Namaste 🙏 Welcome to Afzal Kitchen
Private Chef Santa Cruz de Tenerife
A private chef who comes to your home in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava and the towns around them. An evening at your own table, with the people you want around it, and no table booked for nine o’clock.
The Taste of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal at Your Table
More than anything else, it is the cooking that brings people back. Each plate is South Asian through and through, made by hand in your own kitchen the same day and carried out to you one course after another, just as it would be in a family home.
Chef Afzal knows these islands well, having lived and cooked across the Canaries for more than twelve years, with six of those months spent in the kitchens of Puerto de la Cruz. Behind that sits over 25 years spent cooking Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepali food. You decide how much heat goes on your plate, and anything vegetarian, vegan or allergy-related is kept apart and cooked on its own.
Eight Set Menus for Dinner at Home in Santa Cruz
Not everyone wants to sit down with a long list of dishes. Each of these menus has already been worked out by Chef Afzal, with a starter, a main course and a dessert that sit well together, and each guest picks the dishes they like from it.
Indian Set Menu
Onion bhaji or samosa first, then butter chicken or rogan josh with pilau rice and naan.
Pakistani Set Menu
Shami kebab or pakora, then a proper karahi or beef balti, finished with kheer.
Bangladeshi Set Menu
Singara to start, a light Bengali curry of chicken or fish, and mishti doi to finish.
Nepali Set Menu
Charcoal-grilled sekuwa or momos, then aloo tama or a Nepali chicken curry.
Chef's Special Set Menu
Indo-Chinese chilli chicken, lamb seekh kebab and cheese garlic naan from Chef Afzal's own list.
Tandoori & BBQ Set Menu
Kebabs, a sizzling mixed grill or tandoori platter, with your choice of sauce, rice and naan.
Vegetarian Set Menu
Gobi manchurian, chana masala and smoky baingan bharta, cooked without meat.
Children's Set Menu
Gentle chicken tikka masala or korma, or fried chicken and fish fingers for younger guests.
Any of them can be cooked milder or hotter, and a dish can be swapped for a guest who doesn’t eat meat or has an allergy.
39 Dishes to Choose From, Breakfast to Dinner
Some families arrive knowing their favourites already. Our full list has 39 dishes, from starters and meat or vegetarian curries to naan, rice and desserts. Choose one from each group, and Chef Afzal builds the meal around what you picked.
Tell us how much heat you like, anywhere from mild to extra spicy. Every starter comes to the table with mint, tamarind and mango chutneys.
On a longer stay, the cooking doesn’t have to stop at dinner. Lunch can be chosen from the same menus, and mornings can start with a South Asian breakfast, from halwa puri and aloo paratha to masala dosa, with masala chai or a mango lassi on the side.
Family Get-Togethers and Dinner Parties in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, La Laguna and La Orotava are home to many people who live on the island all year, and the house often fills up when family and friends come to visit. With a private chef in the kitchen, nobody has to spend the evening at the stove.
It works for a birthday at home, an anniversary dinner, a long Sunday lunch with three generations around the table, or a dinner party for the friends you have been meaning to invite for months.
The meal moves at your pace, in your own dining room, and by the time the last guest leaves, the kitchen is already clean.
Six Steps to a Chef in Your Kitchen
There is nothing complicated about it. You let us know what you would like and when, and everything else happens around you.
Choose the Dishes
Pick one of the set menus, or make your own choice from the list of 39 dishes.
WhatsApp or Email Us
Share the date, your address and the number of guests.
Get a Price per Guest
You receive one clear price before anything is booked.
Fresh Shopping on the Day
Meat, vegetables and spices are bought fresh for your menu that day.
Dinner Served at Home
Each dish is cooked on your own stove and carried to the table hot.
Clean Kitchen, Nothing to Do
Pans washed, surfaces wiped, and everything put back where it was.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Google Reviews
What People Wrote After the Plates Were Cleared
Every review below was written on Google by someone Chef Afzal has cooked for. Nothing has been edited or shortened.
«Everything was delicious, amazingly prepared and there were all kinds of dishes for everyone’s taste. The whole service was amazing, especially as a big group it was very nice to not have to cook! The kitchen was left spotless and everything was impeccably prepared. Could not recommend more and will definitely repeat»
«Nos encantó la comida, el menú especial para nosotros teniendo en cuenta todos los detalles. Todos los platos espectaculares, además, la cocina recogida después. Sin duda para repetir»
«Fue una cena estupenda, todo estaba buenísimo, con un servicio increíble y un trato muy personal, repetiría todos los veranos»
How Pricing Works for a Chef at Home in Santa Cruz
There is no fixed price list, because no two dinners are the same. You pay per guest, and the figure depends on which menu you choose and how many people are eating. The bigger the table, the lower the cost for each person.
Shopping, cooking, serving and washing up are all part of that price. What we quote is what you pay, and no extras turn up afterwards.
Send us your date, your numbers and the menu you have in mind, and you will have your price before you decide anything.
Before You Book: Questions from Santa Cruz and La Laguna
These are the things people usually want to know before inviting a chef into their home.
Do you come to La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz and La Orotava as well?
Yes. Santa Cruz, La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava and the smaller towns nearby are all covered, and so is the rest of Tenerife. Just send us your address when you get in touch.
Is this only for holidaymakers, or for people who live here too?
Both. Whether you are here on holiday or live in Tenerife all year, the service is the same: a chef in your kitchen, cooking for your table.
What do I need to have in my kitchen?
A working cooker, a fridge and a bit of worktop space is enough. The ingredients and spices come with the chef.
Can you cook for a small group, or only big parties?
Anything from two people up to fifty or more. For a large group, extra kitchen help is arranged so the food still reaches the table as it should.
How much notice do you need?
Ideally one week to ten days, which leaves time to agree the menu and plan the shopping. A date already promised to another booking can’t be taken, so it helps to ask early.