FELLINI FAMILY "WOWS" ANOTHER TOUGH CROWD

THE Percuoco family, best known for their top noshery Ristorante Fellini at Marina Mirage, have now managed to wow a new crowd – a bevy of blushing brides.

Ecostudio Fellini has been awarded the best wedding reception venue in Queensland for 2014 in an industry award that rated the opinions of 30,000 brides over the past year.

The venue, located in the Gold Coast Hinterland on the corner of Springbrook and Boomerang Road in Mudgeeraba, scored a rating of 99.77 out of 100 to be given top honours in the Australian Bridal Industry Academy’s (ABIA) 16th Queensland Annual Bridal Industry Awards.

Only brides who have experienced the venue are allowed to vote in the awards and only those venues that score 95 per cent or higher are eligible.

Ecostudio Fellini beat nine other venues for the top honour, which this year included Maleny Manor on the Sunshine Coast and Cloudland in Brisbane.

Co-owner Carlo Percuoco is chuffed at receiving the top gong, “especially when it has been voted by brides”.

"Selecting a reception venue is obviously a very personal choice for each and every couple and we always strive to make the whole experience as enjoyable as possible and tailor our service to each couples’ needs,” he says.

“We are so thankful to the brides who put in the time and effort to place their votes and are thrilled to be recognised at this level.”

Ecostudio Fellini, which by Percuoco, his sister Anna, and Richard Burt and Raffaelle Di Benedetto, was also finalist in the best ceremony venue, function coordinator and in-house wedding advisor categories for the 2014 awards.

The award comes on the heels of Fellini earlier this year receiving international recognition by its cultural predecessors for being “truly Italian”.

The waterfront restaurant was recognised by the Italy-based eno-gastronomic ethics committee, Eccellenze Italiane Registry, as an Eccellenze Italiane certified company for 2014.

The certification, understood to be the first issued outside of Italy, is awarded once a restaurant meets nine requirements - identity, atmosphere, gastronomic offer, wine list, the use of extra-virgin olive oil, experience and expertise, traditional dishes, client satisfaction and an overall evaluation.

Percuoco says it was an extensive process that has rewarded Ristorante Fellini for 19 years of excellence in Italian dining on the Gold Coast.