A private chef menu is a multi-course meal built around your event and cooked fresh at your venue, rather than picked from a restaurant’s card. I am Giuseppe Manzoli, an Italian-trained private chef, and the five menus below are real menus from recent bookings — guests loved them enough that I wanted to share them here.
At a Glance
- What it is: five ready-to-book menus from real private dining bookings, each built around a different Italian city, with a vegan alternative on every course and a children’s option.
- Suits: dinner parties, anniversaries, family celebrations and any private dining booking — not only weddings.
- Included: menu planning, shopping, cooking, service and a full kitchen clean-down.
- Where: cooked fresh in your own kitchen, anywhere across Fife, Edinburgh, Perthshire, the Scottish Highlands, Loch Lomond and Argyll, the Scottish Borders, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Northumberland.
- Price: menus from £75 per person, VAT and travel included.
- Chef: Giuseppe Manzoli — 35+ years cooking professionally, trained in Italy, 220+ five-star Google reviews.
Take any of the five menus below exactly as it is, or use one as a starting point — swap a dish, drop a course, add one in. Tell me what you’d change and that becomes your menu. If none of them feels right, I’ll build one from scratch with you instead; see how I put a menu together with a client for that process.
Menu Venice
Canapés
- Smoked salmon crostini with lemon mascarpone and dill
- Whipped goat’s cheese tartlet with roasted heritage tomato
Vegan alternative: roasted tomato crostini with basil and extra-virgin olive oil.
Starter
Seared Scottish scallops with cauliflower purée, crispy pancetta and lemon dressing.
Vegan alternative: charred cauliflower steak with cauliflower purée, capers, lemon and toasted almonds.
Main
Herb-crusted fillet of Scottish beef with Barolo sauce.
Vegan alternative: roasted aubergine filled with lentils, tomato, herbs and pine nuts.
Sides
- Rosemary and garlic roast potatoes
- Tenderstem broccoli with lemon and toasted almonds
- Roasted heritage carrots with thyme
Dessert
Vanilla panna cotta with Scottish berries and almond cantucci.
Vegan alternative: coconut panna cotta with Scottish berries and almond cantucci.
Children
Smaller portions can be served without strong sauces. For the youngest child: soft roast potato, tender vegetables and finely cut beef, or tomato pasta if preferred.
Want this menu? Check your date and tell me if there’s anything you’d add or leave out — that’s all it takes.
Menu Rome
Canapés
- Mini supplì with mozzarella and tomato
- Parmesan shortbread with whipped ricotta and basil
Vegan alternative: crispy polenta with tomato, olive and basil.
Starter
Burrata with roasted heritage tomatoes, basil oil and crisp focaccia.
Vegan alternative: whipped cannellini beans with roasted tomatoes, basil oil and crisp focaccia.
Main
Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary, garlic and red-wine jus.
Vegan alternative: roasted pepper filled with cannellini beans, courgette, tomato and fresh herbs.
Sides
- Crispy rosemary potatoes
- Roman-style courgettes with mint and lemon
- Green beans with slow-roasted tomatoes
Dessert
Classic tiramisù with espresso, mascarpone and cocoa.
Vegan alternative: vegan espresso and dark-chocolate tiramisù.
Children
Mini mozzarella supplì, plain slow-cooked lamb and roast potatoes. For the two-year-old, the lamb can be served finely shredded with soft vegetables and no wine sauce.
Want this menu? Check your date and tell me if there’s anything you’d add or leave out — that’s all it takes.
Menu Naples
Canapés
- Mini pizzette with San Marzano tomato, mozzarella and basil
- Crispy calamari with lemon mayonnaise
Vegan alternative: mini marinara pizzette with tomato, garlic and oregano.
Starter
Parmigiana di melanzane with tomato, mozzarella, Parmesan and basil.
Vegan alternative: vegan aubergine parmigiana with tomato, basil and almond crumb.
Main
Pan-roasted sea bass with lemon, capers, parsley and white-wine sauce.
Vegan alternative: roasted courgette and aubergine involtini filled with herbed lentils.
Sides
- Crushed new potatoes with lemon and parsley
- Fennel and orange salad
- Garlic-roasted seasonal greens
Dessert
Lemon delizia with mascarpone cream and fresh raspberries.
Vegan alternative: Amalfi lemon cake with coconut cream and fresh raspberries.
Children
Mini cheese pizza followed by simply cooked sea bass, crushed potatoes and vegetables. The youngest child’s fish is carefully checked for bones and served without capers or sauce.
Want this menu? Check your date and tell me if there’s anything you’d add or leave out — that’s all it takes.
Menu Florence
Canapés
- Chicken-liver pâté crostini with balsamic onions
- Pecorino and pear tartlet with thyme
Vegan alternative: Tuscan white-bean crostini with rosemary and roasted garlic.
Starter
Handmade spinach and ricotta ravioli with sage butter and Parmesan.
Vegan alternative: handmade pumpkin ravioli with sage, olive oil and toasted hazelnuts.
Main
Tuscan-style roast pork loin with fennel, rosemary and Chianti jus.
Vegan alternative: roasted squash filled with Tuscan white beans, cavolo nero and herbs.
Sides
- Garlic and rosemary roast potatoes
- Braised cavolo nero with lemon
- Roasted fennel and red onions
Dessert
Dark-chocolate torta with mascarpone cream and raspberry sauce.
Vegan alternative: vegan dark-chocolate and almond torta with raspberry sauce.
Children
Plain spinach and ricotta ravioli followed by sliced roast pork and potatoes. A soft tomato pasta and steamed vegetables can be prepared for the youngest child.
Want this menu? Check your date and tell me if there’s anything you’d add or leave out — that’s all it takes.
Menu Bologna
Canapés
- Parmesan and mortadella tartlet with pistachio
- Mini polenta crostini with slow-cooked beef ragù
Vegan alternative: mini polenta crostini with tomato, olive and rosemary ragù.
Starter
Handmade tortelloni filled with ricotta and spinach, served with butter, sage and Parmesan.
Vegan alternative: handmade tortelloni filled with roast squash and herbs, served with sage oil.
Main
Slow-braised beef in Sangiovese with pancetta and aromatic herbs.
Vegan alternative: slow-braised lentils with red wine, rosemary, roasted shallots and root vegetables.
Sides
- Creamy Parmesan polenta (vegan portion prepared with olive oil)
- Balsamic-glazed carrots
- Garlic and lemon seasonal greens
Dessert
Bologna-style chocolate and almond torta with mascarpone cream.
Vegan alternative: vegan chocolate and almond torta with berry compote.
Children
Plain tortelloni followed by tender shredded beef with soft polenta and carrots. For the two-year-old, the meal can be served without wine sauce and cut into suitable pieces.
Want this menu? Check your date and tell me if there’s anything you’d add or leave out — that’s all it takes.
Choose a Menu, or Start From Scratch
Every menu above is ready to book exactly as it stands — or tell me what you’d add, swap or leave out and I’ll adjust it. Check your date, read more about private dining, or see what a private chef costs in Scotland.