Santa Barbara◆Montecito◆
Santa Ynez◆Ojai

Santa Barbara
Private Chef

I don't cater. I cook. Like any restaurant chef, I write a menu that reflects who I am, thirty-four years in kitchens, and what's best in Santa Barbara right now. You're not hiring someone to fill a request. You're invited to my table, set in your home or rental.

Ask about a date → or browse the menus

since 2013! Cast iron pan, cooking in your home since 2013
carrot soup
Santa Barbara Chefs Tomato
Sea Bass
Olive Oil Cake
Spinach
Pot De Creme
pea soup
Short Ribs
Plate of assorted cooked vegetables including purple eggplants, green zucchini, yellow squash, topped with edible flowers and garnished with chickpeas on a wooden surface.
Rhubarb Tart
Black Cod
A white plate with a small portion of gourmet dish, including sliced meat, basil leaves, and garnishes, on a wooden table.
Tomato
Tuna
Citrus
Apple Dessert
Bread Box
Carrots
photo 1
photo 2
photo 3
Swedish
born &
bred
meet your chef

I'm Mattias

I started as an apprentice in a German restaurant in Sweden at 12 and had my first kitchen job at 15. I've called Santa Barbara home since 1991. Before I started cooking privately, I spent 18 years in restaurant kitchens across California and Europe.

My cooking is seasonal California rustic food with a Scandinavian–Japanese sensibility. The flavors are honest and robust, shaped by my mother and grandmother, two of the best cooks I know.

18years in restaurants
2013private chef since
1,000+unique kitchens

More about me →

choose your evening

Three ways to dine

01

Farmhouse Menus

three or four courses

Choose a menu as it is, or mix and match starters, a main and a dessert. Four courses come with house bread and housemade butter.

see the menus → 02

Shared Table

family style

Generous platters set in the middle of the table and passed around, for a relaxed, social evening.

see the menus → 03

California Tasting

tasting menu

A longer evening of smaller courses, served one after another, built around what is best this season.

see the menu →
what to expect

An evening, start to finish

I arrive

I bring all the cookware. All I need is counter space and a working stove and oven.

The table is set

My own plateware, chargers, linens, glassware, candles and decor.

Course by course

Each dish is served and described at your table, restaurant style.

All clean

Your kitchen is spotless before I leave. You just enjoy the night.

where I cook

Across Santa Barbara County

Private homes, estates, ranches and vacation rentals, from the coast to wine country. Pick your area to see what a dinner there looks like.

Best for 6–14 guests; larger groups considered.

Candlelit garden dinner table set by a Santa Barbara private chef
Linen napkin with leather ring on a white plate
Shichimi togarashi spice blend in a wooden bowl
Rustic farmhouse kitchen with open wooden shelves
Stoneware plate setting with gold cutlery on dark felt
Hand-carved wooden kitchen utensils
the fine print

Simple, no surprises

Pricing

One all-inclusive quote on a sliding scale by guest count. No hidden costs, locked 6 days before.

Cancellation

Full refund, no questions asked, up to 7 days before your dinner.

Always me

No substitute chefs, and only one reservation per day.

Discretion

Privacy always. I never share the names of past or future clients.

Want cocktails? A bartender can be added.

more from Mattias

Beyond the dinner table

Farmhouse Bento

Planning a wedding or a corporate event? My mobile cart sets up at your venue with the best of crudo, sashimi and the farmers' market.

Book the cart →

Mattias Blom Consulting

Kitchen expertise from a chef. There is a better way and a better design, with results that make your kitchen your favorite place.

Book a kitchen conversation →