Private chef in Tallinn and Helsinki
A private chef evening means ST Oliver and a sous-chef come to your home, summer house or rented venue and cook on site over open fire. The format is built for 6–20 guests and the evening runs about four hours. We serve Estonia and Finland: Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Lahti. The price is 25–1000 € per person and includes VAT (24%). The minimum order is 1000 €. We take bookings from at least 5 days ahead.
Dreamteam BBQ is an Estonian barbecue team that also works in Finland. The private chef service is the smallest and most personal format we run: two people arrive at your address with the raw ingredients, the smoker, the knives and the serving ware, fire the smoker outside and serve a three-course dinner around it. You are a guest at your own evening — nobody in your household spends the night in the kitchen.
What the evening includes
A welcome bite and a drink as guests arrive, three courses from the fire (brisket, salmon or pork belly with sides and dessert), a short word from the chef with each course, all serving ware, service and clean-up. We bring our own ingredients, our own equipment and our own crew. Long-smoked cuts are usually already in the fire the night before or early that morning, so the hours on site are preparation, service and carving. When the table is finished, we take the serving ware, the rubbish and the coals away with us. Your kitchen looks the way it looked in the morning.
What we need at your place
A safe place for open fire — a yard, terrace, back garden or parking space — power, access to water and one surface we can serve from. The smoker needs roughly a 2x2 m footprint and a route to get it there; a narrow gate or a steep staircase decides where the setup can stand, so we ask about that when quoting rather than on the day. Apartments work when there is a balcony, terrace or courtyard for the smoker.
Where we come
Tallinn and Harju county are the base service area, and we drive to Tartu, Pärnu and Saaremaa. In Finland we work in Helsinki and the capital region, Tampere, Turku and Lahti; the ferry and the crew travel are inside the quote, so no separate travel invoice arrives afterwards. We work in Estonian, English and Finnish.
Occasions this fits
Birthdays, anniversaries, engagement dinners, client thank-you evenings, business dinners, house-warmings and small friend gatherings. Intimate weddings and pre- or post-wedding dinners are welcome up to 30 guests, where the fire is the centre of the evening. Classic large wedding catering with a tight service window after the ceremony is not something we take on — a brisket cut is a 90-minute show, not a 45-minute delivery.
How do I hire a private chef in Tallinn?
Send the date, the address and the number of guests and we reply with a fixed quote and a menu proposal. Write to oliver@dreamteambbq.ee or call +372 5279051. We take bookings from at least 5 days ahead.
Can a private chef travel from Tallinn to Helsinki?
Yes. The crew travels by ferry with its own equipment and works regularly in Helsinki, Tampere, Turku and Lahti. Ferry and crew travel are included in the quote.
FAQ
How many guests does the private chef format take?
6–20 guests. Above that the format changes to grill catering with a serving point and a larger crew.
Do I need to prepare anything?
No. We bring ingredients, equipment, serving ware and crew. You need a safe place for fire, power, water and one serving surface.
Can we choose the menu?
Yes. There are three base menus (Texas Trail, Tokyo Smoke, Lapland Wild) and we adapt them to dietary needs.
Do you handle dietary restrictions?
Every menu has vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and lactose-free options. Every dish is labelled and the crew is briefed on allergens.
What does it cost?
The price is 25–1000 € per person and includes VAT (24%). The minimum order is 1000 €. The private chef evening sits at the upper end of that range.
How far ahead should we book?
We take bookings from at least 5 days ahead. That is a minimum, not a guarantee that the date is free — summer weekends fill earlier.