Chef Mateus Alves

Private Chef in Lisboa

Hello, I’m Chef Mateus Alves.

Born in Brazil and based in Portugal since 2016, Lisbon has become my home and the foundation of my culinary journey.

With nearly a decade of experience in the culinary industry, I trained in Kitchen Management and Production at the Portuguese School of Hospitality and Tourism, and continued developing my craft through international training, including Le Cordon Bleu.

For the past two years, I have also had the privilege of working privately for a family, an experience that has deeply shaped the way I approach food and hospitality. It taught me that, exceptional food does not need to be complicated. Beautiful ingredients, thoughtful techniques and careful execution are often what make a meal truly memorable.

My cuisine draws inspiration from Portuguese, Brazilian and Mediterranean traditions, brought together through a contemporary and elegant approach. I value seasonal and local ingredients, honest flavours and menus that feel personal to the people sitting around the table.

For me, private dining is about much more than preparing a meal. It is about creating an atmosphere, telling a story through food and making people feel genuinely looked after. From the first welcome to the final dish.

Whether it is an intimate dinner, a celebration with friends or a special gathering in the comfort of your home, my goal is always the same: To create a memorable experience around the table, with warmth, precision and attention to every detail.

Exceptional ingredients. Honest cooking. Beautifully executed.

For me, cooking is...

Mostrar todo meu amor e paixão nos pratos que faço.

I learned to cook at...

Tive a honra de aprender com cozinheiros tanto em formações quanto em ambiente profissional.

A cooking secret...

Tratar com amor e respeito cada ingrediente.

My menus

Chef's Lunch Experience

STARTER

All inclusive

Amuse-Bouche — Roasted Chouriço, Yam & Passion Fruit

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Pica-Pau — traditional Portuguese beef bites sautéed with wine, black olives & pickles

Roasted Pumpkin Velouté — sautéed seeds & honey

Mango & Smoked Salmon Salad -Smoked Salmon Salad — Fresh greens & seasonal accompaniments

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Portuguese Fish Cataplana — seasonal fish, shellfish, tomato, peppers & herbs

Slow-Cooked Beef — tender beef slowly cooked in a rich and aromatic sauce

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Bolo mousse de chocolate, frutos vermelhos marinados em especiaria e citrinos

Nosso Pudim — Salted Caramel, Toasted Almonds & Vanilla Cream

Flavors of Lisbon: An Unforgettable Local Tasting Experience

STARTER

All inclusive

Amuse-Bouche: Crispy Alheira (a traditional Portuguese smoked sausage made with meat and bread, rich in garlic and spices), paired with a mango chutney

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Clams a la Bulhão Pato(White clams sauteed with white wine, lemon, garlic and parsley)

Fresh octopus Salad

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Arroz de Pato – A traditional Portuguese duck rice, slow‑cooked in duck broth with aromatic herbs and vegetables, finished in the oven with crispy chorizo and a touch of citrus oil

"Pork à Vinha d'Alhos" (A traditional dish from Madeira Island with the chef's personal touch), served with polenta and citrus-marinated red cabbage

Codfish with cream (bacalhau com natas) - The famous Portuguese dish made with Bacalhau (dehydrated codfish), with fried potato cube and juicy béchamel sauce

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Arroz Doce - Portuguese rice pudding with marinated plum and cinnamon crisp

Toucinho do céu (Portuguese almond pie, creme flavored with vanilla and lime)

Giant Pastel de Nata - A generous interpretation of the traditional Portuguese custard tart

A Morning at the Chef’s Table

STARTER

All inclusive

Smoked Salmon & Burrata

Canapé: Ricotta, confit cherry tomato, and cured ham

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Roasted Pumpkin Velouté — sautéed seeds & honey

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

DESSERT

All inclusive

Welcome - Drinks

Freshly juice - Coffee - Still & sparkling water - Seasonal Infused Water

Fresh seasonal fruit selection

Homemade cake

Warm Apple Crumble — roasted apple, cinnamon crumble & vanilla cream

Vegan Chocolat mousse

Happy Days, special dinner

STARTER

All inclusive

Couvert(Homemade bread, seasoned olives, aromatised butter, Portuguese Cheese, Jam and pate)

Camembert with pineapple jam

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Chef beans soup

Corn Fried Style á Madeirense served with passion fruit sauce and chorizo

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Pork cheeks served with celery purée and cherry tomatoes confit in olive oil

Octopus, sweet potato puree and sprouts

DESSERT

All inclusive

Pears cooked in muscat served with cottage cheese and walnuts

BBQ Lunch

STARTER

All inclusive

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Sautéed clams with artisanal chorizo, finished with lemon zest, roasted garlic, and fresh parsley

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Side dish : Rice, Mango and mozarela salad, potato’s smashed

BBQ Selection: Chicken wings, chicken thighs, Pork ribs, American-style picanha (Brasil), Grilled maminha

Sauces & Condiments: House BBQ sauce, Chimichurri, Mustard sauce

Grilled corn with herb butter, courgette, carrots with honey & herbs

DESSERT

All inclusive

Chocolate mousse cake, red fruit flavored with citrine and red port wine

Fresh seasonal fruit selection

Grandmother’s Kitchen — A Culinary Journey

STARTER

All inclusive

Crispy Egg - herb mayonnaise & roasted garlic

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Carapau Alimado - Cured and flaked horse mackerel with onion, olive oil, lime and garlic

Croquette - mustard & honey, green apple purée & pickle

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Carne de Porco à Portuguesa - Portuguese-style pork with garlic, white wine and herbs

Brandade de Morue

DESSERT

All inclusive

Arroz Doce - Portuguese rice pudding with marinated plum and cinnamon crisp

Giant Pastel de Nata - A generous interpretation of the traditional Portuguese custard tart

A Journey of Flavours

STARTER

All inclusive

Amuse-Bouche: Crispy Alheira (a traditional Portuguese smoked sausage made with meat, rich in garlic and spices), paired with apple jam

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Madeiran-style picadinho (beef cut into cubes, sautéed in garlic, shallots and with beef velouté) served with chips

Duck Croquettes – Crispy duck croquettes served with raspberry jam

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Boeuf bourguignon (Traditional dish from the Borgonha region of France, marinated and cooked in red wine, spices and vegetables.)

Braised Pork Cheek with Red Wine Reduction, Celery Purée and Spinach Salad

Pork Loin with Mustard Cream Sauce – Tender pork loin with a light mustard and crème fraîche sauce, accompanied by roasted potatoes and sautéed spinach

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate Mousse Cake – Served with red berries marinated in citrus

Deconstructed cheesecake with salted caramel

Flavours of Portugal: A culinary tale by Mateus

STARTER

All inclusive

Amuse-Bouche: Crispy Alheira (a traditional Portuguese smoked sausage made with meat and bread, rich in garlic and spices), paired with a mango chutney

Amuse-Bouche: Goat fresh cheese, pineapple homemade jam

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Clams a la Bulhão Pato(White clams sauteed with white wine, lemon, garlic and parsley)

Pastel de Bacalhau with lemon and roasted garlic mayonnaise

Fresh octopus Salad

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Arroz de Pato – A traditional Portuguese duck rice, slow‑cooked in duck broth with aromatic herbs and vegetables, finished in the oven with crispy chorizo and a touch of citrus oil

Bacalhoada a Portuguesa (traditional Luso-Brazilian dish consisting of a stew of onions, garlic, smoked peppers, boiled potatoes and codfish)

Codfish with cream (bacalhau com natas) - The famous Portuguese dish made with Bacalhau (dehydrated codfish), with fried potato cube and juicy béchamel sauce

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Toucinho do céu (Portuguese almond pie, creme flavored with vanilla and lime)

Orange Pie Muscat reduction ( portuguese liquor ) and cream

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Chef Mateus's reviews

4.88

•

251 services

I can not recommend Chef Mateus and his family highly enough. A 10 out of 10. Communication was clear feom the very start. They were professional and engaging. There put together a beautiful presentation for the table and described each diamsh and where they came from. It was a difficult to pick a favorite part of the meal because everything was so delicious. It was a memorable night for our family and it truly stands out from our time in Portugal!

We had a great experience with Take a Chef and Chef Mateus. The team was communicative, facilitated a great evening, and the food was delicious! Highly recommend

Chef Mateus und sein Team waren ein absoluter Traum!! So freundlich und zuvorkommend! Von der Planung bis zum eigentlichen Abend hat er sich so unglaublich viel Mühe gegeben! Ich bin im so so dankbar und kann jedem nur empfehlen, wenn man einen unvergesslichen Abend haben möchte. Es war alles eine Überraschung für meine Gäste und das Feedback war komplett positiv und alle waren sehr glücklich! Also er ist eine große Herzens Empfehlung von mir :)

We had an excellent evening. The food was delicious and the presentation was perfect

Mateus and his folks did a great job. Great communicator on explaining the menu. The food was unique and well prepared. The flavors were diverse and delicious. We were all impressed and grateful for Mateus and his folks.

Chef Mateus and team were excellent from the start! Helped us curate a menu that catered to all requirements and needs. And on the day the set up was perfect, exactly what we wanted. The food was also absolutely delicious! Would definitely recommend!

We had the absolute pleasure of having Chef Mateus as our private chef last night, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. From start to finish, every detail was thoughtfully curated and executed to perfection. He created an incredible four-course meal that exceeded all expectations, beginning with a delicious cocktail that felt so authentically Portuguese, followed by beautifully paired wine at the table. Each dish was not only stunning but full of flavor. What made the evening even more special was Mateu himself and his wonderful team. They were so warm, welcoming, and genuinely lovely, creating such a relaxed and joyful atmosphere. It made the night feel incredibly personal and memorable. This was a hen celebration, and the bride had the most amazing time, something we’ll all cherish. As if the evening couldn’t get any better, Mateus added the most thoughtful finishing touches: a Lisbon souvenir, a handwritten note, and beautiful flowers. The table was also decorated so elegantly, it all felt truly magical. Every single detail was gorgeous. We couldn’t recommend Chef Mateus and his team more highly. Thank you for such a special evening, we’ll never forget it. Thank you so much Mateus and team!

We hired a Mateus during our stay in Portugal, and it was one of the best parts of the trip. The food was absolutely incredible - beautifully presented, full of flavour, and made with amazing local ingredients. The whole experience felt effortless, from the seamless service to the spotless kitchen afterwards. It honestly felt like a restaurant quality experience in the comfort of our villa. Would 100% recommend, it made our trip so special.

Chef Mateus has great communication. He catered to our group for food allergies when creating the menu. He and the crew were very engaging with our group. He proposed different dishes and worked with us to create the menu for our group. All of the food was incredible and everyone from our group was so impressed.

Chef Mateus Alves prepared an excellent meal for us with local products. The communication before was excellent. We can really recommend him.

Mateus e sua equipe, Marcos e Gustavo foram excelentes na preparação e decoração do almoço de aniversário do meu filho. Foi uma ótima experiência desde o primeiro contato. Serão sempre lembrados pela nossa família e convidados com carinho por esse dia !

An incredible experience! Chef Mateus and his brother did an amazing job and were unbelievably sweet. We all loved the food and the table presentation was created with so much love.

Chef Mateus and crew were great from start to finish - the meal was a highlight of our trip and I’d recommend this experience to anyone!!

Chef Mateus and his team were awesome. Right from the start the communication was clear and timely. They arrived on time and prepared a fantastic meal. It was a great experience for my guests and my family. Thank you. All the best!

We hired Mateus for two brunches and one dinner for a group of 18 people while on vacation. He and his team were wonderful from start to finish. They were easy to coordinate with prior to the events, provided many menu options to choose from, showed up early, set a beautiful tablescape and served a delicious meal made of only fresh ingredients. We were wowed with the service and would absolutely hire them again.

Chef Mateus and his team were excellent! They arrived promptly, decorated our space beautifully, delivered incredible food, and left the kitchen cleaner than it started. I’d recommend Chef Mateus to anyone!

Mateus exceeded all expectations - the food was absolutely delicious, the presentation beautiful (small menus were printed and placed on the table with beautiful flowers) and he left the kitchen immaculately. I could not recommend him more! Thanks so much Mateus to you and your team!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We had a wonderful experience with Chef Mateus. The food was delicious, fresh, and beautifully presented, and he managed to combine local flavors with a refined touch. Beyond the cuisine, we really appreciated his kindness, professionalism, and the warm atmosphere he created. It was a true pleasure to discover his cooking style, and we would absolutely recommend this experience to anyone looking for an authentic and memorable culinary moment. Thank you again, Chef Mateus!

Highly recommended

Our group of 11 had an outstanding experience with Chef Mateus. From our first conversation he was professional and accommodating. We were provided with many food options to satisfy our group and he made every effort to accommodate any allergies. I made a special request for Portuguese pastel de Nata which he made and they were outstanding! We also were served carefully crafted specialty drinks before each meal in addition to a selection of local wines that paired fantastically with all our dishes. All the table settings and decor were provided and put together in a way that created a 5 star dining experience and the service reflected that in every way. All the ingredients for our meals were hand selected and purchased from local markets and of course made every meal taste fresh and homemade. Our group thoroughly enjoyed the experience and highly recommend Chef Mateus for any event.