Emma grew up in Upper Ferntree Gully. Her passion for food started at an early age, inspired by her families’ Italian heritage. She started her career with an apprenticeship at Donovans in St Kilda. Emma spent over 16 years leading the kitchen as Head Chef, before stepping out to build a family – handing the reigns over to her husband, Kevin. Away from the big smoke, she is now focusing on her passion for gardening and developing her range of ceramics, which you will find throughout the restaurant. Emma especially enjoys using home grown ingredients to cook the food she loves in the Cognoscenti kitchens.

Kevin was born and raised in a small village in the south of France. From a young age, he helped his parents grow, forage and preserve food. He learned his craft at the culinary school of Tain L’Hermitage, alongside his best friend Adrien. He travelled to Australia and landed at Donovans in St Kilda, where he met his now wife, Emma. Kevin excelled throughout his 8-year journey in the Donovans kitchens, taking over as Head Chef upon Emma’s departure. Always dreaming of opening his own restaurant, Kevin felt the time was right to open Cognoscenti. Kevin has an incredible passion for cooking with fire, sourcing local, fresh and seasonal ingredients, and letting the produce speak for itself.

Adrien was born in Lyon and grew up in the Rhone Valley. As a child, Adrien was always in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother, where they lovingly cooked for the whole family. Inspired by these fond childhood memories, he decided to turn his passion into his career. He met Kevin attending the culinary school of Tain L’Hermitage, where they became lifelong friends. After working throughout France, Italy, England and the US, Adrien set his sights on Australia for his next adventure. He found a job as a waiter at Donovans in St Kilda, which led to an 8-year role as Restaurant Manager. Now, he is a proud Australian citizen, fulfilling his childhood dream of opening his own restaurant. Adrien cares about providing warm service, making everyone feel welcome, and treating his guests like family.