Private chef · Costa del Sol
Private chef in Benahavís
Nick Toorn is a Michelin-trained private chef who cooks at villas in and around Benahavís, including La Zagaleta, El Madroñal, Los Arqueros and La Heredia. He shops the market that morning, cooks a bespoke menu in your own kitchen and leaves it clean. Private dinners, villa weeks, workshops and small events, in English, Spanish or Dutch.
Benahavís calls itself the dining room of the Costa del Sol, a village in the hills famous for its restaurants. Fair enough. But the best dining room up here is the one in your own villa, with a view the restaurants cannot book and a menu nobody else at the table has eaten before.
I cook a lot behind gates up here: La Zagaleta, El Madroñal, the golf urbanizations towards La Quinta. The drive up the hill is part of the ritual, and the produce in the boot decides how the night ends.
How the night runs
We talk it through
Before anything, we shape the night together. The table, the people, what they love and what they won't touch.
I shop that morning
Market in the morning, whatever stands out that day. The menu finishes itself at the stall, not a week before.
Open kitchen, your home
I cook in full view. No hiding behind a door. The kitchen is part of the evening, not a back room.
Course after course, your pace
Nothing rushed. The night moves with the table, not a clock. We stop when you're full, not before.
You wake to a clean kitchen
Shopping, plating, clean-up. You hold your glass and welcome your guests. I handle the rest.
Asked a lot
Do you cook in La Zagaleta and El Madroñal?
Yes. Gated communities around Benahavís, including La Zagaleta, El Madroñal, Los Arqueros, La Heredia and Monte Mayor, are part of my regular working area. Gate access just needs arranging in advance, which we sort when you book.
What does a private chef in Benahavís cost?
Bespoke only, so no fixed menu card and no fixed price. Guests, courses and ingredients set the quote. Use the contact form with your date and group size; the personal quote follows within 24 hours.
Why book a private chef instead of going down to the village restaurants?
Because nobody has to drive down the hill afterwards. The menu is built for your table alone, the kitchen is in full view, the wine is your own cellar, and the night ends on your terrace instead of in a car. The restaurants are good; your dining room is better.
Can you do a cooking workshop at our villa?
Yes. Hands-on workshops for small groups are one of the four things I do, next to private dinners, villa weeks and events. You cook, I steer, everyone eats the result. It works well as a daytime activity during a villa week.
