eight people and includes a free dessert. Customers can call or schedule service on the company's website.

Chicago, IL 60290

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
5.0 (13)
Google
5.0 (6)

Why choose this provider?

Fyusion Dining is a Chicago personal chef and catering company that offers luxurious, custom-designed menus for private parties, weddings, and special events. Customers can purchase weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly meal service that provides fresh, handmade meals prepared in the customer's kitchen, complete with re-heating instructions. In-home chef service is also available for intimate dinners and private parties. Additional services include personal grocery shopping and kitchen organizing, and destination service for customers who want fresh, custom-made meals on trips and vacations.

Compare our Top Personal Chefs

NameExpertise RatingAddressPromotionsLearn more
La Cuisine Personal Chef Service
Chicago, IL 60290
SoNaturelle Wellness
Chicago, IL 60640
Gmarket Chef
802 W Belmont 2w, Chicago, IL 60657
A New Dawn
Chicago, IL 60290
Meals By Mimi
Park Forest, IL 60466
Chef Katie Simmons
Chicago, IL 60290
Let's Eat Home!
Chicago, IL 60290
Alia Dalal
Chicago, IL 60290
Menu For You
Wilmette, IL 60091
My Private Chef
Chicago, IL 60290
Salted Chef
Bellwood, IL 60104
Fyusion Dining
Chicago, IL 60290

FAQs

  • Introduction

    Professional private chefs can prepare daily meals and snacks for the families that hire them, or they can provide catering services for multiple guests at public events. These professionals use fresh ingredients and expert skill to craft delicious, healthy meals for their guests, both in private homes and for large events. Before you hire a personal chef for yourself, your family, or a private event, it helps to know what they do, how they charge, and where to find the right chef for you.

  • How much does a personal chef cost?

    The price you pay for a private chef is affected by many factors, such as location, size of the meal being prepared, and the arrangements you have made for their service. In urban areas with generally high costs, you can expect to pay between $300 and $450 for a meal service for up to 12 guests. Groceries, the cost of facilities, and other expenses can add significantly to this cost.

  • How do you become a personal chef?

    While there are no strict educational requirements for becoming a personal chef, many people who choose this career follow a fairly standard course of classwork and professional experience. Many personal chefs have a high school diploma, plus an associate's degree or professional certificate in culinary arts. Some chefs choose to pursue a bachelor's degree in the subject or to expand into a business degree if they intend to run their own catering service.

  • How do personal chefs charge?

    Personal chefs are free to charge their clients in any way that works for them. Some personal chefs are part of a family's private staff and are usually paid wages as a member of the household help. Some work independently and charge by the hour or by the job. Some charge a flat rate per event, though there is often an additional cost for extra guests.

  • What is the difference between a caterer and a personal chef?

    Though their roles at events can be similar, caterers differ from personal chefs in that they generally manage independent businesses with many clients, rather than acting as single-client contractors. Caterers are also typically hired for one-off events, rather than retained for regular service like personal chefs.

  • Do personal chefs need a business license?

    Though the rules for running a business vary from state to state, personal chefs who work as independent contractors generally do not need professional licensure. A personal chef who owns a small business might be required to pay a business tax or other state or local licensing fee, but this is basically the same as any other small business. Personal chefs employed by a household are generally considered employees and do not need to pay for a business license.

  • Will a personal chef work for one night/meal?

    Personal chefs are generally free to work out any business arrangement that suits them and their clients. In some cases, a personal chef will work for many years for a single family, but others offer their services on an as-needed basis and can be engaged for single events.