I design and cook unforgettable private dining experiences—rooted in Italy, inspired by the world, and tailored to your table.

Louis Bavaro

I bring authentic global flavors to your home with warmth, precision, and joy.

I’m a New Yorker raised on the tastes and traditions of Italy, always in the kitchen with my mom and grandma—especially for the holidays. That early love turned into a lifelong obsession with cooking across cultures, from Europe and the Mediterranean to North Africa, the Middle East, and deeply regional Mexico.

After a 20-year career in Broadway marketing, I made the leap to culinary school in New York City and Italy, and I’ve never looked back. I’ve cooked for high-profile clients—from the Italian Ambassador to the United Nations to UHNW families across New York—creating celebrations big and small, and I travel throughout Long Island, New York City, the Tri-State Area, and beyond.

Let’s plan your menu

Cooking is my way to express joy, make beautiful memories, and bring people together.

Here’s what I bring to your table—every single time.

I cook to create joy and connection

For me, cooking is a way to express joy, make beautiful memories, and bring people together—so I focus on food that feels generous, vibrant, and meant to be shared.

I blend tradition with real-world training

I learned to cook from my family, then deepened my craft through domestic and international travel, by reading cookbooks like literature, and through formal culinary school training in New York City and Italy.

I keep the kitchen calm, organized, and fun

My secret in the kitchen is simple: organization, a smile, focus, and having fun—because that energy shows up on the plate and in the room.

Louis Bavaro’s Menus

I offer complete, multi-course menus inspired by the cuisines I love most—crafted for intimate dinners, celebrations, and holiday gatherings. I’ll help you choose the right experience and pace the meal so your guests feel cared for from the first bite to dessert.

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Stories and testimonials

Chef Louis cooked an excellent meal. He was prompt, pleasant, cooked, served, and cleaned, and it was just all around a good experience. I recommend him.

Craig Cooper

Chef Louis made our dinner party an incredible success! Pre event coordination was impeccable and he carried out our vision of a perfect Greek/Mediterranean experience. With homemade everything, from hummus to baklava, all delicious! Service and cleanup was handled thoroughly and professionally! We were able to enjoy the gathering as much as our guests thanks to Louis' coordination and management.

Bianca Durkin

Chef Louis did a fantastic job. He was communicative about the menu, our preferences and had great suggestions. We would absolutely work with him again and highly recommend him to anyone looking for a chef.

Brad Spiegel

Louis was a great chef and I would DEFINITELY recommend him for future gatherings! He tailored the menu/evening exactly how we requested, was extremely attentive/communicative before we met and during the evening. One of the highlights was his demos that he was so organized, efficient and patient/friendly about! It was a great combo of being able to participate and also for guests to be able to relax/enjoy a delicious gourmet meal. Everything was SO FRESH! Still dreaming of the pesto pasta. Thanks Chef Louis!

Jessica Fremont

Chef Louis was wonderful- courteous, professional, friendly and highly skilled. He was communicative and collaborative throughout the menu planning process. He was polite and friendly during the dinner experience, answering all our questions graciously and explaining his process, which made for an enjoyable experience. He is an excellent chef and delivered an impecable French dinner for my dad’s birthday - all 7 of us were very pleased. He also was thorough in the cleanup, leaving virtually nothing for us to do after he left. Clearly he is a true professional who knows how to make people feel catered to without overstepping his bounds. I would hire Chef Louis again and highly recommend him for anyone looking to have a special event. Thank you, Chef Louis!

Marcela Bequillard

Louis made our family Thanksgiving weekend a breeze by cooking all of us amazing meals for our stay! The planning was easy and he was very reliable, it was so great having one less thing to worry about. The food was fantastic and he listened to all of our suggestions, was even flexible and pivoted the menu mid-stay to accommodate our changing needs. Would recommend him to anyone looking to cook a wide variety of cuisines!

Taylor Graves

Chef Louis did an amazing job for our exec team gathering. It was a very last minute booking on our part, but Chef Louis hopped on the phone to quickly iron out the details and logistics. The team raved about how great he experience and food was! We will definitely use him again and would recommend his services!

Jasmine Ramans

Chef Louis was excellent!! Everyone enjoyed the authentic Thai meal very much! Thank you!

Melissa Mangan

Chef Louis is awesome. Prepared a wonderful proposed menu and then allowed us room to modify according to dietary restrictions. We didn't change much of the menu because the food proposed was ample and sounded delicious. The appetizers were so plentiful and included homemade foccacia that was to die for. Chef was attentive and described the food before each course .We had some leftovers especially the dessert which was an amazing torte. We had enough of the torte for 2 nights and sent some home with our friends too! A great evening. We felt well cared for by Chef Louis. We highly recommend the experience for other couples looking to a date night with friends.

Celeste M Bryant

Chef Louis was outstanding! I Would highly recommend and use his services again!

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