Six private-chef dinners worth travelling for

The in-villa meals our editors still talk about, long after the tan has faded.

A private chef can be the quiet highlight of a villa stay — the night nobody has to drive, book, or dress up, and the food is somehow better for it. These are the in-house dinners that stayed with us this year.

• Lake Como, Villa Sereno. A market lunch of lake fish and garden tomatoes under the loggia.

• Verbier, Chalet Mont Blanc. A seven-course tasting menu after a long day on the snow.

• Amalfi, Villa Aurelia. Hand-rolled pasta and a terrace at golden hour.

• Phuket, Rosewood Pool Villa. A southern Thai feast cooked at the poolside grill.

The lesson, every time: a great chef turns a good villa into a memorable one. When you book, ask whether the kitchen comes staffed — it is the upgrade most worth paying for.