Chef Gerard Curto | Epocha

Gerard Curto Rodríguez was born in Sant Carles de la Ràpita, a small village on the east coast of Catalonia; an autonomous community in north eastern Spain and known internationally for its fine dining restaurants.

Classically trained at the University of Girona in Barcelona, Gerard gained invaluable creative and technical skills early in his career while completing an internship at the 3-star Michelin restaurant, El Bulli in Roses, Catalonia. El Bulli has been judged by Restaurant Magazine to be Number One on its Top 50 list of the world’s best restaurants a record five times—in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Gerard then worked at Restaurante Hofmann, the prestigious one Michelin star restaurant, where resident students of the Hoffman Cooking School are prepared to become chefs, learning the French and Mediterranean classics. The Hofmann is the only restaurant in the world with a cooking school to be awarded a Michelin star.

Gerald also worked at 3-star Michelin restaurant el Celler de Can Roca and one-star Michelin restaurant Restaurante Villa Retiro before moving to Melbourne in 2016.

With impressive training, extensive experience at multiple Michelin star establishments and numerous awards, Gerard remains incredibly modest and very humble.

“I am incredibly grateful for the experiences I have had that have led to such amazing, international recognition” says Curto “but this has never been a distraction from what I love to do.

“I pride myself on being a meticulous chef with a big passion for gastronomy and constantly looking to broaden my skills with different types of cooking”.

And today Gerard is doing just that. Now working at Epocha Restaurant in Carlton, Melbourne as head chef since December 2017, he offers contemporary European cuisine with menu items that will make you feel transported to the heart of Europe.

And his Mediterranean roots are never far from view. Constructing menus with seasonal produce, Gerard explores new culinary creations with a focus on quality and always variety bringing a modern approach to some authentic dishes.